Wildlife

Wild Red Grouse Welfare and Management

Red grouse welfare on managed moorland is shaped by heather quality, disease burden, and the management practices of driven grouse shooting estates.

Key Facts

Red grouse are managed intensively on shooting estates in Scotland, England, and Wales
Strongyle worm (Trichostrongylus tenuis) causes significant disease and welfare harm
Medicated grit containing anthelmintic reduces worm burden in managed grouse
Mountain hare culling to reduce tick burden affects grouse welfare indirectly
Raptor persecution on some estates reduces predator populations that affect grouse

Welfare Considerations

Red grouse with high strongyle worm burdens suffer significant disease welfare harm. Medicated grit programmes manage this welfare problem effectively on well-run estates. However, the broader management system including illegal raptor persecution, mountain hare culling, and moorland burning all involve welfare trade-offs for other species. A holistic welfare assessment of driven grouse moor management must consider all affected species.

What You Can Do

Support evidence-based assessment of driven grouse moor welfare impacts
Advocate for licencing of driven grouse shooting with welfare conditions
Engage with debate about moorland management and its welfare implications