Wildlife

Wild Pheasant and Partridge Game Bird Welfare

Game bird welfare encompasses both the rearing phase and the hunting season, with significant welfare concerns at both stages of their lives.

Key Facts

Over 50 million pheasants and 10 million red-legged partridges are released annually in the UK
Rearing pen conditions vary significantly from intensive to semi-intensive approaches
Released birds face predation, starvation, and road mortality after release
Grey partridges managed in covey systems have better welfare than pen-reared birds
UK shooting industry has developed welfare guidelines but regulatory oversight is limited

Welfare Considerations

Game bird welfare spans the entire production cycle from egg to shooting. Rearing conditions cause welfare costs from overcrowding and stress. Release exposes pen-reared birds to predation and environmental challenges they are not equipped to handle. Shooting causes death or wounding that must be followed by rapid dispatch. Welfare improvement requires attention to all these phases, with particular focus on rearing density and release management.

What You Can Do

Support game bird welfare standard development by shooting organisations
Advocate for minimum welfare standards in pheasant and partridge rearing regulations
Choose game meat from operations with higher welfare rearing standards when available