Caged Breeding

Cage Breeding

Click to jump to a certain part of the page

Pheasants and red-legged partridges are traditional ‘game’ birds used in the shooting industry. Both of these non-native species are released into the environment in huge numbers each year, on UK ‘game’ bird shooting estates.

A report commissioned by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust admitted that 47 million pheasants were released into the environment in 2016 – an increase of 588 percent over 50 years - with a maximum of 18 million of these being recorded as shot. Similarly, up to 10 million red-legged partridges were released, and up to an estimated 5.9 million of the birds were recorded as shot. Industry figures show that these numbers have continued to increase, rising to 61.2 million non-native ‘game’ birds released into the countryside in 2018.

Pheasants and partridges are mass farmed in the same way as intensively reared farm animals, yet they are not protected by humane slaughter laws and many won’t be eaten as food.

The government admitted that over 25 million pheasants and pheasant eggs were imported into the UK between 1 May 2018 and the 30 April 2019. These birds are farmed and shot in the name of 'sport', with many wounded and left to suffer.

Factory farming

According to Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), virtually all the red-legged partridges released on UK ‘game’ bird shooting estates come from breeding birds confined in barren wire-mesh cages with less space per bird than an A4 piece of paper, often for most of their life.

In the UK minimum standards exist for the protection of animals bred or kept for farming. However, it does not apply to ‘animals intended for use in competitions, shows, cultural or sporting events or activities.’ This denies birds farmed for ‘game’ bird shooting industry even the basic welfare protection given to birds farmed for food, despite the similar conditions. Pheasants have been shown to experience better welfare in a free-range system , and those bred in cages often cause injury to those they’re caged with.

Since January 2012, barren cages for egg-laying hens have been illegal in the UK and the EU. Enrichment including nest boxes, litter, perch space and claw-shortening devices must now be provided, along with slightly more room per bird. However, no minimum legal space or enrichment requirements have been implemented for caged game birds.

Will you join us in calling for an end to the use of cages for breeding ‘game’ birds? 

Sign The Petition

Rearing for slaughter

Shooting estates buy young birds from breeding farms and rear them in crowded sheds and pens, releasing them just a few weeks before shooting season begins.

According to the ‘game’ bird shooting industry, less than half of the birds released each year are killed by shooters. Millions of ‘game’ birds die on the roads surrounding shooting estates, causing damage to vehicles and distress to motorists. Others die from disease or exposure to the British weather, as both species are adapted to warmer climates.

Canned hunting

In some respects what happens on the day of a ‘game’ bird shoot is similar to what happens in the South African ‘canned’ hunting industry – where animals such as lions are tamed and confined in an enclosed area to make killing them by trophy hunters easier.

Pheasants and partridges which have been farmed, fed, 'protected’ from predators and released onto shooting estates are then driven towards paying shooters by employees called beaters.

Take action on cage breeding

Join the League in our endeavours to protect ‘game’ birds by becoming a voice for them. 

•  Join one of our supporter groups, 
• Write to your MP, 
• Sign the petition
• Share this on your social media with the hashtag #EndCageBreeding.

For more information, here are four signs that a 'game' bird shooting may be happening near you.