Gamebird Rearing
The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes was introduced by the Welsh Government on 1st January 2011. The RSPCA was very disappointed that the Government did not advise against 'enriched' cages to breed game birds particularly given that the Farm Animal Welfare Council (now Committee) - the official advisory body to the UK & devolved administrations - stated that they were unlikely to meet the birds' needs.
The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes was introduced by the Welsh Government in 2011. The RSPCA remains disappointed that this code does not advise against the use of cages for breeding gamebirds. As gamebirds are semi-wild, we believe that using outdoor pens and paddocks for small numbers of birds would be preferable to restricting them in small cages for the majority of their adult lives. Positively, the Welsh Government has since committed to reviewing the evidence around breeding cages for gamebirds in conjunction with the UK and Scottish Governments. It is hoped that a review of the aforementioned code of practice will also be undertaken in the near future to help protect the welfare of thousands of game birds in the years to come.
A ban on the shooting of gamebirds on public land in Wales was introduced by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in 2019. More recently, NRW consulted on the release of game birds, with this consultation having the potential to require the release of pheasants and red-legged partridges to be licensed and regulated from 2025 onwards.