Pheasant surprise

Our pheasant poults arrived two weeks late and appear to be all cocks. Will this adversely affect our shooting season? Why weren’t we given any hens?

I doubt it will have any adverse effect on your shooting season as, contrary to popular belief, cock birds tend to wander less than hens. My guess is that your birds are mostly cocks because your supplier has decided to overwinter their hens, and kept the hen poults back for themselves for next year’s eggs — something that is becoming increasingly common as hatcheries and shoots quite rightly seek to improve their biosecurity and move to becoming self-sufficient.

Swapping cocks and buying in hens from your friends and neighbours is easier and cheaper, but carries an increased disease risk. With avian influenza still present and, very worryingly, showing no signs of abating, I think the days of shoots catching up and selling their surplus birds on are numbered. LB

Game shoots are seeking to improve their biosecurity as avian flu continues to rage