Senedd protest demands end to caged game bird breeding
Animal welfare activists staged a striking demonstration outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday to expose the conditions in which pheasants and partridges are bred for sport shooting.
Campaigners from the League Against Cruel Sports spent the day inside cramped, human-sized cages, mirroring the conditions endured by millions of game birds across the UK.
The protest aimed to highlight the lack of legal protection for breeding birds and to urge the Welsh Government to lead the way in banning cages for game bird breeding.
Emma Slawinski, Chief Executive of the League, said:
“These cages are tiny, they are bleak, and the birds suffer immensely. They are injured by attempting to fly out, and the females are injured by the male’s talons repeatedly pulling out her back feathers. All of this is so eggs can be produced in their tens of millions to provide birds that only exist to be shot.”
[North Wales MS Carolyn Thomas supporting the campaign]
The League’s “caged bird” protest comes as public concern over animal welfare continues to grow. A UK Parliament petition launched by actor Joanna Lumley, calling for a ban on cages for farmed animals including pheasants, partridges and quail, recently passed 100,000 signatures.
This milestone ensures a parliamentary debate on the issue and signals widespread public support for reform.
Participants in the protest were only allowed to leave their cages when a member of the public signed the petition, making the demonstration a visible and emotionally charged call to action.
The League is calling on both the UK and Welsh Governments to act, and for the next Welsh Parliament to prioritise a ban.
Wales is home to Europe’s largest game bird breeding operation, Bettws Hall in Powys, which exports chicks across the UK and Ireland.
Emma Slawinski said the issue is urgent:
“By acting decisively in the next Senedd term, Wales has the opportunity to strengthen its position as a leader in animal welfare by banning cages for breeding game birds and send a strong message that it does not tolerate cruelty in any form.”
While the Welsh Government’s current Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds states that birds should have enough space to avoid stress and show normal behaviours, campaigners argue that the reality in breeding cages falls far short of this.
“There is no specific legislation to protect the breeding and rearing of game birds,” Emma added. “It is time for change and it is time for the government to ban these cruel cages.”
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