Research has recently been published that analyzes the problems of captive breeding of wild galliformes. Many projects for the reintroduction or reconstitution of these populations fail also due to the low survival of the animals used. Co-author of the study, carried out by two ethologists from the University of Exeter, is Dr. Francis Santilli, collaborator of the Faunistic and Agro-environmental Studies and Research Office of Hunting Federation. Research reveals that the conditions under which animals are raised in the first weeks of life, even if they guarantee good growth, may not prepare the birds to cope with the conditions of wild life. In fact, they know that captive-bred phasianids are much more likely to be preyed upon go hungry after release.
A balance must therefore be found between the conditions for maintaining the welfare of birds in the rearing phase and that after release into the wild. Some changes in the breeding techniques which can help solve this problem. It has been seen that if the breeding environment is "enriched" in order to make it more similar to the wild one, animals tend to assume more natural behaviors.
For example, the presence of perches already in the early stages of life allows pheasant chicks to escape harassment by other chicks, but at the same time teaches them to climb tree branches to escape terrestrial predators during the night. The application and in-depth research on the animal behavior finds application in reintroduction and reconstitution programs of galliform populations such as partridge and red partridge for which it is very difficult to draw on wild populations as founders.
Reference to publication and research:
JR Madden, F Santilli, MA Whiteside. The welfare of game birds destined for release into the wild: a balance between early life care and preparation for future natural hazards. Animal Welfare, 2020 29 (1).