I am not anti hunt, coursing or country folks way of life. But i cannot understand why anyone would want to hand rear, feed and create the tamest wild bird in the land just so the can scare it up and shoot it. They call killing the tamest bird in the country sport. mmmmmmmmmmmmm i'm missing something here.
You see these pheasants walking along roads not a care in the world. No fear of man in most of them. I cannot think of anything sicker than breeding &taming birds to kill. where is the sport in that?
if you want to hunt foxes, shoot rabbits or chase hares & rabbits with dogs get on with it, at least these animals have a sporting chance. But killing tame birds is not sport.
cheers
corni
A smile will open more doors than any key.
Nicki C said: I am of the understanding that Pheasant meat is generally sold/given to the elite few such as other people in the same 'shooting group' or sold to restaurants like Gordon Ramsey's, or whoever has a restaurant wants food that is a little more unusual to the palate...not to forget the local farm shops too.. at a push. Selling Pheasant in the supermarkets is something I have only seen once and that was a long time while living in Aberdeen - yes, the whole concept did not last long at all. So it is a closed community, who want Pheasant for its food value only and is is not for every food due to the expense of the meat...easy cooking etc.. Regards Kathy and Dave
I am of the understanding that Pheasant meat is generally sold/given to the elite few such as other people in the same 'shooting group' or sold to restaurants like Gordon Ramsey's, or whoever has a restaurant wants food that is a little more unusual to the palate...not to forget the local farm shops too.. at a push.
Selling Pheasant in the supermarkets is something I have only seen once and that was a long time while living in Aberdeen - yes, the whole concept did not last long at all.
So it is a closed community, who want Pheasant for its food value only and is is not for every food due to the expense of the meat...easy cooking etc..
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Hi Blackbird,
In season, pheasant, partridge, pigeon, rabbit and venison, are readily available at my local butcher, and are not expensive compared with other traditional roasting or grilling meats. I have to say I enjoy cooking and eating game.
There is conflict, of course, between shooting creatures just for pleasure or shooting them for food.
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" - Wlliam Blake
Hi Claire
Yes, there is conflict, and I hate to see that people use animals for sporting fun like so many have mentioned on this thread
There is a difference between the need for food to live, and the requirement of food for fun. Pheasant is the latter to me, and I have never eaten it at all in my life..and never intend too.
ClaireM said: I am of the understanding that Pheasant meat is generally sold/given to the elite few such as other people in the same 'shooting group' or sold to restaurants like Gordon Ramsey's, or whoever has a restaurant wants food that is a little more unusual to the palate...not to forget the local farm shops too.. at a push. Selling Pheasant in the supermarkets is something I have only seen once and that was a long time while living in Aberdeen - yes, the whole concept did not last long at all. So it is a closed community, who want Pheasant for its food value only and is is not for every food due to the expense of the meat...easy cooking etc.. Regards Kathy and Dave
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I'm pretty sure that pheasant isn't native to the uk, I think it was brought from...India? or somewhere so it could be used for meat, just like most other animals we eat.
My tutor at Uni was once a game keeper helper person (lol) and helped rear all the pheasants. They take really good care of them and try to prevent them straying onto other land to avoid them being run over or for them to lose valuable birds. It is all for money but from my experience and knowledge of shoots then the people that go on the shoots take home or sell all birds shot so they don't go to waste. No-one involved wants to see the birds go to waste as so much time, money and effort is put into rearing and keeping them.
I think the broiler chicken (and other animals kept in poor [my opinion] conditions) debate is a different one.
We personally keep and breed chickens and use them mostly for eggs, but we do also eat them. When we breed we will keep the birds we want and sell the rest but we are usually left with a few young cockerels that we can't get rid of so we rear them for meat. They live outside in a big run and when they start getting aggressive towards each other or are getting too big for the space we have, we take them to be killed. We would never want to see a bird go to waste and it is not fair on the birds to keep them if they are going to fight etc. We also then know exactly where our meat comes from and know they have had a long and happy life as our boys live to be a good few months old unlike broilers that live for 6 weeks max. I did a whole dissertation on broilers so don't get me into it! :0S
LK
When a man wants to murder a tiger he calls it sport; when the tiger wants to murder him he calls it ferocity. ~George Bernard Shaw
Unknown said: I'm pretty sure that pheasant isn't native to the uk, I think it was brought from...India? or somewhere so it could be used for meat, just like most other animals we eat. My tutor at Uni was once a game keeper helper person (lol) and helped rear all the pheasants. They take really good care of them and try to prevent them straying onto other land to avoid them being run over or for them to lose valuable birds. It is all for money but from my experience and knowledge of shoots then the people that go on the shoots take home or sell all birds shot so they don't go to waste. No-one involved wants to see the birds go to waste as so much time, money and effort is put into rearing and keeping them. I think the broiler chicken (and other animals kept in poor [my opinion] conditions) debate is a different one. We personally keep and breed chickens and use them mostly for eggs, but we do also eat them. When we breed we will keep the birds we want and sell the rest but we are usually left with a few young cockerels that we can't get rid of so we rear them for meat. They live outside in a big run and when they start getting aggressive towards each other or are getting too big for the space we have, we take them to be killed. We would never want to see a bird go to waste and it is not fair on the birds to keep them if they are going to fight etc. We also then know exactly where our meat comes from and know they have had a long and happy life as our boys live to be a good few months old unlike broilers that live for 6 weeks max. I did a whole dissertation on broilers so don't get me into it! :0S LK
Good post LK.
They are also available here too and i have been offered them free by fellow members of a residents association but i will never buy,try, or eat.
Why ?....because everything is not about my enjoyment...........
Each to their own though.For me the fewer animals/birds killed for food the better.
I would never partake in the eating of any animal/bird killed for fun anyway.Just my opinion.
An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .
Sheena said:For me the fewer animals/birds killed for food the better.
Hi Sheena,
I don't know if you are vegetarian (I should look back on this thread) but have you seen the lorry loads of pigs, sheep and calfs that travel our roads to the abbattoir - often on long journeys without proper food and water provided?
Claire
ClaireM said: For me the fewer animals/birds killed for food the better. Hi Sheena, I don't know if you are vegetarian (I should look back on this thread) but have you seen the lorry loads of pigs, sheep and calfs that travel our roads to the abbattoir - often on long journeys without proper food and water provided? Claire [/quote] Of Course i have C, and i am and will fight in their corner as long as i live.I was,but am no longer a vegetarian and i know we humans are in the main, meat eaters .I want our animals and birds looked after properly, and not killed for pleasure and those that are killed for food should roam free, and have a humane ending.You may not mind what happens regarding Pheasants and that is fine, but i do.I am against all fun blood sports,simple as that............ An optimist sees the beauty of the complete rose.A pessimist sees only the thorn .
For me the fewer animals/birds killed for food the better.
Of Course i have C, and i am and will fight in their corner as long as i live.I was,but am no longer a vegetarian and i know we humans are in the main, meat eaters .I want our animals and birds looked after properly, and not killed for pleasure and those that are killed for food should roam free, and have a humane ending.You may not mind what happens regarding Pheasants and that is fine, but i do.I am against all fun blood sports,simple as that............
If the situation were reversed. Pheasants were reared in sheds without daylight and the chickens shot out of the sky by hunters. How would that be ? Is it acceptable because its to feed you .
Chickens are also an introduced species.
I for one knowing what a short life these birds have anyway, would prefer to be a Pheasant in the next life and take my chances than a joyless chicken and end up on your table without any life at all.
In the end you might have to accept that our species is a greedy selfish destructive one. Many other species have become extinct through our hand and this seems set to continue.
I am as guilty as all of you.
But take great delight in the Pheasants around my house feeding and living life to the full.
Lets set our sights higher and really try to make a difference in this country. Stop feeding the birds with imported food and plant more and more and more habitat for them to feed themselves. But that is another issue.
Some interesting points of view coming out here.I for one shot "for the pot" for many years when living in a more rural area and shot clays or shot targets with rifleor pistol for fun (and to me and many others it was fun).The main reason I stopped was that I got rid of the guns because of the stronger laws concerning gun storage at home.Not that I disagreed with them it was just living opposite the village police station I was always the first for a gun check if there was any gun crime in the area.
The bulk of the pheasants from our local shoots seem to end up in local butchers at what I consider to be a reasonable price and affordable to most folk.It is right that people eat chickens that have finished laying eggs otherwise the meat would go to waste.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
I cannot say i am against people shooting game, but what i don't agree with is birds being bred & slaughtered solely for the entertainment of a few people who have nothing better to do on a winters weekend.
these birds are not wild animals, they are the tamest birds in the country.
Surely these people could find something else to shoot. they could join the army they'd find them plenty to shoot at.