I would like to point out that Kit Davidson of Animal Aid’s letter (SA, August 25) paints a very one-sided and inaccurate picture of partridge shooting in the UK.

A battery style egg production unit for partridge has been tried by approximately two per cent of the game farmers in the UK; the system is not well supported and the majority of game managers prefer to use a more expensive traditional method of egg production and rearing, which has much higher standards of bird health and welfare. The shooting season for partridge begins on September 1 and is the culmination of a year’s hard work for the gamekeeper. Ideal habitat is planted and managed by the gamekeeper who provides additional feed and water for the birds. The aim is to produce strong, healthy game birds which will eventually end up on the dinner table.

Game shooting in the UK takes place over two thirds of the rural landscape, it provides employment and investment in our rural communities and is annually worth in excess of £1.6 billion to the UK economy. The shooting community also contributes over £250 million to wildlife habitat creation and improvement every year.

Helen Shuker Press Officer The British Association for Shooting and Conservation