With respect you are misunderstanding my post if you think that I said is what I would prefer: In fact I made no reference to which method of rearing I think would be best for the welfare of the birds.
I merely observed that from an economic viewpoint if meat production were the sole aim then this would be a more economical method.
In fact I am ambivalent about shooting. I come from an area of gloucestershire with many shoots and have seen some of the effects both good and bad.
At best are some shoots on arable land which support locally rare farmland birds not otherwise found in my area such as Tree Sparrow (probably chiefly by virtue of set-aside and headlands left unplowed for game cover since these are species likely to be unaffected by predator control).
At worst a number of shots where I have seen 'vermin' that have been shot and the corpses nailed to trees or found illegal traps; these would include one wood where greenfinches had been shot and placed in traps presumably as bait for other birds.
I do not object to well regulated shoots but despise the sometimes illegal persecution of supposed 'vermin' that often accompanies them. What I most object to is hypocrisy. Be honest about what hunting is about. I have no problem with someone saying they get a thrill from hunting; I get a thrill from finding birds that is probably similar - I just don't feel the need to kill.
If you wish to argue about the virtues of hunting be honest about what is being done.
Tom
