Our investigators found long-dead partridges left on top of the cages in breach of the Animal By-Products Regulations, and live birds kept inside barren cages in breach of the Code of Practice. Our digital thermometer recorded temperatures as low as -4.9C and showed that the birds had been kept in sub-zero temperatures for almost nine hours. The Code of Practice says accommodation should protect the birds from extremes of temperature.

Action: Animal Aid reported the breaches to APHA and Warwickshire Trading Standards on 15 February 2018, and to the RSPCA on 16 February 2018. Trading Standards did not visit the farm. The RSPCA declined to proceed. APHA refused to provide details of its visit and any action taken.

On 4 July 2017, Animal Aid asked APHA about ‘extremes of temperature’ but APHA was unable to say what constituted an extreme. It cannot, therefore, advise game farmers about appropriate temperatures. However, the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes states the recommended ambient temperature for all types of birds listed is 12C – 24C.