Young, wild and free

Several years ago, I had a talk with a keen young keeper who was on an estate where partridges were hand-reared. Being moorland bred, he assured me that if ever he took a job on his native heath, he would use the experience that he had gained among partridges to produce grouse artificially.

He pointed out that there are certain similarities between the two species. For instance, they both have to be subjected to a pairing technique before breeding can commence. He assumed that if this delicate operation could be tackled with skill, an adequate supply of eggs could be got in pens. After that important preliminary had been achieved, the actual rearing could be tackled with confidence.

Since then, I have had some conversation with an older