Introduction
This page looks at poultry like gamebirds, waterfowl, pheasants, turkeys and quail – birds not covered on our “Poultry” and “Birds and farming” pages. This whether they are hosted or actively farmed.
Not only have gamebirds played a major role in human survival throughout ancient history, but all domestic turkeys and chickens also originate from them. South Africa offers a wide variety of game birds, some 14 huntable species of duck, two of geese, 10 partridge (francolin) species, guinea fowl and quail.
Gamebirds often reach far higher densities on farms, particularly grain and mixed farms, than in natural habitats or game farms. Farmers often regard gamebirds as a pest, yet they constitute an additional source of income. Farmers can be helped to develop hospitality services and to market shoots, so adding considerable value to their gamebirds. The infrastructure required to establish gamebird utilisation will readily support other forms of eco-tourism and recreational land use, such as hiking, birding, mountain-biking or to simply escape from cities.
Source: Abré J Steyn and Aldo Berruti (adapted)
