Teesmouth Bird Club

Hi I have been informed by the North Pennines moorland group that anti biotics are no longer used on UK moorland as I know they were.

Does anyone know anything about this?
Have they cleaned up their act?
I was once told they incorporated anti biotics in food to ward offf possible diseases.

As I understand it, specific antiparasite compounds are  added to grit, which is deposited on the "grouse farm" ( aka N York Moors). Which is ingested when the grouse consume their regular grit feeds. I presume that these chemicals are required as the population density of grouse is artificially high which encourages the build up and transferral of heavy loads of internal parasites. This in turn effects the birds health and fecundity.
On another matter, has anyone else seen shot Brown Hares hidden under cover on the moors? One has to wonder if we might be seeing a similar cull as is performed on Mountain Hares in Scotland as they have the unforgivable sin of hosting parasite vectors - ticks.

Thanks Ali for responding and shining some light on the shady goings on within the Grouse industry.
The Hare situation you mention wouldn't surprise me either, not to mention the mass Raven cull in the Eagle slaying capital of Britain ie Perthshire.

On the subject of ticks, it is worth mentioning that Pheasants carry the ticks that spread Lyme disease.  There is a paper on Pheasants in the July edition of British Birds; I have used information from this and other sources to write an article on Pheasant shooting which I hope will be in the August 2019 TBC Newsletter.  I can guarrantee you will be astounded by some of the Pheasant numbers.

Eric James