Populations of the Greater Sage Grouse in Wyoming have fallen by 80 percent in 60 years mainly due to degradation of habitat.  Factors include wildfires and invasive plants in addition to mineral and oil prospecting and installations.

In an attempt to reverse the decline in population, Wyoming has legalized game farms to propagate the Greater Sage Grouse in accordance with legislation passed in 2017 and recently updated.  Wyoming has established the Western States Sage Grouse Recovery Foundation to channel donations into commercial propagation.

Opposition to rearing on game farms is based on experience that commercially-reared birds, are unable to thrive under field conditions.  There is also sentiment that the solution to the problem of declining populations is to reclaim degraded land and to restore habitat.

States, including Colorado, have been unsuccessful in increasing populations of the Gunnison Sage Grouse and also pheasants that demonstrate low survival rates after release.  It is generally accepted that farm-raised grouse are unable to avoid predators.  Disease is also a problem with game farms contributing to infection with Salmonella spp. in addition to protozoan diseases including histomoniasis, coccidiosis and cryptosporidiosis that affect both farm-raised and free-living game birds including quail when populations intermingle.