My definition for "walk" is a location where breeding groups of game fowl are maintained in a free-range setting with the sex ratio of 1 male to 1 to sometimes as many a 10 hens / pullets of breeding age which can also include the offspring of that season. Usually the number of adult females is in the middle of that range. Walks are usually centered on some sort of building that serves as a roost and cover from environmental extremes (blizzards up here). Cocks used a generally put out about now. Cocks were recalled about the time they went into heavy molt (July-ish) and young of year where harvested about September; some crosses we had do earlier because stags consistently got into at a younger age. Locations we used the most were not owned by us, rather some sort of rent agreement or payment for birds harvested is rendered with young of year birds not harvested left to the discretion of land owner. A lot of land owners just liked the pretty birds and no charge often their. Areas ideally have livestock and chicken friendly dogs to keep predators away. Some of my family used to hunt fox over a big area and I now see benefits of that since the hunting stopped. Walks with questionable predator pressure where used only for production of battle crosses. Better walks were used to replenish pure lines or crosses of vetted high quality. Walk reared birds can be lot cheaper in terms of material and time investment for the cocker. The limited depredation and lack of intensive rearing used in confinement also weeds out birds that are generally less firm. It also provides conditions where the harvested birds have had more exercise and likely better nutrition making for more solid adults.
I do remember as a high school kid we did everything we could to cut cost on rearing. Especially with later maturing birds that have very little value if not bullstags by late fall. As everyone knows, I still have not nailed down the cockyard breed approach. It is like playing wack a molie and dealing with all the changes. Walks in some ways just take care of themselves where you often do not know what challenges the birds faced.
My description is longer winded and less romantic than Mr. Google.
