Dr. E. Hopkinson—Breeding Results at Balcomhe



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BREEDING RESULTS AT BALCOMBE


By Dr. E. Hopkinson, C.M.G., D.S.O.


The following record of the last few years breeding, though con¬

taining nothing remarkable, is perhaps of interest as showing what

I rather think is the average happening in the ordinary aviary.


The aviaries were started about 1929 with a house 10 by 12 feet

and a flight about the same size ; the following year a larger aviary

with only box shelters measuring about 15 by 15 feet was added and

this extended to about double the size in 1933. Besides there are

about six small aviaries (movable) each with ground space of about

18 to 20 square feet.


Budgerigars. —1931 : Four pairs nested ; a good many young

reared and most disposed of. 1932 and 1933 : Much the same results.

1934 : Started with three pairs ; only five young birds hatched out,

of which four were reared and they are not good ones.


Lovebirds (Fischer’s-Masked Hybrids).—1932 : One pair nested ;

nine young reared. 1933 : Two pairs nested ; nine young reared again,

one of which showed signs of being partly Peachface, a hen of which

shared the aviary. 1934 : Only two hybrids left; in the autumn of

1933 I thought I had kept a true pair of the hybrids and a hybrid

cock and a hen Peachface. The last and one of the hybrids died in the

winter and the two remaining have done nothing in the nesting line.

I expect both are hens.


Greenfinches. —1932 : One pair had two nests and one young

one left the nest from each, but only one was alive in November, and

still survives. 1933 : Two pairs nested, six young left the nest, three

alive in November. 1934 : Two pairs nested, twelve young left the nest ;

nine still alive and well over the moult in October when they were

moved to an aviary to themselves. Then they began to die, going

light one after the other till only three were left, which were returned

to the big aviary, where they and the parents still survive. One of

each of the 1934 parents was aviary-bred here, the cock in one case,

the hen in the other.


Cape Canary (Grey-necked Serin).—1932 : Two mules from a hen



