72 E. J. Boosey—Breeding Results at Keston Foreign Bird Farm, 1934


BREEDING RESULTS AT THE KESTON

FOREIGN BIRD FARM DURING 1934


By E. J. Boosey


Breeding results here during the 1934 season have been quite

up to standard, any disappointments among the Parrakeets being

amply compensated for by the rearing of broods of the very rare

Splendid Grass Parrakeet for the first time in Europe and the almost

equally rare Yellow-fronted New Zealand ; detailed accounts of both

these events having appeared in the November issue of the Magazine.


Perhaps it will be as well to start with the disappointments, chief

among these being the Many-colours. These started with the rosiest

prospects, so that their ultimate failure was all the more unexpected.

Three pairs hatched what must surely be a record number of young

ones for this species, namely seventeen ; but, though the parents

had been given their nest-boxes at the same time as last year, when

we did very well with them, this season the nights elected to be

abominably cold just when the young ones were hatching and, the

cold weather continuing for some time, all but three of the young

ones died.


The survivors were three of a brood of five hatched by an imported

hen and a cock which we have had ever since the farm was started,

and which we know to have lived in aviaries for nineteen years, though,

being wild-caught, his full age is uncertain. His original wife died

last year of old age.


The old pair of Barrabands reared four young ones, but a second

pair hatched six, only to let them die at various ages, the last to succumb

being quite well feathered.


Fifteen young Stanleys were reared. A pair of Yellow-rumps pro¬

duced the amazingly large clutch of ten fertile eggs, but the hen deserted

after sitting for a fortnight, possibly from sheer terror at the thought

of having to rear ten children all at once !


A pair of Rosellas reared nine young ones, but the Golden-mantles,

a supposed young pair, turned out to be two cocks, though one of

them has, compared with the other, a definitely small and feminine¬

looking head, and in juvenile plumage looked an undoubted hen.



