
Artificial propagation 
It is an interesting commentary that, as long as a species is 
common and available, man seldom attempts to propagate it by artificial 
means. Thus it is not surprising to find few instances of red-legged 
partridges being bred in captivity in Europe. From the records avail- 
able, one gathers that the species is intermediate between the chukar 
and the Hungarian partridge as regards the problems encountered in 
propagating it on a game farm or in an aviary. 
In Spain, at El Alemain, the estate of the Duke of Rusinada, 
a few of these birds have been bred along with ring-necked pheasants 
and the American bobwhite quail. In France, aviculturists have 
successfully raised broods of redlegs from time to time although I 
know of no serious attempt to rear them by hundreds. Spurred on by the 
growing demand for more birds in France, M. Laurent, within the last 
few years, has propagated upwards of a hundred redlegs through several 
generations, mostly in rooms artfully decorated to resemble natural 
conditions (a). Such artifices are unnecessary, however, as has been 
demonstrated in England. There, at the Imperial Chemical Industry's 
Game Research Station at Fordingbridge, under the direction of 
Mr. A. D. Middleton, these partridges have been raised under modern 
game-farm conditions. Little difficulty has been experienced in incu- 
bating eggs in an incubator and in raising the resulting chicks 
artificially in.coops and pens, utilizing equipment and methods designed 
primarily for Hungarian partridges (a). 
Interest in propagating this species for release has recently 
been evidenced in the United States. Using methods similar to those 
employed in the large-scale production of chukar partridges, Mr. 
Harry J. Figge, biologist with the Colorado Game and Fish Department, 
kept from 21 to 40 wild-trapped Spanish redlegs, mostly culls and 
cripples, in pens for 3 years. These birds eventually became rather 
tame but, as is normal with most wild-caught game, did not lay many 
eggs in captivity. From 23 eggs that were fertile, 20 youngsters 
were raised during the course of the experiment. A few of these were 
second-generation birds. The records of this work are presented in 
table 4. Unfortunately, with the sale of the farm, the experiment was 
concluded with the release of the birds (a). 
Similar experiments on a smaller scale have been underway for 
several years on the Price State game farm of the Utah Department of 
Fish and Game. Several pairs of wild-trapped redlegs have been confined 
there since 1955. No eggs were laid eventhough pairs were kept in 
wire-floored pens, as well as in pens on the ground. In one case a pair 
was confined to a season in a brushy enclosure some 7/10 of an acre in 
area (b). 
(a) Personal letter to the author. 
(b) Personal letter from Mr. Clifton M. Greenhalgh. 
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