**KAZ**

Not necessarily

I can see why you would think so. Showing what is called opalescence through the wings. BUT doesnt seem to be an opaline. Lets see what the genetics buffs have to say

Normal spangle not opaline. Your NOW photo isnt showing.

I dont know, but maybe you could look here http://kfc.forumup.co.uk/forum-14-kfc.html http://www.gpcollectables.com/popup.htm?an...124937-0001.gif

I'd be tempted to put an icecream tub with wood shavings underneath her........in case :rofl:

They will trickle in over the next couple of weeks or so. I will add as they arrive. Will also motivate some breeders at the state show on Sunday too

Great news

I would say YES she has scalyface.

In that case it is you and me plus Gazza. :rofl: I wonder if the nice lady who does the Accessories for MBC can be persuaded to come and show too? Do you mean Irene ? Yes, I don't know whether she is a member here or what her "name" might be :rofl: I don't suppose she could come down with you?! :rofl: Irene is coming ..not with me. I hear we have at least 340-360 birds coming so far

No problems ...........it was a good idea and will only be as good as the breeder who respond and take up the opportunity to share with us all. So far so good :rofl:

I am sorry This statement had me p**ing myself laughing :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

All good, but smell them as sprouts not done properly or stale will have a sour mouldy type smell. an article on sprouting seeds http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....sprouting+seeds

This also crossed my mind. Just wondering what is an internal layer? Check her vent to abdominal area......if it looks spongey and sometimes yellowish they can have a condition like a hernia where the egg does not form a shell and also cannot be propelled out, thereby making the egg stay within the body and be reabsorbed. Sometimes it can cause egg peritonitus and the hen can die from that.

Gina and Grant House interview is online http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=28258 :sadsorry:

Interview provided by Gina House ( our nubbly :sadsorry: ) Q1. AT WHICH POINT IN TIME DID YOU FIRST DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN BUDGERIGARS ? From a young age, I suppose around 9 or 10 years old. My Mum bred pet shop budgies in a colony breeding situation for many years and then started to dabble in exhibition budgies too. Q2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST AVIARY/BREEDING ROOM LIKE ? My personal very first breeding room was a 3m x 3m tin garden shed with one second hand aviary as a flight. We then added 2 2x3m flights later on. Q3. WHERE DID YOUR FIRST BIRDS COME FROM AND OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DID YOU CONTINUE WITH THESE LINES ? Our first birds came literally from everywhere. Notably I purchased a grey spangle hen from a local pet shop that had been bred by The Dodgey Bros, when combined with a Len Vinci cock bird, produced a beautiful strong hen line. But I had at that time purchased from C&B Gearing, John Payne, Len Vinci, Jeff Lloyd plus some pet shop odds and ends. When Mum was breeding previously, Texas Clearbodies were not in existance so when I saw a Clearbody cock bird in the pet shop I snapped him up. It turns out he was split for Lacewing and (as I found out later) was bred by Sharon House. He appears at the start of just about every single Lacewing I have ever bred. Q4. ARE YOUR PRESENT BIRDS FROM THESE SAME BLOODLINES, IF NOT WHAT BLOODLINES HAVE IMPACTED MOST WITHIN YOUR STUD? My birds now are not quite as mixed a bunch as when we started and what probably took us forward initially was developing more of an eye, purchasing birds from C&B Gearing and culling hard to retain only the best of everything else. Later on a select few others birds that have made an impact have entered our stud from the likes of Willie Shoemann, Lyn Ray (Lacewings) and Henry George. Q5. HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR BIRDS FOR THE BREEDING SEASON? The only additional thing I do prior to our breeding season is a 45day doxycycline treatment to make sure we are not impacted by psittacosis either in hatchability or (it doesn't bear thinking about) a full on disease outbreak during the breeding season. Q6. DO YOU SET YOUR BREEDING SEASON BY THE CALENDER OR BY SIGNS OF THE BIRDS BEING READY ? By calender really but this has been based on the best period that yields the best results from several years of trying different things. I will however only ever pair birds that are in condition and ready to breed. Q7. WHEN PAIRING UP DO YOU GO BY PEDIGREE OR VISUAL APPEARANCES OR BOTH? Visually first, always. Then I will check on the pedigrees just to see what I have done regarding family lines and make a final decision. Q8. HOW CLOSELY DO YOU MATE YOUR BIRDS AND WHAT RELATED MATINGS HAVE BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL? I have mated brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter. So far the best results I have gained have either been from unrelated birds or from a Grandfather/Granddaughter pairing but other more closely related pairings have not been terrible either. Q9. WHAT VARIETY MIXES DO YOU USE FOR IMPROVEMENT IF ANY OR IS IT BEST TO BEST? Depends on the variety really. For Lacewings I am happy to use any good bird or normal, cinnamon or opaline varieties. I am trying to steer away from opaline a bit due to the smudgy wing markings it produces in the Lacewing but I have found any strong bird to be useful really. As for clearwings I stay well clear of both cinnamon AND opaline and with my BES I really have only used cinnamon hens so as to ensure I am not plagued by opaline later down the track. Q10. HOW MANY CHICKS AND ROUNDS DO YOU ALLOW YOUR BIRDS TO HAVE? I will generally breed 1-3 rounds from my pairs over the breeding season depending on bird condition and importance of the pairing to my breeding program. Most will go for 2, some will go for just 1 and some will stay down for the whole 3 rounds. As far a chicks, I like to have a nest of 4-5 chicks, but sometimes when things are not going too smoothly or we are getting close to the end of the season and chick swapping options are drying up, I have had as many as 6-7 in one nest. Q11. WHAT FEATURES ARE THE HARDEST TO PUT ON A BIRD AND HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT ESTABLISHING THAT FEATURE AND RETAINING IT, THE DIRECTIONAL FEATHER, STRAIGHT BACKLINE, SHOULDER & LENGTH? I have found length and size to be one of the hardest features firstly to even obtain but then also to combine with the feather and facial features that are required. I am really only just working on increasing overall size and in the past had focused on feather and facial features. My theory so far is that you need a combination of birds with different features in your stud and then work hard on combining the features that you want. The best results for me this year have been combining birds with great length and birds of reasonable size but great feather together. The results have been an increase in size with a slight decrease in feather but hopefully I can progress in steps in this manner. Q12. WHAT IS YOUR FEEDING PROGRAMME DURING THE BREEDING SEASON AND DOES THIS DIFFER DURING THE NON BREEDING SEASON? We run a very basic program. I work away a lot and my husband is entrusted to care for the birds while I am away so during these times they get seed and nothing else. When I am home they get, seed, fruit and vegies, fresh eucalypt branches and occasionally a soft food mix of egg, budgie starter and soaked mungbeans, quinoa and wheat but it's pretty random. The only difference breeding birds get is the seed is soaked for 24 hrs in Vetafarm Breeding Aid. This is fed to breeding pairs and chicks only. Q13a. PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT AVIARY DESIGN, SIZE, FLIGHTS, BREEDING CAGE DESIGN AND NUMBER OF CAGES ETC? My current aviary was built by my husband and I and basically consists of a 6x12m shed that has been divided into sections. It runs east west and the eastern end section (3m x 6m) is our breeding room with 24 cabinets and 6 purpose built corner holding cages arranged into the southern side with cupboards, seed hopper and sink in the northern side. The remaining portion of the shed is divided into 7 flights 5 full length (6m) and 2 half sized (one for the babies and one for show team housing). Breeding room being cleaned and prepared for the breeding season. Birds in breeding cages Aviary http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=26811&hl= Q13b. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR SETUP IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO DO SO ? Better water proofing! Q14. DO YOU USE PREVENTATIVE MEDICATION DURING AND PRE BREEDING SEASON AND IF SO WHAT AND WHY. Ivermectin Spot-On for lice, mites and worms. Doxycycline 45 days pre-breeding to prevent psittacosis. Ronivet S a couple of times a year for canker treatment. Q15. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE GREATEST ASSET OF BEING IN THE HOBBY AND WHERE DO YOU SEE THE HOBBY HEADING WITH SO MANY BREEDERS LEAVING TODAY? Hard question really! The hobby (as with any other hobby or activity) is filled with some great people and some not so great people. I think the greatest asset of being in the hobby from a personal point of view is being able to fulfill my personal passion for animal production and breeding without actually needing a farm! In a more wholistic sense, the greatest asset of being in the hobby is the social network and group of friends you develop. As far as where the hobby might be heading?...... Well I think this is a bit dependant on a few different things, firstly the hobby’s inability to attract and hold people to the hobby – I really think clubs (this is a generalization of course) could do much more to attract new members, particularly junior members who might well leave the hobby initially after a few year, but will often return in later life. I also think that egos play an enormous part in driving people away from the hobby and we need to remember that, even as a successful Nationals breeder, judge or whatever, to people outside of or new to the hobby, we can come across as pretentious gits! Maybe remembering that we are “big fish in tiny little pond” is a way to ensure that we don’t become over bloated ego heads. My mother never really got into exhibition budgies all those years ago because at the very first meeting she went to a huge and antagonistic argument ensued about something completely trival (in her mind) over which the meeting spent almost 2 hours haggling and haranguing, with some really personal and nasty stuff aired for all to hear – power struggles and politics puts people off really quickly and should be avoided where possible (or at least not practiced in public)! Q16. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUE ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS FORMED AND FELLOWSHIP WITHIN THE BUDGIE BREEDING FRATERNITY ? I love chatting about birds, dogs, horses, any animal production system really (I work in agriculture for a reason). Friendships within the hobby provide an excellent sounding board for ideas and knowledge flow as well as just great friendships. It gives me the chance to yack about birds without boring the brain out of some poor innocent. Q17. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO PROMOTE THE HOBBY TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CLUBS ? Spending more time in actual promotion activites would be a sensible start. Very few clubs that I know of, post info sheets around districts. I think attendance of certain clubs to agricultural shows is beneficial but maybe we could get some gigs at schools presenting to students all about budgies, the hobby and exhibiting (I was involved in a dog training program where we did the exact same thing to promote the benefits of a well trained dog). Maybe spending some $ on advertising to raise the profile of the National Show beyond just the members of the hobby. I am sure there are some other novel ways that could be implemented if people put their minds and efforts into it. Q18. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A NATIONAL SHOW? Well our show is pretty unique in that it is a showcase of varieties, not just an enormous Champ show. This is really what the exhibition budgerigar hobby is all about – trying to excel at the National level. What would our hobby really be without it? Other benefits if you go are further networking and being able to get a broader perspective on the hobby than from the small insulated state view and the personalities that control it (especially a very small zone like WA). It’s nice to hear different views and opinions from people with different experiences. Q19. HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT POINTING A NOVICE BREEDER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO ENABLE THEM TO REACH THE TOP BENCH IN AROUND EIGHT YEARS? Firstly to be able to get anywhere a Novice breeder needs to develop an eye for a winning budgerigar. From personal experience, stewarding and scribing allowed me to see what judges were choosing as far as birds were concerned, the chance to ask some questions at table shows helped too. If Novice breeders are keen to advance then opportunities to experience judging and to ask questions like why? Will help to develop an eye. Otherwise, trying to keep them motivated through the inevitable challenges is probably important so that they don’t give up on what can sometimes seem to be the unobtainable goal. Helping them to see improvements in their stud , helping them to purchase the right birds for improving their stud or helping them to cull are things that seem to encourage people along too. Disrespecting their birds in a way that is not worked to be constructive criticism is never good and unfortunately in my short time in the hobby I’ve seen that way more than once or twice. Q20. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BIRDS WITH FEATHER DISORDERS? Depends on how bad! Great birds with no tail I will use but being careful not to double up on the family which is always a bad result. Birds with bad feather cysts I generally cull. French Moulters, I will cull the bad ones (as I can’t stand non flyers) and let the others recover But I shut down all breeding for 6 months after any FM outbreak – so far we have had 2 but none at all in between these outbreaks. Q21. WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST IN THE FANCY? Ian Hanington. My first contact with Ian was by phone, quite a few years ago now. I appreciated his “tell it like it is” attitude (which I can relate to) but most of all, after meeting him several more times at different Nations, I could also recognize his obvious amazing talent with budgerigars. Breeding such a tricky variety as fallows to such a high standard for so many years as well as other National winners (and that Cinnamon!!!), what can I say! I can only dream of having birds of the same quality one day. Q22. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LOWEST AND HIGHEST POINTS IN THE HOBBY ? The highest points for me have all been around the Nationals events. Being the front (wo)man for the 2008 Nationals in Busselton was amazing – one of the hardest things I’ve done but also one of the most rewarding. The lowest points have come purely over politics and some people’s need for power and control, making working with them a harrowing experience for someone like me, who doesn’t just agree with someone because of who they are. I don’t think a good democracy can operate in this manner. Q23. WHAT IN YOUR MIND WAS THE BEST BIRD YOU EVER BOUGHT THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR STUD AND WHAT APPROXIMATELY WAS ITS COST ? That’s a hard one too as there have probably been several that I have bought in at different times for different reasons. Firstly I think maybe it was a Lacewing cock from the sell out auction of Lyn Ray who had to quit her birds due to bird breeders lung disease. He was a nice looking bird with good feather that I got for $250 and he, combined with 2 hens bred from a Sharon House Texas Clearbody is the foundation of my Lacewing line. Then I was lucky enough to buy a Cinnamon Opaline cock bird from C&B Gearing who, when I put him into the Lacewing line, upped the quality of my lacewings to such a degree that they became very competitive. Since then a couple of other birds have really made an impact too – a nondescript skyblue that I purchased from one of Henry George’s auctions confirmed my theory that average birds from good background can still be very useful. He has bred some really lovely birds and combined very nicely with my normal lines. I can’t remember what his cost was but he was not expensive at all compared to a couple other birds I picked up at the same time and he has proven to be the best value of all of them. Q24. IF YOU WERE JUST STARTING OUT ALL OVER AGAIN AS A NOVICE IN TODAYS WORLD, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU DISPENSE BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT ? Listen to everything and then find what works for you. Look at as many birds as you can so that you can develop a good eye – photo’s, pet shops, shows – just keep looking at those birds critically. Beware of the ego’s! Q25. WOULD YOU HAVE A PHILOSOPHY TO SHARE THAT HAS HELPED YOU IN DAILY LIFE WITH YOUR BUDGERIGARS ? Roll with the punches. Breeding exhibition budgerigars is not the easiest thing in the world and things don’t often go exactly to plan so being a little philosophical about it all helps. Q26. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MUTATION OR VARIETY THAT REALLY INSPIRES YOU ? AND WHAT VARIETIES ARE YOU SPECIALISING IN AT THE MOMENT ? As a child I had always adored albino’s but when I started in exhibition budgies I kind of fell into lacewing due to 2 hens popping out of that Sharon House Texas Clearbody. Also as there were few people concentrating on some of the rarer varieties at the time Cec Gearing convinced me that I should upgrade them and concentrate on them as a variety. The Lyn Ray auction bird was bought on my behalf by Cec and it’s sort of gone from there. Now I have to say that I really love my Lacewings. I love the red eyes of the variety and the deep buttercup yellow with the added interest of wing markings. It makes it enough of a challenge without being completely impossible! I did start off with fallows but have stalled terribly with this variety at the moment. In a fit of craziness I also purchased some clearwings and blackeyed selfs to “play” with and that is keeping me well occupied! Q27. GIVEN ALL OF THE ABOVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS OR HINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN AN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGAR STUD? I think to some degree it’s a number game. Don’t cull too hard so that you run out of birds during the breeding season – I’ve seen quite a number of people do that in recent times. The best advise I’ve ever been given is that you should never “sell your tools”. Keep your best birds or the ones that are important to your breeding program and make sure you have enough to cover the next breeding season – particularly hens. Otherwise it’s step by step. Look critically at your stud and what features you need in it. Is it length, directional feather, deportment? You might need to buy in a feature if it’s not well represented in your stud. Then slowly but surely combine the best birds with the features that you need. Q28. IF THERE WAS ONE MAIN THING YOU HAVE WANTED TO SAY THAT ENCOMPASSES YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN BUDGERIGARS AND CLUBS WHAT WOULD IT BE ? It’s a budgie! Not a sheep station. Let’s just get down to the business of enjoying our birds and our hobby and leave the egos at home. ***notes**** PLEASE PROVIDE A PROFILE OF YOURSELF THAT BEST DESCRIBES WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE HOBBY ( FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW YOU ) AND PROVIDE A PERSONAL PICTURE IF YOU HAVE ONE OR WISH TO DO SO. I have been involved in budgies for what I consider to be a short time really. My husband Grant is my hero and has been the solid foundation that has allowed me to have budgies in the first place. Although he is not a livestock man, he tends the birds while I am away (often) and builds almost anything I can imagine – our stud is really a strong partnership. I have been the show manager for SWBC for a few years now after being convinced that I should do the job, Grant more often than not stewards as well. I was then convinced that I should join the WABC and from there somehow ended up as the first female president of the ANBC – a big honor and a big responsibility to be the front man for the nationals in 2008. Since then I have resigned from the WABC and am enjoying my birds to a larger degree again! as with all these interviews................no comments or posts in the interview........read only.

What a honey :sadsorry: and a beautiful photo too

This also crossed my mind. :sadsorry:

Yes Now is a good time to start adding nesting materials.

Here is an interview Peter Glassenbury has done previously and kindly by permission allowed us to view here 1. How long have you been breeding budgies and how did you start? What do you get out of the budgies after all these years? - My parents bought me two pairs of Budgerigars as a child in the mid 1950’s and after two successful rounds of chicks the small cage required expansion. A 12x6 foot aviary was built and took pride of place in the backyard and it was not long before I realised I was not the breeder any more as my parents had taken over. My allocation became two breeding boxes which consisted of a pair of Cinnamons and a pair of Cinnamonwing Yellows from which I could also produce Black Eyed Yellows. In 1959 I bred a Black Eye that went on to be Best in Show at Port Pirie with some 800 birds on the bench and that really was the start of me with breeding budgerigars. I joined the E S & A Bank in 1966 and was transferred from my home town of Clare in SA to the Northern Territory with this employment and thus ended phase one of my budgerigar career. My parents continued to breed and exhibit at all major shows in SA until my father died in 1970 and mum sold all birds for 2/- (20 cents) each, regardless of quality. After much movement within the Bank I returned to SA and started a family and in the early 1980’s purchased two pairs of colourful birds for the children which produced by chance three Black Eyed chicks and I saw this as an omen. I did my parents trick and moved the kids aside and started breeding again myself. 2. What do you feed your birds in the way of seed mixture, soft food etc. Do you throw any branches, grasses etc into the flights? I have several theories with the birds and they relate back to nature really where only the tough survive. While I am now retired little has changed with the way I feed and try keep the birds healthy. They get basic seeds of Canary, Jap and White millets and also a treat as a separate mix of dry large parrot mix which doubles as a wet food mix during breeding with an addition of hulled oats. Gum branches are given when they fall from next door which is quite regularly. Basic lawn grass trailers and silver beet along with grit, both hard and shell, and cuttlefish are the only other staples. The other real supplies they get from nature themselves being sunlight and rain from exposed sections in the aviary. 3. Do you give any preventative medication and if so, what is it and how often and why? A broad spectrum anti-biotic is given before breeding just as clean out and if a bird gets sick it will be caught and given heat and a medication to survive of it’s own volition. 4. How many birds do you have at each aviary and what colour varieties I have three aviaries and run around 200 birds at the peak which are quickly reduced by culling those that do not show potential. Main varieties are the Black Eyes and Cinnamons along with Normals, Pieds and Spangles and I always have a play variety, which at present is the Melanistic Spangles. As a judge I have bred all varieties at some stage to better understand them. 5. You have been very successful both in South Australia and at National Level for quite some time now: Winning the National with the Black Eye Self this year was great – do you still get the buzz from a win like that? Getting birds on the top row at the Nationals is always a goal and while I get a great buzz out of this, and an even greater buzz out of winning a class, the real treat is to catch up with people annually at that show weekend. I have only missed two since the late 80’s. 6.Do you line breed or continually outcross? And how do you go about bringing in an outcross if you line breed? How would you run it across your lines? Do you concentrate on any one breeder for outcrosses? I have no real strategy about breeding other than looking at least two years ahead. When chicks are in the training cage I will be thinking of a mate for that particular bird for next year and even some times before this I may mate pairs with the specific goal to interbreed resultant chicks. Any outcross must have a specific purpose and trait that is required. 7.The Black Eye Selfs have been successful for you for quite a number of years now. How do you pair them up? Do you use splits and if so which variety to put to them? How do you improve the body colour? Most pairings with the Black Eyes are to themselves and I have about five related families that I cross over to with the hope of breeding around 50 each year. This variety is a numbers game and out of that 50 about 10% may be quality show birds for the variety however I find there is no set formula that will give that 10%. Outcrosses are made periodically if I can breed or find a really good Cinnamon Dark Green Hen. That way no opaline can get into the line and create even more wastage. Actual colour forms part of the pairing process and if I am loosing colour I will breed back for that colour in the pairings. 8.What is your opinion of the Dilutes and Suffused birds being accepted onto the Standard As a breeder I have no issue with Suffused birds being accepted as a colour in the nationals as there are some nice birds around however as a judge I do have issues as many of the birds presently shown are poor coloured Black Eyes, Clearwings or Greywings and the test will be to weed out those birds. Personally I think the term Dilute was better to describe the variety but greater minds than mine have arrived at the terminology. 9.What about flecking in birds on the show bench? Do you think it should be banned like in the UK. And why? Flecking is here to stay. If you want exhibition birds you will most likely have flecking to some degree. The key is to control it within the breeding programme. It was banned in the UK in an attempt to control it however that has been reversed as the bird quality on the bench declined rapidly. It is a fault and must be judged accordingly however if the overall bird is far superior, as they usually are, to others on the day and the flecked bird is still the best overall budgerigar it must win. 10.How do you try to eliminate it from your aviary or don’t you see it as a problem area? If you want to breed exhibition budgerigars then it can be in your aviary. It is up to the breeder to control and one who breeds two flecked birds together will get flecked birds. It is as simple as that. 11. Consistently, I am finding now that no matter who I speak to, breeders have not got enough Normals in their bird rooms but you seem to be the exception. What is your feelings about this and how important do you think good Normals are and why. I mentioned earlier that I look two years ahead with my breeding programme and even if I bring an outcross in and it happens to be split opaline that will decline over that two year programme. I have very few opalines in my aviary so do not have the problem. Pieds and Spangles I also like to keep as normals and the resultant chicks keeps me supplied with the birds I need. 12. What is the main feature you are looking for in your birds now and how do you go about embedding it into your birds. Structural head width and backskull are the primary targets for me as so much follows with these features. Even as one week old chicks you can identify the feature based on the bone structure. Feather length of course is another feature needed and when the two combine you usually have what you are looking for. 13. How closely would you breed your birds and do you pair up visually or by pedigree. What sort of records do you keep (computer, books etc). What age do you prefer to mate your birds? My initial pairings are based on visual features and after selection it is back to the book records, especially with the Black Eyes to see how close they are. Cousins are about as close as I like to go. With the other varieties I can usually recognise the birds and their parents visually and do not need to refer to the records. 14. What are the months you breed through now and has the change in ring issue made any difference? The ring issue has not changed the times that I breed. I breed when the birds are in condition. There are however two types of condition, show condition and breeding condition, and I feel these are about 6 weeks apart. Once the feather condition is reached the bird then needs to develop body condition to take up the rigours of breeding. With dates as they now stand I can breed one round in July and August and a second round following in September and October with the two rounds getting the separate ring colours. I think SA will be advantaged by this as the extremes in heat early in a year did not allow us to successfully breed at that time. We can now get age on our birds with those second round rung birds. 15. I have heard that the change of ring issue was so that in a couple of years time there will be a motion at National level to include birds rung over two years e.g. 2010 and 2011 rung birds. I sincerely hope this doesn’t happen as the success of the Nationals depends on it being a young bird challenge (in my opinion) but what is your opinion of this. This is not a rumour I have heard and quite frankly if I was a delegate for SA I would fight tooth and nail against it. The Nationals are designed for young birds and in reality birds can now be 21 months old in any case and most people will have bred with the birds the year before they are shown at National level. 16.What is the size, material etc of your aviary (sizes of flights etc) and can you describe the breeding room for me (breeding cage construction, nest box etc. What do you put on the base of your nest boxes. Aviaries are not as large as I would like due to house block size and a swimming pool plonked right in the middle of the yard. Main flight is 14x7 feet and attached flight 7x7. A further detached aviary is 8x6. All are steel construction with cement floors for cleaning purposes and also to keep out vermin. Half open fronts with an external loft for the birds to get out in the weather. Roof is galvanised sheeting with a covering of shade cloth and a sprinkler system to keep down the temperature that gets to 40 plus at times. The two joining aviaries can be opened up if required however after culling the keepers are kept in the larger flight for health reasons. I will not overcrowd and have additional removable perch sections to ensure plenty of perch space per bird before culling is done. The breeding room is small about 12x7 but is an attached storage room of a solid brick granny flat and is insulated with good air flow by way of a window and door at each end. 30 boxes only with half wire and half melamine coated wood. Six of these wooden boxes convert to three training cages for the chicks so effectively I only have 24 boxes for any second round. Nest boxes are all plywood construction with an additional pine concave removable base. Nest box lids can be reversed to improve airflow in hot weather. Nest material is simply untreated pine sawdust. 17. Do you trim the birds feathers when you pair up? If yes or no, why? All birds are trimmed with scissors to remove feathers and down as I believe this assists with better mating. 18. How long do you wait after pairing up to put the nest box on and why? And how long would you leave a pair together if they haven’t laid. No unique process here. The box is on when I pair up. My theory is simple, if the birds are in condition they will mate almost immediately. Some place hens in first to get used to the nest box however some of these hens can become box bound. Others place the cock in first to get used to his surrounds however if he is too aggressive to a timid or first time hen no results are forthcoming. So in they go together with the hopes of compatibility. If after 7 days the hen has not gone into the box out they go and they get 14 days after that for eggs or out they go. 19.How many rounds would you try your birds if they were laying infertile eggs and how would you try to make them fertile? One round only if there is not fertility and I would try them again with other mates to try and isolate the problem bird. 20: Do you foster at all and if so, at what stage of the process do you prefer to do this: Old pairs that could produce are used as fosters and chicks from these are a bonus. I like to keep chicks to four per nest and will shift birds of similar ages once rung. If the need to transfer eggs is found these are placed under birds that could not produce that variety and the Black Eyes come in handy here. If shifting eggs I always try to place the egg exactly as it was in the other box. 21: To improve the quality of birds, I believe fanciers should share nests more, what is your opinion of this and do you experience it now? Sharing nests is not something I usually do as it can lead to friction between breeders if one breeder appears advantaged by the end results. I would rather exchange a bird and take the entire results into my own programme. If I or the breeder with whom the bird is exchanged should loose the bird – so be it. Thus you need to know the breeder well with whom you are acting and he or she needs to have a similar view. 22: How do you prepare your show team – . For example for the Nationals, when would you start and how do you do it. Any birds that have National potential are recognise in the training cage and their individual show cage training starts here. I like to take birds to club shows so they get used to travel. Potential birds get caught up 8 weeks before the May weekend and are checked for broken tails and flights which are removed. A process of spraying runs right through to the weekend and the birds are placed inside about three weeks before about six to each double breeding box with shell grit deeply covering the floor to prevent feathers soiling. Then it is up to the birds at the pre-selection show. 23: Victoria ahs been very dominant over a number of years at National level and I believe that is because they have a large number of clubs hence more breeders to choose birds from.. Can you tell me how many clubs there are in South Australia please and how do you go about the preselection process? Budgerigars are definitely a numbers game with a lot of luck thrown in. Effectively in South Australia we now only have four clubs and each club has presented three birds at the pre-selection for the team to be picked from. The birds are picked in order and shown in order with the third bird usually just having a holiday. Only if there is a problem does this bird make the bench. That way we have no hassles and no arguments about the team. While the bigger states may have 60 birds from each variety to choose from and we have 12 it is likely they will win however it only takes one good one and the others are all history. This is the approach South Australia takes where we are there to upset if we can. As I said earlier the real prize at the National weekend is to catch up with the people that are interested in the same hobby as yourself. 24: Do you feel the Nationals are now covering too many classes as the costs are mounting for the much smaller states and we don’t want them struggling financial when memberships are down. The Nationals are designed so that each variety has an equal chance against themselves. By showing this way we have been able to retain the varieties in our Standard unlike many other countries throughout the world. In reality states are better off now than before as the subsidies received from the ANBC are substantial. I think the real issue at the National weekend is that we are trying to fit too much into the weekend and there should be a higher concentration on the showing aspect. The smaller states do not have to compete with the bigger states they simply need to do things smarter. Look at Tasmania last year where they involved Local Government bodies to their advantage. 25: There has been a lot of talk lately about the benefits or disadvantages of showing Nestfeathers at shows. Does South Australia cater for nestfeathers or do you only have young bird shows: In SA we only have one nest feather show and this is basically an interclub competition and that personally is where I would like to see this state stay at. 26: On average how many shows would each club host per year and approx how many entries would they get? Each club in SA runs two shows per year, an adult or open show and a club young stock show. From next year we will be holding a separate pre-selection Council show with the hope that this show is the first for the year for the birds to go to the Nationals thus reducing the stress on those birds. Entries vary from 150 to 400 at times. 27: How many shows would you compete in each year I always show at my Club shows and like to show at a couple of Agricultural Shows as well to spread the word about our hobby. I would like to show at more but am usually Judging at the others. 28: is there any other topic you would like to touch on or any advise you can give to my readers. This thing we do is a hobby so enjoy it as such. Keep politics out of it and have fun with the people that have a similar interest as yourself. 29: On a personal level, a) What is your favourite food Feed the man meat. b)What is your favourite drink Beer goes down well. c)What is your favourite sport and name of team Australian Rules is the only sport for a meat eating beer drinking man and I still barrack for South Clare so I do not get into any arguments that way. 30 What sort of music do you like How many birds do you have and what colour varieties are they Easy listening and the birds seem to like it too. as with all these interviews................no comments or posts in the interview........read only. http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=28229&hl= discussion and thanking the interviewees area. Bear in mind most of the interviewed people may not be a member of BBC and no questions can be asked.

Here is Bubblegum ( R.I.P ) He is clearflight dom pied

Possible beginning of scalyface. A little hard to say. I would use spot on ivermectin just on the precautionary side.

Interviews will now be posted as they come in.............no comments or posts will be attached to any of the interviews by members. Use this area for thanking the interviewees please. Gary and Dolores Armstrong Interview Peter Glassenbury Interview

First interview from Gary and Dolores Armstrong of Rockingham Western Australia Q1. AT WHICH POINT IN TIME DID YOU FIRST DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN BUDGERIGARS ? I had no interest in keeping budgerigars but the first wife wanted to breed of all things those Danish Pied she saw in the pet shop and of course make a killing selling them to the pet market. It took 12 months of constant nagging until I finally gave in to her wishes and started to build an Aviary. Q2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST AVIARY/BREEDING ROOM LIKE? My Aviary and breeding room has got larger and more accommodating for the birds I breed from when I first started breeding them, as it has not changed much as from the beginning. Q3. WHERE DID YOUR FIRST BIRDS COME FROM AND OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DID YOU CONTINUE WITH THESE LINES? The first wife’s birds came from a person getting out of the hobby and I remember them being the size of finches and about as much feather on them as well. They vanished quicker when I told her she could get better birds at a cheaper price from a breeder as I had a colleague at the place I work who bred them and they looked a bit better than the ones we had. She bred with his birds for a year and then I showed some interest as I realized that her dream of making a killing is definitely not going to work. I told her she needed to join a club which we did and our first club we joined was SWBC and then moved onto another breeder who had at the time most of the best birds in the state. Some birds bred okay from his and I then was left with the task of doing the whole lot of the birds by myself as the ex wife lost interest. I could not afford to lose interest as I had spent that much time building and modifying the aviary that I thought life before and after would be a waste of time if I did not carry on with them. Q4. ARE YOUR PRESENT BIRDS FROM THESE SAME BLOODLINES, IF NOT WHAT BLOODLINES HAVE IMPACTED MOST WITHIN YOUR STUD? No way NOT those first birds as my Daughter had a better bird that was a pet*! Some of my bird’s pedigrees do go back to one Exhibition Breeders birds but my lot was made up of hard work and little reward for the first 5 years. I did source 3 birds from different people and I do believe as I see in the pedigrees that many of my birds come from them. * A little story how bad the first lot where; one of my daughters wanted a pet Budgerigar so I went to the pet shop. I was totally discussed with the birds so the way I am, looked through the papers and come across a club looking for new members. Naturally I dialed the number and the person was all interested to have us visit to look at buying a budgerigar (this was around a year before starting to build an aviary to start breeding budgerigars). The breeder showed his birds to us and they were magnificent as they were of the new type from England (Well, they were crossed through his Australian Lines and they certainly opened my eyes up to what one could breed!) The breeder did not want to sell a pet type bird to us but he reluctantly did for a whopping price of $20.00 Australian. The ex never let me live that down I might add! Said I was wasting money!In the pet shops at the time they were $10.00 at half the size and this bird we bought was twice as good (or 4 times as good as them, maybe the latter). So here we had a pet bird that was quite a nice bird but he was 12 months old and never was going to talk but as you can see, similar to the way I write a good story, my daughter had him saying a few words 6 months later. Now this bird I gauged as a sample of a good bird at the time and compared to those mongrels of the ex- wife’s lot she had bought, I could see that she had a mob of **** birds. After I built the aviary and the pet bird by this time was 2 years old, I bred him and bang we used him across what was I thought, a better hen than the rest and wanting to breed, instantly had some better chicks! Quite an interesting bird, he could talk and was tame as and liked the girls in the aviary. What more could you want? However, as I do now has not changed to what I did do in my early days of breeding them other than having talking birds. No time for that. Q5. HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR BIRDS FOR THE BREEDING SEASON? No such thing in my aviary about preparing birds for breeding as when they are ready asI will pair them together and hopefully they are compatible with each other and breed. Budgerigars in “season” in my aviary are always ready to breed because that’s how they are in the wild, opportunist and breed for survival! I am the one who says I will start the breeding cycle when I am in the right frame of mind to do so, unfortunately. Give you an example; I have 40 breeding cages, usually takes 6 weeks to fill them with breeding pairs.Maybe, this may explain how breeding is commenced with the breeding pairs in my bird room without going into too much detail? Q6. DO YOU SET YOUR BREEDING SEASON BY THE CALENDER OR BY SIGNS OF THE BIRDS BEING READY ? Q5 answers this question. Q7. WHEN PAIRING UP DO YOU GO BY PEDIGREE OR VISUAL APPEARANCES OR BOTH? Visual, and check the pedigree to make sure I am breeding not too close to satisfy me the pairing is correct. Q8. HOW CLOSELY DO YOU MATE YOUR BIRDS AND WHAT RELATED MATINGS HAVE BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL? To breed good birds you don’t breed close but breed to birds that have the same genetic makeup. This means after establishing your Stud of birds you can have related birds but not close related but have similar make up that you pair together to maybe have improvement. Q9. WHAT VARIETY MIXES DO YOU USE FOR IMPROVEMENT IF ANY OR IS IT BEST TO BEST? Your best to best pairings but have added little knowledge that I have gained to help me make what I believe is the right decision with the pairings. Q10. HOW MANY CHICKS AND ROUNDS DO YOU ALLOW YOUR BIRDS TO HAVE? Each clutch I would like to see 2 to three chicks per nest. I have 5 pairs that have had 3 rounds in a row this breeding cycle (2009-2010) and also 3 pairs that have had 4 rounds and willing to go again. One pairing look as good as the day they were paired up and in their 3rd round produce 6 very nice chicks. This pairing is an excellent pairing in Quality. If I let them go they would do it all again!! I have also 1 pairing that produced 3 rounds from July to December (5 Months) had a month off and one day when looking for a new pair to put down to breed half way through January 2010, this hen from a previous pairing flew into my face and grabbed my nose by her claws (toe nails) and looked me in the eye as you may imagine. I knew what she wanted, so I grabbed her mate and stuck them into the breeding box and after 4 days had a egg and they about to start hatching in a day or 2 as I write this article. This is the first year that this phenomenon has happened in my breeders ever and is a sign for me that is has me believing I have my bird’s health going in the right direction. I am still learning after 17 years in the hobby! Q11. WHAT FEATURES ARE THE HARDEST TO PUT ON A BIRD AND HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT ESTABLISHING THAT FEATURE AND RETAINING IT, THE DIRECTIONAL FEATHER, STRAIGHT BACKLINE, SHOULDER & LENGTH? The top end! Forget about directional feather. The whole top end is so difficult to do and it takes many years of concentration in cross breeding and good luck to achieve but 5 minutes to lose it. Shoulder and Length in an Exhibition budgerigar I am writing about comes with the top end. The next hardest is getting a bird to stand well off the perch and don’t squat. Just a trick I have learnt over the years is if the cheek patches are more horizontal than vertical then you are producing birds having good shoulder. The Top End Maketh the Name for the Breeder! Q12. WHAT IS YOUR FEEDING PROGRAMME DURING THE BREEDING SEASON AND DOES THIS DIFFER DURING THE NON BREEDING SEASON? No it does not only its intensified when chicks are in the nest. Of course we all should know, give the conditions and a Budgie will breed anywhere. Budgerigars are opportunist birds as that’s where they come from as they will grab the chance to breed if the conditions are right for them to do so anywhere, any place, any time. Q13a. PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT AVIARY DESIGN, SIZE, FLIGHTS, BREEDING CAGE DESIGN AND NUMBER OF CAGES ETC? Here I am still adjusting 17 years later and still have not finished the aviary to how it has to be, well, to my way of thinking anyway! I will eventually have four flights and 3 will be about 1500mm wide by 6m long. One special one which is called the World’s Biggest Nappy Cage where the perching area can safely house 300 Youngsters or Adults is 3m wide by 6m long and about 80% of this area has raised mesh. The raised mesh idea works very well for me. The mesh is around 1200mm off the ground Q13b. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR SETUP IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO DO SO? If a had the time and cash flow left on this planet over again I would like to have a bigger area well designed with air conditioning where the temperature does not fluctuate like it does. The whole area around the aviary would be incorporated into a garden where this would allow for coolness and piece of mine. Sounds like heaven but I do think achievable. Q14. DO YOU USE PREVENTATIVE MEDICATION DURING AND PRE BREEDING SEASON AND IF SO WHAT AND WHY. I use Doxycycline and my Bioscope and that’s the best medicine I fine. The Doxy does help the immune system of the birds. However I check the droppings out on a regular basis to monitor the immune system of my birds and have never seen the bugs that everybody quote we need to treat for in our birds since introducing **Doxycycline into my birds. Hobbyist call it medication, I don’t because had been led to believe it is a inhibitor that does not fight infection but improves the strength in the blood of the bird to help combat or immune the birds whole body to infection to those infections that move around in the whole body of the bird. So why use them when there is no need to do so? However, always have them on hand because I did one time have a breeding hen have Canker and it was too late for me to help her. However saying this, the reason she had a visual sign of this infection is because her immune system was down and nothing else because all the other birds in my aviary never had any signs of the infection people talk about even her partner at the time in the breeding box as I gave him another hen thatbreed some nice chicks together. Note I checked the health and took a crop test of the bird to make sure he was not having the infection. **For example: If your birds have Coccidia infestation this tells me you bird immune system is very poor. *Firstly you have to get rid of the Diarrhea, (never wil lget rid of the Coccidia) and then embark on a program of around 60 days of using this Inhibitor to build up the immune system of your birds overall. *Secondly as I have just discovered this last breeding cycle. On a yearly basis as close to the start of the breeding cycle of your birds for the year, administer for 45 days. Try the method that on the seventh day, rest the bird from the inhibitor and give them minerals and soft food. This works a treat! *Have also used the other method of using citric acid and doing it continuously for 40 days but I find this method does cause discomfort to the birds and causes too much illness. I tried this method in the early days and it was not successful I believe to the well being of the birds. *In Summary Why is this so? I have very good proof our birds immune systems in captivity are not very strong (just like a rubber band on a wind up model airplane) after the rigors of breeding and also showing, where they should be at their peak of condition (The lackey is wound up and the plane takes off, (Breeding and Showing) you will notice they don’t seem to pick up to where they were before breeding or showing (the lackey has unwound and the plane is buffeted by winds (Infection or Molts). So maybe you can figure it out in what I have explained here in a novel round about layman’s way to when you should administer the Inhibitor. Medications So why do them? However, always have them on hand because I did one time have a breeding hen have Canker and it was too late for me to help her. However saying this, the reason she had a visual sign of this infection is because I believe her immune system was down and nothing else more because all the other birds in my aviary never had any signs of the infection. At this time I was doing the administration of Doxycycline straight after the breeding season which is fine but not really the best time I feel to use it. Close to the breeding cycle as possible as they are going “bananas” wanting to breed when near the 35th day of administration. If you were to think about this inhibitor, Doxycycline, there is a huge potential in how you can use it efficiently. Example: last Nationals I treated my birds that went, for only two weeks and this was the first time ever that they have bred in the same year of the National they were exhibited. The distances and time they traveled by road and the times spent at Airports and being handled by the handlers was what I call the hardest road trip and the longest time held up in Holding cages ever accomplished but all my Exhibition reps bred for me. Even more remarkable they bred some very nice chicks but never enough! Q15. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE GREATEST ASSET OF BEING IN THE HOBBY AND WHERE DO YOU SEE THE HOBBY HEADING WITH SO MANY BREEDERS LEAVING TODAY? I would say when I am at the Nationals it is great to be with same like minded people having a common goal. I talk about not having to be with people who have a not as positive attitude to the Nationals as I have. I like a good strong forward thinking club Q16. WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUE ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS FORMED AND FELLOWSHIP WITHIN THE BUDGIE BREEDING FRATERNITY ? I don’t know if its friendship, as we are all competing against each other. I feel it is more about Fellowship. Maybe we form a friendship with the clubs and I know we enjoy the hobby even more if we do well with our birds. I think a good club creates good breeders. Q17. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO PROMOTE THE HOBBY TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CLUBS? I have no idea because if a person wants to join they want to join and breed these critters, they will. You cannot stand on the corner with pamphlets and shove them under the noses of people as that never has worked in the past. Most people like birds and if they don’t have to look after them, then they are happy to look at them. For Example: I remember being involved with a show and was close by to a Sunday Market and we placed a sign down at the market which was only 200M away and we turned over a profit of $850.00 that day from people coming into have a look . We did have a pet bird in a cage and also a cake as a prize. We had Raffle books for the Cake and also for the bird in the cage. The cake was worth $2.00 and the Cage and bird, $70.00. At the end of the day there were 200 tickets for the cake and 10 tickets for the bird in the cages. Yet we had a never ending stream all day of people coming through into the hall. So I guess it was easy to eat the cake and forget the bird as that meant effort! Q18. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A NATIONAL SHOW? The National Show gives you the direction you must breed your birds to. Everything about the ANBC show on that weekend is about excellence in the hobby coming from all over Australia. Q19. HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT POINTING A NOVICE BREEDER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO ENABLE THEM TO REACH THE TOP BENCH IN AROUND EIGHT YEARS? I usually give them a few roughies and send them away to learn how to breed them and tell them they must pick a breeder who is known to be honest and willing to help. I do give guidance but what peeves me off the most is many novice breeders are scared to front the better breeders to learn the tricks and tend to go and follow other novice breeders ideas which is fine but not good to learn about breeding these critters! Would you think? Q20. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BIRDS WITH FEATHER DISORDERS? There are many feather disorders and the skill of a breeder I would find, he/she will know how to deal with this problem on a bird to bird basis. Q21. WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST IN THE FANCY? Myself! The determination to make things right is what inspires me but the most by far what really inspires me is having a winning bird at the nationals. Q22. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LOWEST AND HIGHEST POINTS IN THE HOBBY? Lowest point was 2003,4,5,6 losing all of my top line of birds to bad immunity to infection unfortunately. Highest point Third highest points tally (which didn’t know about until 2 months later) at the Nationals in 2002. That year I won the Spangle Class, first and second in Spangle D/F Class 3rd in the Normal Green class 3rd in the Recessive Pied class and 5th in the Lace wing. I also had 25 birds in the State team I recall and only 3 birds did not make it to the bench. A good year, but we are looking forward to the day when we start to win at National level again. I feel we have been unfortunate the last 3 years because having great birds loosing condition at selection time which has been unfortunate. Have to get it right soon I guess Q23. WHAT IN YOUR MIND WAS THE BEST BIRD YOU EVER BOUGHT THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR STUD AND WHAT APPROXIMATELY WAS ITS COST? The best bird that I never bought was given to me and she was a “F/M recovered” but she could not fly. Also another hen and she was a Spangle Opaline Light Green and she was a swap for some Cobalt’s I have. Also having purchased a cock, which led to believe had a lot of Joe Mannes blood in it as according to the pedigree. Q24. IF YOU WERE JUST STARTING OUT ALL OVER AGAIN AS A NOVICE IN TODAYS WORLD, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU DISPENSE BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT? Majority of the information from most breeders I have found not to be absolutely true because many of the top breeders have never done the hard yards and started off with the stuff I bought. Most of your breeding techniques you must build them up by yourself from the first day you start keeping them. Q25. WOULD YOU HAVE A PHILOSPHY TO SHARE THAT HAS HELPED YOU IN DAILY LIFE WITH YOUR BUDGERIGARS? Treat your birds like a group of people that are dear to you and by feeding them on a sensible diet and having variation in diet also. They are an extension of you family! Q26. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MUTATION OR VARIETY THAT REALLY INSPIRES YOU ? AND WHAT VARIETIES ARE YOU SPECIALISING IN AT THE MOMENT ? All varities inspire me except for Clearwings and Black eyes as such because what other variety that are required to have no spots? Who has ever heard of a budgerigar that must not have spots if only being single factor in their breeding? One of the topics I like talking about is feather in the mask and the association to the top end. How could you not breed a good one of these with a strong top end without removing the spots for showing? Q27. GIVEN ALL OF THE ABOVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS OR HINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN AN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGAR STUD? *Hard work and concentration in what you want to achieve with your birds. *Be sponge like and absorb knowledge. *Ask questions *Don’t be afraid to share knowledge. *Be involved with your club administration *Become a Steward, learn about the Exhibition Points and the different varieties of Budgerigars. *Become a judge and enjoy this capacity of being with people who have an understanding of what quality is about. *Enjoy the breeding of the Varieties *Enjoy Exhibition Budgerigar ride. Q28. IF THERE WAS ONE MAIN THING YOU HAVE WANTED TO SAY THAT ENCOMPASSES YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN BUDGERIGARS AND CLUBS WHAT WOULD IT BE? I worry that due to restrictions in bird travel and room to breed birds that the Exhibition Budgerigar bird will dwindle out in the next 20 years. The people I have been associated over the years can treat me as a friend or they may not do so. It does not matter, as I am focus on improving my birds and do look forward to the day when my birds are again on the top shelf. I am dedicated but no way near over the top! I have room to help in good clubs and if able to will offer my serves or when asked or nominated to do so. I like to be asked questions, as I like to give a lecture as I like to speak my mind. I also like to see people doing well in the hobby without going overboard paying out too much money as I am opposed to people who think they can breed a champion from a very poor lot of birds that they purchase on the cheap. Not talking about free birds either, but those breeders who even after a few years of breeding, buying birds that are a “dime a dozen”. I like a good club who have a focus on breeding for the ultimate show in the Calendar Year. I like a club to promote good birds and helps it members to source quality birds. Breeding for the Nationals and competing against other people ***notes**** PLEASE PROVIDE A PROFILE OF YOURSELF THAT BEST DESCRIBES WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE HOBBY ( FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW YOU ) AND PROVIDE A PERSONAL PICTURE IF YOU HAVE ONE OR WISH TO DO SO. Above Questions and Answers is all I have to offer and that’s me in a nutshell! I despise negative people Visit our webpage and look at how we am improving our birdsover the years. The webpage is not about bragging it is about learning the art of breeding quality birds and just someone in the hobby who is giving it a go without “going over the top” Our birds are not super but they are what some people say “Boring” as I have good depth in quality being the same. We also have some “standouts” as well, roughly about 10% of them. I would like a whole aviary full of them but I still would not be happy. Visit our Web Page http://budgies.sytes.net/ Thanks for the opportunity Karen No posting in these interview topics.............for reading only :sadsorry: http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=28229&hl= discussion and thanking the interviewees area. Bear in mind most of the interviewed people may not be a member of BBC and no questions can be asked.

You would have to post a picture of your bird in your topic for us to tell you.

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=14564 click on this link :sadsorry: