Daz

It is what you look for in a budgie. Where some look at the colour and variety some look at features. Colour is a feature but not the only one. But I think the idea of a garden aviary with different colours and variety would make a very appealing and beautiful site to a lot of back yards.

Sorry guys, it has been a bit slow working by myself in the heat but I have got the sides done, execpt for some triming. Need to cut in the windows and trim the top. (Gable) Just the triming above the doors needed and put on the guttering Roof needs to go on. Trim the gable and finish off the power board. Cut in the two windows and start the flights. Three in this part.

Hi Nathan How old are these two? That depends on the mixture. I am currious how you got so young chicks to have to hand rear them? :budgiedance: Daz

The Show birds are desired to be as pure as possible. Rainbow Budgies are a big penalty. Also normals are very handy if you want to breed out problems. Such as Flecking or too many Cinnamons and opalines. A "normal" hen can't be split to a sex gene. Many breeders like to see a good blue or green bird.

It is essential to feed the following all the year round. Good quality dry seed. A daily supply of soaked or sprouted seed. A daily supply of greens, which must be drastically reduced during the warmer weather or: A fortnightly supply of gum leaves and branches. A continual supply of grits; both hard and soft. A daily water supplement, such as Calcivet daily and Solavet three times per week (note: you can mix the Calcivet and Soluvet together) leading up to and including the breeding season. After the breeding season is completed, I stop the Calcivet usage and reduce the Soluvet to 1 to 2 times per week. I periodically review my feeding programme. I have stated in the past that when one sights a positive practice in someone else's aviary and that practice suits your purpose, initiate it. My seed in the main, is grown for me in Queensland and is fed in large, separate containers by variety. By using larger containers, the birds have maximum feeding space, thus reducing stress. The following are fed dry: Plain Canary Japanese Millet White French Millet Red Panicum Grey Striped Sunflower Bandicoot Oats A Wild Seed Mix My soaked seed mixture is made up of: 10 parts Triticale 10 parts Bandicoot Oats 1 part of small mixed seed to which Aviclens is added. This mix is soaked for 12 hours in water, rinsed, drained and fed twice daily. The Aviclens slows down the fermentation process during soaking thus reducing the risk of bacterial contamination of the seed. Green Food I feed the birds silver beet daily unless they are being administered a "treatment" via the water. If this is the case, all soaked seeds and silver beet feeding ceases until the care is completed. On completion of the medication, the silver beet and soaked seeds are reintroduced gradually in smaller amounts. Gum leaves and branches are also withdrawn during any treatment, as the birds are likely to extract needed moisture from this source rather than the drinking container. During periods of medication, I withdraw the drinking containers from the aviaries and breeding cages (if no chicks are present) at about 2pm and reintroduce at about 10am the following day, thus encouraging all of the birds to get a share of the doctoring. After any given care or a show, I give the birds a 1 to 3 day probiotic course. I prefer open drinking vessels in the aviaries that are made of pottery, glass or enamel. I detest the bottle with the drip system as I do not believe that the birds get a fair go at drinking in an aviary situation, the birds like to eat together and drink together as in the wild. I also believe that the risk of disease from this system is greater as any problem bird leaves a "concentrated form" of the problem at the small outlet. Hard shell grit, limestone, dolomite and cuttle fish obtained locally are made available at all times and beach sand is spread under the aviary perches. Minor changes The moult and breeding season sees minor changes to this programme. If I feel that the birds need a little something extra, they get it supplied. Millet sprays being one of these little extras, in fact the nursery cage is swamped with these sprays, as it seems a preferred source of intake for the "weaned" birds. The diet of the budgerigar will vary from aviary to aviary and it is the breeder who has final say on what is presented to the birds, and not the birds themselves, so surely, we owe it to them to give the best that is available to encourage a long and fertile life. What do you think? Information from Nigel Tonkin

How often it happens that a chance observation leads to the development of an important new product. Perhaps the most quoted instance is Alexander Fleming's observation that "a mould colony had anti-bacterial properties". That observation, followed by much hard work, gave the world the antibiotics industry, and has saved millions of lives. What follows describes the development of a feeding system for Budgerigars which also started from a chance observation. The Budgerigar was first introduced into Britain by Gould in 1840. These birds were small, weighing about 35 grammes and measuring only 6.5 inches in length. With the founding of the Budgerigar Society in 1925, by a group of far-sighted enthusiasts, came the stimulus to develop the potential of this remarkable bird. Today, while the Budgerigar Society Standard for an exhibition bird is some 8.5 inches in length, this feature is not the only one which has changed. There are others - width of face, thickness of shoulders and solidity of body, the whole frame coated with feathers, whose form ranges from what is technically called "Yellow" through Buff to double-Buff. The birds have lots of underdown, and directional feather is now also a feature. The fanciers continue to develop the great genetic potential of the species, always seeking for that extra dimension, which will guarantee success on the show bench. What this means, of course, is that to-day's show bird is very different from Gould's originals. We must recognise these changes and the metabolic requirements they may have created, if we are to continue to develop the species. We need now to look at the wider changes which have been taking place as that little Light Green bird has been developing into the show bird we know today. The human population of the planet has increased at an alarming rate. In any other species it would be described as a plague, but since it concerns us, we try to ignore that fact. The result of this explosive increase has been the need to produce more food. That increase in output has often had to come from a reduced acreage of land. The increased output has been achieved by the use of more intensive farming methods. New varieties of cereals yield many times the yield per acre of the older varieties; heavy use of artificial fertilisers increase further the output from the fields and these coupled with rapid re-use of the land for the next crop, all add to the pressure on nature. Without doubt, the quantities of food have been produced to meet the demand, but what of the quality? Can we be sure that today's high yielding cereals and seed crops are supplying the same balance of nutrients that was to be found in the older varieties under a gentler farming system? In part the question is academic, because without the new varieties and higher yields we would not have fed the human population to the extent we have. Many more people would have died of starvation. The question remains however, "Is the total nutrient from seeds and cereals as it used to be?" The answer to such a question is doubly important to a Budgerigar fancier, since it not only could concern his or her own diet, but also could be of importance to the well-being of the birds. For a possible answer to such a question, we have to turn now to a company, Murphy & Son Ltd whose founder was running a bureau of Biotechnology at the beginning of this century, long before the word biotechnology became the buzzword that it is today. The company has been closely associated with the fermentation and food industries for some 102 years. It's laboratory has monitored products and given technical advice over that time and has developed skills in the management of yeasts and their fermentation behaviour. Some years ago, in the course of their routine work, it became evident that from time to time, fermentations were slowing down, yeast vigour was being affected and yet it appeared that there was an adequate supply of main nutrients. Careful investigation revealed that there were, at times, slightly lower levels of trace nutrients and minerals. These were not large differences, but since very low amounts of certain trace metals play a very important part in the living cell, the effects of adding trace nutrients to the growth medium was tested. The results were in many cases quite dramatic. Yeast was re-invigorated, fermentations returned to normal, yeast cells multiplied rapidly and produced healthy new cells. So Murphy & Son Ltd has a new product which continues to serve the fermentation industry when it has problems. The "Wisdom of the Yeast" might have remained there, if it had not been for a Budgerigar enthusiast joining the company, namely the author of this page, John Bell. It was not a quantum leap in thought to see that if yeasts, which depend for their nutrient on the products of cereal grains, can suffer from deficiencies in their feeding, the same might be happening to Budgerigars and other grain and seed-feeding birds. The slow, painstaking investigation and observational work which followed the initial thought will not be described here, but the study has led to the development of a controlled system of feeding which provides a balanced diet for the birds and is straightforward for the fancier to operate. It is most important to recognise that Pro-System provides a balanced diet, and additional feeding of supplements is both unnecessary and undesirable. The author is always willing to discuss matters of feeding with fanciers who may have a favourite nutrient. To give some ideas of the straightforward nature of the diet, the main breeding trials were carried out using the following menu: Menu Category Amount Plain Canary seed 50% White Millet 25% Yellow Millet 7.5% Panicum Millet 7.5% Japanese Millet 7.5% Niger 2.5% Mineralised grit with oystershell Available at all times Pro-mineral Supplement Available at all times Vitamin Supplement Solution: 1 tablet to 1.5 litres water (renewed daily) N.B. This liquid is used to supply the drinking water for the birds. A fresh solution is made up of each day and drinkers are cleaned and replenished with fresh solution each day, as a matter of good hygiene. It is also important as a general principle to ensure that all utensils and equipment such as nest-boxes are kept in a high state of cleanliness. Where practicable, boiling for several minutes in a suitable disinfectant solution is desirable. Some observations made during the course of the trials are particularly noteworthy. Levels of fertility and hatching rate were excellent, this even applied to older hens whose age ranged from four to seven years. Several very obese birds which had been acquired, were placed in the main flight, where Pro-Mineral and Pro-Vitamins were available. The majority of these birds slimmed down, became active fliers and returned to breeding. The occurrence of adult birds failing to feed their chicks was almost eliminated. Excessive swelling of breeding hens was not encountered, even on leaving the nesting-box in the morning, hens appeared to be comfortable and passed firm feaces. The feaces from the breeding hens during egg-laying and incubation, were small, firm and free from objectionable odours. All nest-boxes were completely dry during egg-laying, sitting and rearing of chicks. This in itself is a very important feature, since it does not encourage the multiplication of bacteria. Within minutes of introducing the birds to the feeders containing Pro-mineral, they were sampling it with obvious enjoyment. Earlier observations and calculations with regard to consumption of cuttlefish, had created a puzzle, since the amount consumed was far in excess of what should be required for egg-laying needs. After the introduction of Pro-mineral it was clear that the birds had been consuming the cuttlefish for the trace mineral requirements and, in doing so, had been taking in an excess of the main minerals in the cuttlefish. As mentioned above, one feature of this system is that it makes it possible for the birds to live on a diet closer to that of their original desert habitat. The dry droppings are part of their natural water conservation and are a sign of normality. A good additional supplement to give to breeding birds is Whole Groats soaked in Cod-liver Oil and allowed to soak prior to feeding, for 24 hours. Give 1 oz per pair per day only. Rate of usage: to 1000 g Groats add 4000 I.Us Vit A (the ratio of vit A to vit D should be 10:1). N.B The above has been added in order that those who use this may check the ratio of A to D on the particular brand of Cod-liver Oil they use as this can vary widely. A possibly interesting diagnostic feature may arise from the state of the droppings, since during the extended period of the trials, only two birds continued, for a period, to have wet droppings. This was diagnosed as due to a small infection of Trichomonas, though it had not reached the point of causing "reaching" which is normally associated with this problem. It may be that having established dry droppings as the normal, a deviation can be taken as a warning to examine the bird closely. Good routine As a matter of good practice, it is recommended that Dr John Baker's finding on Trichomonas and his treatment using Emtryl be adhered to and the whole flock treated once per year as a matter of good routine. Breeders who have already used the Pro-System for a complete breeding season, have reported that fanciers visiting their aviaries, comment on the increased level of noise and activity. A sure sign of well-being. Having seen the marked improvement in the Budgerigars, we are left with wondering how far we humans are suffering from trace nutrient deficiencies. Editor's note: Dr John Baker, who has done some research into this question, says that modern intensive agriculture may have reduced the amount of micronutrients in seeds and this may occasionally happen with certain types of excessive fertiliser use, but it is equally likely to arise when crops are grown on naturally deficent soils. In addition a seed diet alone is insufficient for peak performance as seeds are naturally low in some micronutrients regardless of the type of soil and fertiliser use, so that some form of supplementation is required. Information from John Bell

I read in an artical of a breeder that used frozen vegatables from the store. He would put a bowl of the veges in the flight and as it thawed the birds could eat them.. I'll have to find that article for you. :ausb:

Hi Flyer just a few things I need to know How old are the birds. What type are the birds? Photos would be good. How long have you had them. You see they need to be 12 months or older before you try to breed them. If the male is a recessive pied his cere will be pink and not blue. If you have had them for 4 years the hen is too old to breed. It sounds like inexperienced mating but that doesn't mean they are to young either. Afterr you type your posts before submitting them you can do a spell check on them the button is above the box you are typing in and has a ABC with a tick below it. Enjoy the forums :ausb:

Talk to Budgerigar breeders and keepers who are not involved in exhibiting, or only on the fringe of it, and you soon realise that there exists a totally different and refreshing approach to the keeping of the world's favourite Parakeet. Not for them the continual attempt to breed a bird with increased substance, with a bigger head, with more frontal rise, or some other desirable show requirement, and a striving to beat all the other breeders of a particular variety on the show bench; and finally to achieve the top accolade - to win a Best-in-Show award. Non-exhibitors usually keep budgerigars for the sheer pleasure of seeing a riot of colour in the garden aviary, and to observe the playful antics of the species that has won so many hearts in the northern hemisphere, since it was introduced to this country in 1840. As more and more colour mutations occurred which were "fixed" by the skill of the early breeders, the keeping of the birds purely for the pleasure of their captivating appeal and attractive colours became an end in itself. Being nearer to the wild Budgerigar in their build and size, mostly finely feathered, good flyers and very active, they are a joy to behold. The whole family, and hopefully the neighbours, can enjoy the sight and sound of the birds. It is an ideal spur for the next generation of bird keepers. So many fanciers of today, and those of the past, took up the hobby after seeing a collection of very colourful Budgerigars in a garden aviary. The owner of such an aviary needs very little of the costly equipment of the exhibitor. Extending the length of the natural day, by artificial light, is not really necessary and heat is definitely not required. The Budgerigar, unpampered, is a hardy bird. The birds stock up with food and go to roost at dusk, renewing their chatter at dawn, whatever the time of the year. Many roost in outside flights, under cover, all night, whatever the weather and time of the year. They love the novelty of snow, diving into it and having an enjoyable snow bath. Enclosed shelter An enclosed shelter, light and airy, preferably facing south or south-east, (for northern hemisphere) with suitable flying, perching and feeding areas, is all that is really required. The flight area can be entirely inside, if space is restricted, but an outside one is desirable, partly exposed to the rain, but partly covered, to which the birds can retreat if necessary. An inside flight, integral with feeding and roosting areas and linked by closable bob-holes to an outside flight, is ideal. Breeding can be on the colony principle, but to retain the desired colours it will almost certainly be I preferable to breed under controlled conditions in cages. The breeding room, or area, can be in a separate structure or adjacent to the inside flight but suitably separated from it. Whichever alternative you choose, for stimulation , the breeding birds need to hear the chatter of the others. If they can also see them, so much the better. Most will usually come into breeding condition when the wild birds do in late winter an early spring. The problems of winter breeding are not for the non-exhibitor. Straight colours Some aviary owners prefer the "straight" colours?and a marvellous display they can make as there are not so many colours to include. Some Light and Dark Greens in Normal or Opaline; some Skyblues and Cobalts- some Lutinos, Dark-eyed Clear Yellows or double factor Spangle Yellows, to give bright yellow in the display; the same again in the Blue series (Albinos Dark-eyed Clear Whites or double factor Spangle Whites); possibly a few Greys to contrast with the bright colours; and last, but definitely not least, some visual Violets (Violet Cobalts). No, that is not the last. We can also have some of the lovely Yellowface and Goldenface versions of the Skyblue, the Cobalt, the Violet and the Grey to complete the mix. What a magnificent display of colour such a collection makes. The alternative, or additional approach is to have a collection of the very colourful "two-tone", two colour, three-colour or composite varieties. There is a contrast or blend of colours in each individual bird, and a contrast of colours or markings between one bird and another. One can have Yellow-wing Greens and White-wing Blues in all the shades of green and blue body colours; Spangles, Recessive Pieds, Dominant Pieds and Clearflights, again in all the body colours. Add to them the Yellowface and Goldenface Blue versions and we have the tri-coloured Pieds ? those lovely Recessive Pied Goldenface Blues and Violets, the Dominant Pied and Clearflight equivalents, truly magnificently coloured birds?and the same in Spangles., A few Cinnamons, Lacewings, Fallows, Dilutes, Clearbodies and Slates can be included, if desired An aviary owner will very likely not include them all, but, if he or she loves colours will most certainly include some Rainbows and Goldenface Rainbows? the YellowEace and Goldenface Opaline Whitewings in Sky-blue, Cobalt and Visual Violet. Such a collection seen in the golden light of the early morning summer sun, is a truly breath-taking experience. Once seen, I guarantee the experience will never be forgotten. Information by Ken Gray

I have a bottle of Medicated Olive oil which I add a few drops of detole (Anticeptic) to. When I handle the birds i'll give them a little wipe. Quarrentine her, clean out the cages and give them a spray of insectide suitable for birds. Vetafarm A.I.L. is what I use. It's very good. Information of Scaley Face

If you are findig it hard to get them to sunllight. Mix well a teaspoon of Cod liver oil into 500 grams of seed leave for 24 hours. This will give them vitamin A & D. but of cause nothing like the natural sun light.

Hi and Welcome to our family. As in most families we do get some tiffs. but we certainly support each other. Some side information, some breeders use hollow logs to see when the hens come in season. They hang the logs in the hens cages and those that show interest are usually about to come into season. Everyone has given such good advice, I would only repeating them. Good Luck and enjoy the forums.

One reason could be that the hen began being playful with the chicks feathers. IF she plucked one and it bled she could get the taist for blood which leads to killing the chick. If this is the case. Don't breed with that hen again.

Thanks Kaz thats a great idea. We have a similar water container at work... I wonder if the office staff will miss it

If i was pairing him for show I would pair him to a normal with very good markings It is one way to hopefully find out what he is.

There will be 3 internal flights 2.5mL x 1mW x 2.4mH each. 1 for cocks, hens, and young. There will be a nursary cage 1.8mL x .400mW x .450mH, a holding cage of the same size and 15 breeding cages. I have also designed a hospital cage to go in the garage where they are currently staying. There are two large windows on the end that will have the flights. I don't like outdoor flights as the birds can pick up deseases from the wild birds droppings. I am going to insulate the shed and add a whirly bird. (Extractor). The cable that is going into the shed (lying on the ground) is enough to operate a small house. 7,680 watts. Air conditioning is a posibility. The shed will be lite using a timing system that will bring the lights on at 6:00am and off at 7:30pm. There will be a night light for the hens and chicks and emergency lighting in case of power failure. I also have power for normal use eg vacum cleaners and computers. The only thing it doesn't have is running water. The owner will enjoy the excersize.

...I'll add to that that some have small or no spots. some have large and many spots, some have round spots and some have tear drop spots.

I have visited many different types of aviaries and birdrooms. Some, constructed of wood, some brick, some large and others small. My opinion is that you can breed birds anywhere. However, for your own, and your birds' comfort, the better the birdroom, you can build, the better. My own birdroom. which is twenty feet by ten feet, was built of brick seven years ago at a cost, then, of approximately 1,000. I favour brick construction as it keeps the average temperature cool in summer and warm in winter. Brick has a definite advantage over wood in this respect. The best birdroom I have seen is that of Chancellor and Wood. It is fitted out with kitchen units and has its own boiler room from which nine domestic radiators are run. Room to Extend Whatever you choose to build as a birdroom, the one essential in my view, is to allow space for extending. It is absolutely certain that no matter what you start with, it will turn out to be too small either sooner or later. If your domestic circumstances make a house move likely then you should choose a wooden construction as this will be portable. If you are sure of staying in one place then brick is an option. What do you do with a brick birdroom if you lose interest in Budgerigars? Some birdrooms I have seen could be easily converted into an office, garden room or even a "granny flat"! I do not believe heat is necessary for the birds but it is for me, at least in winter! I keep the temperature around 48-50 Fahrenheit. This year I upped the thermostat by 5 degrees. Birds use more energy in winter to keep warm. They expend energy feeding chicks and laying eggs. Remember if you feel uncomfortable so maybe do your birds. We have twenty-six breeding cages which are fairly typical, being 24 inches by 18 inches by 15 inches. They are made from melamine which is extremely easy to clean. You simply wipe it clean. There are two perches in each cage of different shapes and size. one is square and the other perch is round. These are scored to assist the birds to grip them better. I believe the different types of perching cause the bird's feet to constantly adjust their grip on the perch. This helps prevent sores on their feet. Square perches are absolutely essential and also assist the mating process. We also use a nursery cage on wheels. It gives us somewhere to put the young birds. You can push this around when tending to your birds. This helps steady them and the nursery cage also does not take up valuable breeding space. Cages Cleaned Daily We clean all our flights and cages daily, as deep litter is a method I cannot agree with. The daily routine does not bother the birds. They get used to it and generally the cock bird goes into the nest box until the cage is cleaned. Under the perches we have a piece of stainless steel which I had specially made. This catches all the loose droppings and can be easily scraped and rinsed before being returned to the breeding cage. Two reasons why I believe daily cleaning out of the cages is essential, is that it gets rid of any softfood which may go off or any seed treated with cod liver oil which may go rancid. Although cod liver oil has become unfashionable in recent years, we do mix this with our seed. Trill is the seed we feed and grit, cuttlefish and iodine nibbles are also supplied. Hormova is fed in a finger drawer. It is important to feed a consistent diet. After a long conversation with Gerald Binks we adopted some of his ideas on feeding. The seed we feed is treated with cod liver oil and left for 24 hours. An equal amount of untreated seed is added before it is fed to our birds. During the non-breeding season we reduce the amount of cod liver oil added to our seed by half. Also fed in a finger drawer is Kilpatrick's minerals. We add Abidec and Cytacon to the water following this routine: 2 drops of Abidec to one pint of water - 1 teaspoon of Cytacon to one pint water is fed with additives for four days, then plain water is fed for three days. Don't feed softfood at the same time or you could overdose vitamins. During the non-breeding season we halve the amount of additives in the water. We are fast approaching the Champion section, therefore it's very important that we breed better birds and not just an odd good one, but quality in numbers. We normally pair up around 12-15 October if the birds are fit. If this works the second round youngsters will be hatching in January 1996. Despite the need to hatch some early chicks I will refuse to pair our birds unless they are super-fit. Our nest-box is an outside one and is the box-within-a-box type with high sides. A record card is attached to the front of the nest-box. I cannot stress too much the importance of keeping accurate and complete records during the breeding season. Move Empty Eggs When we have a hen which starts laying empty eggs these are removed. We are able to do this because the eggs are marked when laid. We use a water-based pen for this purpose. Do not use a water-soluble pen. Removing clear eggs has the effect of making the hen lay additional eggs. I find that the clutch sometimes extends to eight, nine or ten eggs, and full eggs can appear towards the end of the clutch . This can cause the problem of the first full egg being due to hatch some time after the hen is expecting the first empty egg to hatch. To prevent problems such as the hen deserting the nest or breaking the eggs it is a good practice to place a chick into the nest around the time that the first egg should have hatched. Other problems can occur when a just-hatched chick is not being fed properly. We use a cocktail stick to feed such chicks. A match stick could be an alternative. The solution we feed is a mixture of full cream milk and glucose which has a high energy content. After the chick is fed we leave it and check it thirty minutes later. The feeding is repeated and the chick checked an hour later. To try and ensure that non-feeding hens are rare, Jackie prepares bread and milk for all our breeding pairs. The ingredients are wholemeal bread and full cream milk. This is cut into strips and fed in finger drawers. Although all pairs are fed bread and milk not all Budgerigars will take to it. A little glucose is sprinkled on top of the bread to encourage the birds to feed on it. Please note that you cannot "overdose" glucose. It is a very good source of energy. The Dosing Tube The dosing tube is an extremely efficient method of getting medicine into a sick bird quickly, particularly in the case of a bird which is not eating or drinking. It can also be used as a way of getting sustenance into a sick bird which is not eating. We use a mixture of Milupa (a baby food), flucose and warm water which is mixed until of a runny consistency. This is sucked up into the dosing tube. Two full dosing tubes generally fill an adult bird's crop. We obtained our dosing tube from Dave Cottrell. Since then we have lost very few sick Budgerigars. The other method of treating a sick bird that we employ is a heat lamp, which we feel has advantages over the more traditional hospital cage. It concentrates the heat on the bird which saves the bird using what energy it has to warm itself. Unlike the hospital cage it does give the bird an opportunity to retreat to the back of the cage, or to the other perch to obtain some respite from the heat. Tools of The Trade Some of these have already been mentioned. The egg-holder to avoid us directly touching the eggs. The special torch to detect fertility in the eggs. A water-based pen for marking eggs and a small bottle of white fluid for painting over cracks in eggs. A highlighter pen and ball-point pen are required for marking the record cards. The dosing tube for using with sick birds. You will not get through a breeding season without resorting to some or all of these. Information from Mick Freakley

Updating the progress. After two weekends of other commitments we finally got started in the construction. Coming up to Christmas I'll have some time after work to do some bits and pieces.

I was wondering this too. I always gave them grated veggies. Is is a choaking thing? Sorry just caught up with this. The hen produces crop milk as the chicks grow she will alter the mix, thickening it as the they grow. The mix is of seed and fluid. If you introduce the vegitables too early in the diet it alters the mix. I give grated carrot in my soft mix from day one. But it is mixed with soaked hulled oats and protien powder. The powder takes up a lot of the liquid from the carrot to give a soft mix but not a wet mix. After 14 days old I feed them the same soft food but introduce the mung bean, celery, corn, snow pea and carrot.

“The Mechanics And Mechanisms Of Breeding” Although there have always been a number of fanciers who have bred their birds continually throughout the year, it has not been the common practice to do so. It had been and to a large degree still is generally accepted that the breeding season in both the United Kingdom and the United States runs between the end of November and the end of May. Several factors, none of which were related to scientific understanding of the Budgerigar breeding cycles, play a role in determining this breeding season. First among them has been ‘tradition’. Most countries around the World have borrowed heavily from the British breeder’s knowledge regarding breeding room management. Much of our understanding of Budgerigar husbandry comes directly from the manuscripts of English authors and it has not been until most recently that this traditional practice has even been questioned in the UK. The second factor relates to ring issue date. The British and American Budgerigar Society leg bands are officially distributed at the start of the calendar year. Setting up for breeding in November ensures a number of early rung young birds for the forth coming show season. This practice of issuing rings at the start of January has not been exclusive to the UK and many other International Budgerigar Associations have also used this date. In recent years, several mainland European countries plus the USA have moved their ring issue dates to November, which more closely corresponds to what they feel is the Budgerigar breeding cycle in their countries. In Britain and a number of other countries, where a change is not being contemplated, breeders are altering their thinking and pairing up their birds when they come into breeding condition no matter what time of year it is. Whereby improving their chances of breeding more good birds, regardless of ring issue date, is justifiably their present day goal. Show Season Influences The third factor has been linked to the show season, which in general begins in late May and ends in late November. By beginning in late autumn, breeding through the winter and ending in early spring, the best adult birds are available for the show bench during much of the exhibition season. In the early history of the development of the hobby, winter shows were not uncommon. In fact, they were even well attended. While it could not be expected that the show season would change in any dramatic way, it can be expected that it will be less of a factor in determining when hobbyists commence breeding. Master breeders of Budgerigars are as interested in breeding quality young and improving their line of birds as they are in exhibiting. They understand that by breeding throughout the year, there will be birds in their aviary in different states of condition. Some will be in a moult, some will be in breeding condition and some will be ready to show. By not adhering to a “traditional” rigidly imposed breeding concept and instead, exhibiting those that are in show condition and breeding those that are in breeding condition, the best of two worlds can be achieved. A final factor, which has influenced when birds are paired, took into account weather variations throughout the breeder’s country. In America, some areas of the south and southwest, 1000+ F temperatures are common during the summer months. In the north and northwest, winter temperatures often dip below freezing. It was believed by many that breeding during these periods would subject the birds to excessive environmental stress. As we have become more sophisticated in our knowledge of the effects of temperature on breeding, however, we have realised that Budgerigars will breed over a wide range of temperatures. Actually, they can tolerate both the heat and the cold quite well. It is only when there are wide ranges of temperature fluctuations, as when it is very hot in the day and extremely cold at night that breeding is interrupted. Armed with this knowledge, aviary managers have counteracted the extreme fluctuations in temperature by installing heating units and/or air conditioning as needed. As a result, external conditions have begun to play less of a role in determining breeding seasons. In fact, with these advancements many present day birdroom environments are so little influenced by what is happening outside, our freedom to breed continuously throughout the year without adding additional stress to our breeding pairs has changed dramatically. While these were all at one time, reasonable explanations as to why we bred Budgerigars during the time frames that we did, there is little doubt that the changes, which are currently underway are a direct result of a broadening of our understandings of Budgerigar reproductive physiology and behaviour. For years, little consideration was given to the fact that some of these past practices may have accounted for breeding room problems such as high infertility and low hatchability. As this was brought into focus, the result of a growing body of research and the progressive, inquisitive thinking of a number of the hobbies leading breeders, a subtle but ever growing shift in management practices has occurred. This is particularly true with regard to our recognition of Budgerigar breeding cycles and breeding condition as the major factors influencing when we pair our birds for breeding. Resistance To Change As with all change, there remains a strong current of resistance to new ideas and some breeders wish to hang onto the belief that Budgerigars are a continuous breeding species that can be bred at their convenience. All that is required for them to go to nest, they believe, is seed, water, and a nest box. The experienced Master Breeder, however, recognises that this is not the case at all. In feral (wild) Budgerigar populations, there are definite gonadal cycles. In the far south of Australia, breeding takes place in the spring; North Australia in the winter; and in the mid-latitudes, spring, summer and autumn but not winter. Current research with domesticated Budgerigars, confirm that in captivity, there are also definite gonadal cycles. These active sperm producing cycles have been identified as: Early October to early November November to mid February Early March until the end of April Early June until mid September These sperm producing periods, as well as the barren and near barren periods in between, are regulated by a very small structure in the brain called the hypothalamus. During periods of infertility, the testes of the cock birds are atrophied and do not produce sperm. Testosterone production, which is responsible for secondary sexual characteristics, is halted and in hens, the ovary is shrunken and inactive. It is not until the hypothalamus, acting as a control centre, receives specific messages from the environment that it is stimulated to send certain peptides, called release factors to the pituitary gland. The pituitary, after getting feedback that all is well with other internal systems, acts on these messages, and releases two important hormones, LH and FSH. It is LH and FSH that stimulate the testes and ovary to grow, which in turn brings about changes in sexual oriented behaviours as well as secondary sexual characteristics such as cere colour and feather condition. Recognising when our Budgerigars are in an active fertile cycle, or breeding condition, is not always an easy task. Even the most experienced breeders have put up birds that have failed to go to nest, been “out of cycle”, or have not fertilised their eggs. In fact, some studies suggest that up to 76% of all infertile Budgerigar eggs laid in captive breeding programs are due to: Failure to mate due to lack of pair bonding. Incorrect apposition during mating. The cock or hen not being in a fertile cycle. Short of physically testing a male for fertility and visually inspecting a hens ovary, we have to rely on our observations and knowledge of: Mate selection. Pair forming. Sexually oriented behaviours. Changes in secondary sexual characteristics. Informtion from The Master Breeder.

Hi Anna, I have never heard the term but I do know that birds with long flights (out of proportion) is a penalty on the bench. There is a shape requirement for wings. There is a term long bird and short bird. But they are still in porportion.

This article assumes you possess an affinity for breeding livestock and that you wish to enter a hobby which is competitive, socially beneficial and of international appeal, which, if you eventually become a judge, can take you to countries abroad where the hospitality is second to none. The Early YearsTo date, I have been in the hobby for 51 years, beginning as a boy of 12 years, immediately after the second World War in 1945. I therefore, grew up with the pre-war pioneers of the hobby who began The Budgerigar Club in 1925. These breeders came mostly from the Midlands and Northern parts of the UK. Many of them had relatives, or friends, who had kept canaries. Pigeon fanciers, rabbit breeders and exhibitors, chicken growers - all were people who made the UK the greatest small livestock breeders in the world, up to that point in time. The budgerigar aficionados were a breakaway group who could see the possibilities of raising this small Australian Grass Parakeet, brought into the country in 1840 by the naturalist, John Gould, to an exhibition standard, and therein lay the appeal of competition and breeding. Some of the great names of the past were household names to me. I put such experienced fanciers on a pedestal in my young min, which I now advise fanciers never to do. There are only human beings who have developed one skill in one small field and have had a lot of luck in the process. If any of us were to step out of the front door into "normal" life, nobody would know us, so it has to be kept in proportion and you feet planted heavily on the ground, while you enjoy every aspect the hobby has to offer. Who were those great pre-war fanciers? There were William (Bill) Watmough, Chairman of The Budgerigar Society and perhaps the greatest and best Chairman the Society ever had. He and his wife Elsie, had a magnificent stud in Bradford, Yorkshire, with their own attendants; Alf Garnett among them. The Lintonholme Stud, as it was known, was a popular place to visit and buy new stock. Harry Bryan was already the fancier with the drive and ambition to become the top man of his period. Andy Wilson, FZS., and Ralph Frayne, were men of aptitude and integrity, who ably led the hobby. An early Secretary was Will Addey. Top breeders included Percy Norman of lutino fame, who, when ill, and his birds were not winning, sadly took his own life. Margery Kirkby-Mason and her partner Len Dabner, had a fine stud of lutinos and opalines. Amusingly, they met at a show when the young Margery had a problem with the lock on her carrying case. The young Len liked the look of her; she was a very attractive lady for all of her life, so he took off his braces and secured the box in that way. A modern version of Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh, when braces were not the rage, but cloaks were in! In both cases, the ruse worked. There were two men with the same name, but spelt differently. There was Joe Collyer of Surrey, who bred some of the finest greys. grey greens and opalines ever seen. Arthur Collier was a breeder and judge who was highly respected. Frank Wair, also a judge, was a keen cinnamon breeder as was Vera Scott. Johnny Landsburgh was a Scottish breeder of lutinos, who always used to promote his birds by filling in the selling price column with figures of many hundreds of pounds, on the basis of, "if they were mad enough to buy them, he was mad enough to take their money.". The area of Cambridge and Hertfordshire, began to become an area to visit. As well as Frank Wait, there was a young suave fancier who was a milliner by trade, studied budgerigars for hours every day and from every angle. The idea grew in his mind, that if it were possible to put head quality such as the Norwich Canary possessed, on to the budgerigars of the day, then you'd really have something worth looking at, which would put a great competitive edge into the hobby at the same time. The young man was Ken Farmer from Luton, who this author regards as the founder of the modern exhibition budgerigar that we possess today. Suddenly, or so it seemed to the rest of us in 1950, a different budgerigar appeared, usually in the light green form. The rest of the fancy was left for dead for a long period of time, while a top group of fanciers took charge, as they vied to obtain some of the F92, Ken Farmer blood. Harry Bryan scouted the country at the same time, looking for a hen with some head-feather width. eventually, he spotted one in a small exhibition stud and pressed and pressed until he got it. it was an opaline cinnamon grey. Soon we were all at it, and putting heads on our birds became the essential requirement if we were to survive and have out birds be in demand in the future. While all this was going on, the Budgerigar Society, as it had then become, had swelled to 20,000 members, owing to the demand for budgerigars from the public. There were 4 million budgerigars as household pets in the UK, as distinct from the 1.5 million today. The BS Membership has remained in the 5,000-6,000 region since that post-war boom. The Middle YearsPerhaps I should start this period with the late fifties and early sixties, when letting children "find their own way without chastisement" came in, from which we have all suffered since. Yes, I'm from the old-fashioned brigade and proud of it! Most of us were more interested in the budgerigar front. Meetings were led by men of integrity, many of them professional people who knew how to conduct and control meetings from their corporate experience. They were well attended with regional societies having 200 people attending at the main AGMs. The administrative area aside, there was a buzz around the country that Joe Colllyer had bred a nest of grey greens and greys which were well ahead of their time. Three were grey greens. A novice breeder, who was a fruit grower from Kent, had also appeared at the same time. This was Maurice Finey, who could be found every Sunday morning, when Harry Bryan opened his bedroom curtains, sitting in his car waiting to buy more birds. Money was, apparently, not a problem. These two breeders lived some 200 miles apart. Of course, both of these breeders knew about the Collyer birds, and both were after them. Joe Collyer, for this own reasons, didn't want to sell to Bryan, so the latter sent Will Addey down to buy, and the bird changed hands when Addey returned, much to Collyer's annoyance. The bird, however, changed hands at 250, a big sum in 1960. Maurice Finey went for another brother, as did Kirkby-Mason and Dabner, who bought the normal grey. Finey paid 225 for his bird, and by running it to a lot of hens, bred 39 chicks from it in its first full season. Seven of those all grey green chicks, were shown at the London & Southern Counties Budgerigar Society Area Championship in 1961, and gained first to fifth, plus seventh place. the bird "out of the cards" turned out to be the best one -even then, the judges had problems! Ironically, Bryan's bird didn't breed, but a small thing like that didn't break Harry's stride towards winning 25 "Best in Show" awards at the BS World Championships, a record perhaps, never to be surpassed. For a considerable number of years, Bryan, Finey, joined in due course by Angela Moss and Alf Ormerod, among others, dominated the scene in the 60's and 70's. In 1974, this author wrote a new book called Best in Show which sold over 30,000 copies over several years. Its original price was 3.25, just over 5 dollars. Second hand copies are still to be found by booksellers, usually priced at over ? ($30). It was always in demand. Internationally, the hobby then moved forward at a great pace. America, Canada. South America, South Africa, Japan and Europe, all began their own societies, with their own ideas of the Ideal Exhibition Budgerigar. Naturally, all those ideas, often the result of committee decisions, based on the best qualities know to exist from their experience, brought about all sorts of Ideals. We are still, to some extent, handicapped by this international problem. Moving into the PresentIn 1982, this author then resigned from his employment at British Petroleum Co Ltd., to found the Budgerigar World magazine, which is sold to over 34 countries and organized from Bala, North Wales. This is a 40 page colour magazine, published monthly in both English and German. In 1983, the Directors of Budgerigar World decided to enter the exhibition scene. Shows in the UK were staged in a well-meant, but certainly, at top level, in appalling show halls and, since by then, the UK was visited by many people from abroad, we felt a more professional approach should be undertaken. Within six months, the Directors had accumulated a fine team of, mainly fanciers from south-east England, to handle the actual manning of the show, which our county does so well. The presentation of the show was the responsibility of the two Directors at that time, John Blance and myself. The show was staged at Sandown Park Race course, at Esher in Surrey, and for quality it has never been surpassed. The unanticipated problems were caused by two factors. The cost of the Exhibition Hall was substantial, to say the least, and there was no return on the restaurant, where a franchise was in place. Therefore, it required the hobby to come in an participate in quantity from all over England, but it was not realized that many fanciers from the quieter parts of the country, were afraid to drive in the south on the fast motorway systems. Therefore, many did not enter. The first show did however, get an entry of 4,500 birds, with a top prize of 1,100, won by Barry Wild. A second show was tried, but the full support required was not there. Subsequent moves to Blackpool and Stoke-on-Trent saw a slow decline, until the Budgerigar World Open Championship became "just another show", which was not what was intended in the first instance. It was therefore, ceased on aesthetic and financial grounds. There was however, a positive side, which resulted from the Directors'influence. The Budgerigar Society realized it had to follow the examples etc and, to their credit, they improved their National Budgerigar Society World Championship by selecting another Race course, this time, Doncaster Race course, as the site for their show. They eventually, acquired the Budgerigar World staging and today, the BS have a really well-presented and credible show, of which they can be proud. Any visitors from abroad will find this show first-class, and a wonderful representation of the best of British Exhibition Budgerigars which, in depth of quality, is still the finest in the world, and, as a rider - the most difficult to win. In November 1997, my new book, this time a detailed handbook containing some 150 colour photographs, a suggested International Ideal Budgerigar, 44 black/white photographs, and 44 chapters will be released onto the international scene. This book is obtainable direct from the author and is called The Challenge - Breeding Championship Budgerigars. It is not an extension of the author's previous book, but a totally fresh, and an altogether far more comprehensive book, with every detail mentioned. The author has deliberately involved leading fanciers from other countries in submitting their feeding and breeding programmes, being aware of the variations of seeds and foods specifically available in some countries. All these diets give excellent breeding results. Details of how to order the book are given at the bottom of this page. There has been some movement towards encompassing the internationalism of the hobby, with the formation of the World Budgerigar Organization. This body meets annually, but its brief is purely advisory, unlike the World Budgerigar Association formed by Budgerigar World in 1985, which set out to reform the way in which the National Societies were organized, based on a corporate structure, with democratic representation by all countries. Regrettably, it was too soon for the hobby to accept and grasp in 1985, but has, in principle, been accepted today. Time will tell if this current system will last. In the 90's, the Australian Government decided to institute a National Quarantine Station in Melbourne. All the stock came from the UK, organized at the UK quarantine, by the author. Some 4,500 birds were thus exported to a country which had been starved of quality birds and length of feather. After a few years, a problem arose with the importation of the Ostrich species from Canada. These had been tested for specific diseases and released to their new owners, but were subsequently found to be carrying another problem. All imports ceased, and in 1997 discussion were taking place to restart imports, if at all possible. Looking to the Future The future of the hobby depends on several changes of outlook by committees throughout the world. They have to reflect on the last 50 years, when their inward attitude, and internal organizing of rules and shows, has been excellent, and to now move into a preparedness to accept change and promote the hobby to a public unaware of its existence. Acceptance of running the hobby on commercial lines is essential, and this has to be coupled with a change of attitude by the hobbyist to paying significantly more for entrance fees to exhibitions, the cost of which, to show organizers, is very substantial, as the hiring of halls increases with the rise in the cost of living. Exhibitions are essential for the hobby, to not only survive, but to go forward. Their presentation has to be outstanding and, undoubtedly, this costs money, which has to come from the fanciers themselves, otherwise, a downward spiral could result in the termination of our interest on an international basis. Regarding the birds themselves, the author has witnessed a radical change in quality, in his lifetime of breeding this beautiful parakeet. In that time, the seasonal question has always been "how can the exhibition budgerigar get any better - it's impossible." Time however, has dictated otherwise. It has got better, and it will continue to new heights of quality in the future. Information from Gerald Binks

Before getting in to this topic, I must remind everyone that breeders do not buy champion birds. You just can't buy them. What we buy is stock birds. Stock birds are where the next winning bird on the bench comes from. They are usually the sisters, brothers, cousins,..... of the birds that won his division or show. You will hear the term "Buying Blood". It is concidered that the genetic make up of the winning bird could also lie in its family. So hope fully, if you buy the offspring or related bird to the champion you might breed a champion to. Daz The best place to assess the qualities of a budgerigar is in the hand. You need to be able to feel strength and vigour, a firm fitness. While you have the bird in your hand you can check for length, width, and density of feather, supplemented by an ample covering of body down. The more feathering you can get on the head the better. After the bird has passed the hand test, I place the bird in a standard show cage. I say standard show cage, for it is vital that we start from the same point when viewing budgerigars. The show cage has two marks that remain constant. These are the perches in line with the punch bar rail, and the roofline. If you start by ensuring that the perches are at eye-level, this gives you a personal foundation for viewing birds wherever you go. A well-balanced bird of around 8.5" on the perch should stand with its eye placed well above the roofline of the cage. If the eyeline of the bird is in line with the roofline, you have a short bird, or one that is not standing correctly. Neither is up to the standard I require. Eye Correctly Positioned I consider that one of the most important features of a budgerigar is its eye. If it is not in the right position, you will never get the correct expression on a bird. It needs to be well above the cere, and go as far back in the head as you get it. When looked at from the front, the backscull needs to become wider from the eye. The capping needs to come out over the eye. You need clean white or yellow feathering from the eye to the cheek patch, and from the eye you need a slightly convex curved line to the shoulder. A good bird should have good width of backscull, which is needed to carry the desired length and width of mask. Looking at a bird with the "naked eye," I try to visualize two spots between the point of the beak and the top of the spot. The actual spot should be on the bib rather than the spot feather hanging off the yellow or white face. On the modern bird, directional feathering on the cap is essential. One feature where a lot of birds fail, is that they are not clean above the eye. The capping should be clean right down and beyond the eyeline when viewed from the side. I like to see birds with a slightly hollow backline. Not only does this make the budgerigar more graceful, but it helps to blend the flights onto the rump of the bird. I feel the tail-line should follow the under bodyline, rather than the top bodyline particularly with hens. Birds Should Be Tapered I think that one of the major breeding faults with our modern budgerigar is that they are thick across and through the rump. I like to see birds as they are described in the BS Ideal, "Tapered" and not cut away behind the legs, with the chest line continuing through between the leg area. If you read the BS Ideal you can imagine a beautiful graceful bird. The only wording I would query is the number of visual flights. Years ago nature gave the bigger, buff birds a few more flights to carry them around. I have had many a chuckle over the years when a judge has marked a cage "flights." Sure you can see a flight missing, but how many are still present? Eight, nine, or ten, and these birds are not longflights. If you can find a bird with all these attributes, not only will you have a good stock bird, you may also have a budgerigar which will win the club show. Information by Rodney Harris

Hi all sorry I haven't updated. The Shed arrived Last week but I haven't had much of a go at puting it up. I have been working at night on it and have dug the trench and put in the Cable to it. I have also moved the walls across to the site. but thats all. The shed less the frames Frames. Bottom left in picture is the trench and cable. The size of the frames on the concrete. Next weekend I will start the construction. :grbud: