Do you have the basic building blocks?

 

We all have a number of birds, a collection of type and colour.

We all have our favourites in both.

Some birds that breed well but are not really the ideal in show quality.

Others that are show quality but only produce limited numbers, if any.

Some we keep because it's a half brother of a sister to the Grand Champion of the 2004 Nationals, or simply because they are pretty.

How often do we step back and actually look at all of them and ask you're self.

 

Do I have the building blocks to breed a show quality bird?

 

If the birds are not carrying the visual features that is required to produce a show budgie.

Then you're in for a long haul.

Not every bird will be visually the ideal, but it should have at least two or three features that it excels in. For example it has a really deep mask, large round spots and nice feather, or it has blow and good backskull and size.

It is than the successfully combination of the features to pass on to there siblings that is required to move forward.

Wish it was that easy!

But there are different modes of inheritance that produce a jumble of what is being presented.

In other word not all the features will transfer across. Some birds breed true, some don't.

Only by breeding will you know what feature the budgie is dominant in and which is hidden or simply doesn't transfer across. It may transfer across with another partner.

You will often hear that "It's in his the blood". So in other words the bird is visually poor, but may breed better than it's self. The word here is MAY.

It is hard enough to make visual features come to the fore, than trying to prise them out of some recessive pocket with-in the bird! So such birds are in my option, a waste of time.

 

Look at what the birds have and what's missing.

Than next outcross that you purchase from a breeder or auction look for that feature.

Tell the breeder that you need a hen or cock with depth of mask or what ever is missing.Don't be tempted to buy a bird with blow when that is already a dominant feature in your stud.

Every couple of years look for progression. If you don't see it than you may be missing some of the building blocks and have to reassess your approach.

 

 

Edited April 23, 200817 yr by throwback

Good reading. Thanks Throwback

Good reading. Thanks Throwback

 

 

Just a few throughts I put together.

I'm sitting infront of a PC at uni bored!

I'm on my lunch break, waiting for 4.30 to come around so I can go home.

Blocks of CASH & lots of patience.

Blocks of CASH & lots of patience.

 

Patience Yes, blocks of cash, Not really.

Smart selection of basic stock birds.

As I have said on other posts. High price show budgies don't always make good stock birds.

And it depends on your goal. Are you breeding for a show winner? or are you breeding for a improvment of stock. Sometimes you may achieve both!

I agree with Throwback here. My aim is to sell 10 birds to fund the purchase of one bird. So it can be kind of self funding

Yes I agree with that at the start,but once you start winning you want more.Then the block is needed,and yes you sell your birds to get the block of money you need to get better birds.I would be surprised to see if any of the top breeders didn't put a lot of blocks to get to the top.

Yes I agree with that at the start,but once you start winning you want more.Then the block is needed,and yes you sell your birds to get the block of money you need to get better birds.I would be surprised to see if any of the top breeders didn't put a lot of blocks to get to the top.

 

 

I am not really talking about blocks of money. But the seperate pieces that make a awesome show bird. Granted, the better birds you have, the better outcross you need to make the improvement which can mean more money. This a huge problem with many of the top breeders! looking for a suitable outcross. Some are only making only slight improvements over many years. But for many of us mere mortals there are huge improvements to be had.

With all this rain I am bored out of my mind!

11 straight days of rain!!

I am working on a spread sheet to help me rate the birds, something to help me keep track how they are going (The building blocks) Each bird is given a rating against the standard and the best bird in the aviary.

This can be kept in a file and compared back to each year.

Only a very basic draft but enough to get my drift.

 

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This could apply to colour or variety, breeding results etc..

interesting to look inside the minds of show breeders... I don't know if I could get rid of a nice looking bird just because it didn't meet the standard...

interesting to look inside the minds of show breeders...

 

 

oh I don't know, I think we are all mad

 

I have to agree though, i love lessoning to others opinions and ideas and why they do things.

BUMP! , Rrrrrrrrr the good old days.