Last year Kaz contacted Mr Gerald Binks, a renown budgerigar breeder and author, seeking to gain some further insight on a series of a topics. He was kind enough to hand write responses to some questions, in quite extensive depth.

 

I have taken these handwritten letters and typed them up here for everyone to read and learn from. Mr Binks provides a great deal of useful information as well as some thought provoking questions.

 

On behalf of everyone here, I would like to express our gratitude to Mr Gerald Binks, not only for the information he provides but also for the time he has put into providing this information. Also a big thank you to Kaz, who sourced this information from an expert in the field.

 

There are multiple articles. Please read and offer comment. (If there are grammatical errors or typing errors, they are my fault, and they occurred in the digitising process, and for this I offer my apologies)

 

What is the most desirable feature to breed into a top show bird and how should a breeder proceed to breed it in? by Gerald S. Binks

 

An article was recently published on this subject. I understand that the author and a few others argue that the modern show specimen we have been trying to achieve since before I entered the hobby in 1945 should now have the feather length reduced, particularly in the head region. I also understand there is also a body of opinion which exists, perhaps in a small way, in Germany that desires a move in this direction to allow our birds better forward sight.

 

Let me say that I am most surprised, even staggered, first at this retrograde and look by a few fanciers and secondly by the total, and I mean total, lack of evidence that our very best birds in the World have any problem in flying to exactly where they choose. I refer of course to the superb facial and width of frontal feathers that now exist with the very best quality stock.

 

I have a stud which consists solely of three major lines. First my one Grey Green, red ring line which produced the Best Breeder in Show in 1987 at the Budgerigar Society Show (5600 entries) and in the following year Best in Show at the Budgerigar World Show (4300 entries). In addition I have a heavy influence of Jim Moffat’s Light Greens and lastly I am having a marvellous influx of Jo Mannes’ blood which is breeding really prolifically and breeding superb quality at the same time.

 

Having said that phrase, “breeding superb quality”, what exactly do I mean by that? To me a bird in modern times has to have a massive, almost flat face with the base of the mask and top of the frontal as far apart as possible. In terms of width of face, then this has to be extremely wide caused by feather direction and length – IN THE RIGHT PLACES. I also deplore the bird with what I call the “KEYHOLE” effects, where there is a pinched appearance either side of the beak and the eyes are thus visible. God forbid we ever go back to that style of bird, just to favour an unproven idea. Show me a bird with the most desirable length of feather, and facial width as a result, that cannot fly straight, and I might just take notice.

I suppose if you were deliberately mad enough to reduce the feathering in the face, the only reason for doing so would be as an effect to smarten up an ugly bird which is probably massive in size and consequently has an absence of the features which to give the smart type we all desire.

I know the Mannes stud fairly well. Jo has achieved what most of us want. That is the massive head feathers superimposed on a body of a great length and shoulder which is also stylish and exhibit type. The modern show bird has to be 24cms – 25.5cms overall to be in proportion. As with all studs, it is not in all of Jo’s birds, but there are a great many nevertheless. I now have that feature established and I’m continuing to work on it to spread it across the stud. It’s not easy and a great challenge and I’m enjoying it immensely.

 

Dare I say what other European fanciers must have thought? Yes, I suspect those who argue against feather length and a great width of face across the eyes – haven’t got it themselves! It is very very difficult to achieve it, I grant them that, but I suggest they show us their birds which cannot fly forwards in a straight line before they try to steer the hobby away from what we’ve been trying so hard to get.

 

We now come to the question of how to breed birds with this length of feather? Like everything else with the improvement of our birds since the 1920’s, it is a question of selecting birds with that little extra “something” to improve this feature or that feature. Depth of mask is difficult to get and maintain, especially in a small stud. Spots, round spots, are the same and we are continually selecting to perhaps produce one or two birds, in every hundred, that can take us that bit further forward. We are also up against the problem of whether those birds that have these features we’ve tried so hard to get will themselves breed successfully, and whether we have the opposite sexes as pairings, to breed these features and fix them in numbers for the future.

Length of feather and feather direction are but two more features we have to work on, but gradually you have to breed the birds that will be essential if you are you win on the showbench.

Edited January 14, 200916 yr by Dave_McMinn

Brilliant article. Thank you Kaz And Dave for transcribing!

Edited January 14, 200916 yr by renee

Thanks Dave and Kaz! Great to read what he has to say about this issue... very interesting reading... What is a good look in a show bird always seems to bring out difference of opinion Looking forward to reading the discussions...

Thankyou Dave for your hard work transcribing these articles. Would have taken me forever with typing two fingers. Yours fly at the speed of lightening and you saved me lots of work