I don't think going out and buying anything and everything is NECESSARILY a bad thing for a Novice to do. Remembering my time in Novice, I did the very same thing, but I tell you what, at least I wasn't learning the ropes with birds worth hundreds of dollars.

 

I think that starting with a pretty average group of birds is a great way to learn how to manage a budgie stud first, cut your teeth, so to say, on birds that will not kill you if something goes astray - which it generally does. Then once the basics of bird husbandry are down pat, go and buy those expense stock birds. I am glad I did it that way so the demoralisations of buying expensive birds (and $300 to me IS expensive for a bird) and then losing them due to ineptitude does not put you off the whole budgie thing to start with and you have a much better idea of what to expect.

 

As an Open breeder now I would definitely tell it like it is to a Novice breeder so that they are prepared for things to come (but I'd try to do this without scaring them off). If they had bred birds before I'd recommend buying a few good birds to start with, if not then I think the "buy whatever you like" option (but not spend too much to start with) is not a bad one and then once they develop an eye they will know which ones to keep and which to sell and THEN buy in those better birds that will help them improve their stud. I do think THAT in itself (developing an eye) is a huge part of that learning process.

 

I would also HIGHLY recommend for anyone that is half keen, to start stewarding on a full time basis. What better way to learn what judges are looking for and to see top birds on the bench (assuming there are some) and how they look, behave and are judged. Just so long as they don't think that they are an instant expert, or other stewards and show manager types might not welcome them back as they have a job to do and a distruptive know it all steward is the last thing that will help a show run smoothly. Just sit back, watch and learn. Those smaller shows are also a good opportunity to every now and then, ask the judge about why they chose this or that but keep it to a minimum and let the judge do their job for the most part.

 

THEN when someone is on the way (and ONLY when they are showing the inclination to keep going) I would consider selling (maybe even giving) them a GOOD/GREAT stock bird. Something that I would have kept myself but that will help them along the track of establishing a nice stud for themselves. I think you have to put your pride away and for the sake of the hobby do this regardless of the threat of being beaten by a stud based on what you sold previously. I like to do this when people show an obvious inclination to have a real good go at it but would hold off if I was not convinced or if the person thought that they were owed it in some way (I've heard whingers over here saying that top breeders don't let good birds go - well I certainly would not let them go to the whingers anyway AND who says anyone HAS to make their birds available to anyone else, we have all had to get here our own way, with our own resources).

 

Just my thoughts.

Edited November 12, 200915 yr by nubbly5

I think you you first start out in my opinon you should start will the normal varieties and get to no them and only after a few years and proof to youself that you are on the right track then bring in the lesser varieties. I believe this is the only way to learn and that is what I was told my many top breeders.

 

I agree, ideally that's the way to go! :emoticon112:

 

However, in this state it is virtually impossible to buy a good Normal bird that isn't a Greygreen. The last decent Normal Blue went for over $500 at the MBC auction in May - that's Big Blue that Kaz bought from Fran and John McLoughlin.

 

You can get Opalines, Cinnamons and especially GreyGreen Spangles ..... but good Normals are few and far between. So you need to breed you own.

Edited November 12, 200915 yr by renee

I agree, ideally that's the way to go!

 

However, in this state it is virtually impossible to buy a good Normal bird that isn't a Greygreen. The last decent Normal Blue went for over $500 at the MBC auction in May - that's Big Blue that Kaz bought from Fran and John McLoughlin.

 

 

im sorry renee but i don't like how you so freely give of others personal information

 

 

and besides isn't it about breeding your own good birds and improving them

all you need to do to breed your own good blues is to breed to split blues and be patiant

 

my stud is small

it consists of four main breeders

and a few very well breed birds from here and their(but these ones are for cross over later once i get a bit of a line happening)

but i plan to get more birds from these three breeders

splats one of them

i have one good bird of hers but untill i can get my hands on more birds from the hens same line well i will wait

as i belive her birds have certaint things that i want to breed into my line and look

i got four good birds off nubbly

all of related lines bar one

and these are another lot of featchures i want and i wont need more from her for quiet some thime as i can breed these boys for quiet a while getting good stock hens and possable show birds as they are of good bloodlines plus what nubbly added i belive they are perfict for what im trying to do

 

i already know what features i will need to add to certain lines im about to try and start and wont be adding them in till a few gens but i will know when the time is this needs to happen

basiclly what i have done is got a few related birds from the four breeders whos birds complement well

then im going to breed a few clutches from each of thes birds

slowley i will astablish some good breeders of my own

i will then be breeding chicks i breed from these birds to each other (my own breed from thes pairings (i belive rip called them f1 gen)

then my intention it to keep breeding my own breed birds adding the starter or foundation stock back in down a few clutches and so on

when i see some defenent potancy happening i will know what birds will be of benifit and as kaz said will move whats not on

but i wont be hasty as difrent hens and cocks combind very difrently

and breed compleatly diffrent featchures and sized chicks

some champion breeders up sized their show stock over many years with good proportioned pet types just to achive certain colours

eg most violets were started this way

so renee it doesnt matter how good your birds are if your not got an eye for show bird quality be it in a pet or in a stud bird you will never subcome to much of a breeder

 

we are not allowed to show other breeders birds nor would i want to

i took my first birds in the other day to club judging

and i was quiet pleased with my rezults

sure my birds may be smaller but they have the show swank and i was placed better than i thought

and remembering that breeding is a bout the fun and the challange to better your birds

but i look at it as im my own challange as it dont matter how many birds i beat

intill i start beating my own birds i wont be happy as that would mean no improvement in my own breedings

i did not breed birds of special qualitys or background

infact my albino hen is a un rung bird no nothing special at all but she had exactly the right things to complament my albino cock who has a very good blood line and been breed well

the cock i produced is a fantastic bird

i know hes not much in picture but after i cleaned him up and stuck him in a show cage

i was very shocked at my rezults with this bird

but he is a good bird and yet to improve as only 7 weeks

so i have already breed a great stock bird and posable he may

make show team

he didnt place in his class but out of a good few birds he got second reserve on night

out of birds brought that night

im not sure what that means it sounds good to me their was 15 or so birds

but ...

my grey dom got 2 nd out of four birds in class at our club so im happy with that also

i know they are both going to get better as they molt all i got to do is cross fingers the stay alive

although thats only as he may be only other bird in his class

and i know what they lack

after judge coments

now i can improve on my birds with breeding them to birds of the lacking quality

oviously not till 2011 but thats the thing

i wont be buying more birds to breed i will just be breeding the ones i have and rotateing hens to difrent cocks and getting a percentage of all myfavored qualitys through out most my birds

my recolds are good so wont need to worry about inbreeding

 

then their is my well breed birds to well breed birds im trying to see the difrents

of produced chicks

bloodline does count if you want to get somethere but the random good bird will not do much

consistancy in the flock is the key

if you think you will never achive this in your birds then your not going to achive anything anything much more than flash in the pan babys

not my idea of challangeing myself

we all strive for difrent things

Edited November 12, 200915 yr by KAZ

I agree, ideally that's the way to go!

 

However, in this state it is virtually impossible to buy a good Normal bird that isn't a Greygreen. The last decent Normal Blue went for over $500 at the MBC auction in May - that's Big Blue that Kaz bought from Fran and John McLoughlin.

 

im sorry renee but i don't like how you so freely give of others personal information

 

I am sure if I wanted the price I paid for him to be known I would have said so...but I didnt

some people suffer F.I.M at times

 

 

F.I.M AWARD http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx57/pr...footinmouth.jpg

Edited November 12, 200915 yr by KAZ

I agree, ideally that's the way to go!

 

However, in this state it is virtually impossible to buy a good Normal bird that isn't a Greygreen. The last decent Normal Blue went for over $500 at the MBC auction in May - that's Big Blue that Kaz bought from Fran and John McLoughlin.

 

im sorry renee but i don't like how you so freely give of others personal information

 

I am sure if I wanted the price I paid for him to be known I would have said so...but I didnt

some people suffer F.I.M at times

 

 

F.I.M AWARD http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx57/pr...footinmouth.jpg

 

lol :hap:

pmsl

rofil lol :rofl:

 

lucky for us kaz renee is a good sport

I agree, ideally that's the way to go!

 

However, in this state it is virtually impossible to buy a good Normal bird that isn't a Greygreen. The last decent Normal Blue went for over $500 at the MBC auction in May - that's Big Blue that Kaz bought from Fran and John McLoughlin.

 

im sorry renee but i don't like how you so freely give of others personal information

 

I am sure if I wanted the price I paid for him to be known I would have said so...but I didnt

some people suffer F.I.M at times

 

 

F.I.M AWARD http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx57/pr...footinmouth.jpg

 

lol

pmsl :rofl:

rofil lol :hap:

 

lucky for us kaz renee is a good sport

Well I hardly think that what someone pays for a bird at a Public Auction is personal information .... but yes I do have FIM as anyone who knows me will testify.

 

BUT I am very good at keeping other people's secrets ~ you have just got to tell me it's a secret!

Well I hardly think that what someone pays for a bird at a Public Auction is personal information .... but yes I do have FIM as anyone who knows me will testify.

 

BUT I am very good at keeping other people's secrets ~ you have just got to tell me it's a secret!

:rofl: :hap:

Well I hardly think that what someone pays for a bird at a Public Auction is personal information .... but yes I do have FIM as anyone who knows me will testify.

 

BUT I am very good at keeping other people's secrets ~ you have just got to tell me it's a secret!

:rofl: :hap:

 

You know it's not that funny ~ I was being serious!

This has been a very interesting thread that has covered a multitude of topics. Just want to add to a few things I related to in it.

 

1. I think one of the biggest tips I'd give a newcomer is to determine a level of $ you're comfortable with spending in the first 2 years because you WILL make mistakes and hopefully from this you will learn. Buying the best birds at the first auction attended by someone new to the hooby is almost certainly going to end in tears unless they have a fair share of luck. Buying a larger number of affordable birds will help you serve a useful apprenticeship.

 

QUOTE(RIPbudgies @ Nov 12 2009, 10:23) Breeders who have reached the champion status should not need to be buying birds at every auction going, they should only need to purchase occasionl outcrosses when the need arises.

 

2. Yes! I just don't get it. Every auction I attend there is always an assortment of top level breeders bidding on the better birds. However they generally have (IMHO) much better birds than what they are bidding on! So why are they buying these birds at auction? If it's for a new variety then fine. Maybe they just have bags of money and like buying birds. If they need new bloodlines surely there is a cheaper way to do it than this by swapping birds. Or just maybe the conspiracist in me says it's all part of keeping the prices of birds artificially elevated. I don't know. Maybe IF I ever reach the Open status one day I'll be able to answer this. Until then I'll just continue to wonder why I'm bidding against these people.

 

3. Interesting to read of the show scene in WA where the numbers of Novices are sometimes limited and the showing of bought birds is allowed. Here in Sth East QLD it's the opposite. The Novice section generally comprises the same numbers as the Open and Intermediate combined and runs into the hundreds! Winning anything here is a real achievement so I enjoy the rare win I'm lucky enough to pick up. Also, elevation from both Novice and Intermediate is both time and points dependant. And showing of bought birds is not allowed at any level (with one exception: our club has a special Beginners bought bird section at our large shows, but no points are gained from winning in this section).

 

4. Personally due to family commitments I don't show at many shows. So while it's nice to get the occasional win this is not the criteria by which I judge my (attempted) progress. Instead it is by the mix of birds I have in my avairy and the birds I am able to sell which tells me if I'm progressing. In Sept just gone I sold the best bird I bred in 2007. A year ago I would never have considered this. Also in Sept I sold others which a year ago were definitely in the "keeper basket" but have been surpassed by birds bred this year. Will these 2009 stock win any great awards? Almost certainly not. But I gain pleasure each morning by being able to enjoy looking at these birds which at the beginning of the year I did not have. By mid next year I hope that a couple of the best cocks I bred in 2008 will be on shaky grounds

 

5. A few feathers were ruffled earlier over the posting of a sale price for an auction bird. Whilst I wouldn't have posted the price either, I don't think it's too much of a deal given that the sale price occurred in a public arena. I (along with lots of others) mark down all the prices of birds sold at the auctions I attend and I retain these catalogs so they are pretty much public knowledge. However, discussing the sale price of a private exchange is definitely not on without prior permission of the purchaser.

 

6. On a side note it was mentioned that many breeders don't like to make public if they've lost birds for whatever reason. I posted a few weeks ago in another thread that I hadn't lost a bird for over 12 months. Well hasn't that come back to bite! In the last few weeks I've lost an 8 week old that crashed due to night fright, a cock I bought at auction only a few months ago who got an internal blockage (but luckily bred 3 nice chicks) and another cock (also an auction buy, but from last year) who come down with canker and died in a day!

Next time I boast about not losing any birds I'm writing "touch wood' in BOLDED CAPITALS

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by Daryl

Excellent post Daryl, thank you for your input!

2. Yes! I just don't get it. Every auction I attend there is always an assortment of top level breeders bidding on the better birds. However they generally have (IMHO) much better birds than what they are bidding on! So why are they buying these birds at auction? If it's for a new variety then fine. Maybe they just have bags of money and like buying birds. If they need new bloodlines surely there is a cheaper way to do it than this by swapping birds. Or just maybe the conspiracist in me says it's all part of keeping the prices of birds artificially elevated. I don't know. Maybe IF I ever reach the Open status one day I'll be able to answer this. Until then I'll just continue to wonder why I'm bidding against these people.

 

Yes I have heard about those Eastern State's Auctions where the top birds go for thousands upon thousands and it is rumored that many a 'dummy bid' is used to push the prices up ... luckily it is not that bad over here in the West.

 

Well I have heard around the water cooler that many Open Breeders here consider it just part of the process to buy one or two birds - after all they have just sold a stack.

 

And I speak for myself when I say I love buying birds, I don't think that will diminish with time - perhaps it's just the same for Open Breeders?

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by renee

QUOTE(RIPbudgies @ Nov 12 2009, 10:23) Breeders who have reached the champion status should not need to be buying birds at every auction going, they should only need to purchase occasionl outcrosses when the need arises.

 

2. Yes! I just don't get it. Every auction I attend there is always an assortment of top level breeders bidding on the better birds. However they generally have (IMHO) much better birds than what they are bidding on! So why are they buying these birds at auction? If it's for a new variety then fine. Maybe they just have bags of money and like buying birds. If they need new bloodlines surely there is a cheaper way to do it than this by swapping birds. Or just maybe the conspiracist in me says it's all part of keeping the prices of birds artificially elevated. I don't know. Maybe IF I ever reach the Open status one day I'll be able to answer this. Until then I'll just continue to wonder why I'm bidding against these people.

 

 

 

You hit the nail on the head Daryl with the "like buying birds". For many I know, auctions are a part of the culture and part of the fun. I reckon I probably don't need to buy more birds for a while but SOMETIMES I just can't help myself. I don't like spending exhorbitant amounts on birds (never have) and will not go all out to out-bid someone on the best birds of the auction, but I do like to think that maybe I've snagged a bargin......... it's why I bought 3 birds from the last SWBC auction that I really didn't need BUT BUT BUT, I know whats behind these birds and it's all really good AND they were going for a song considering AND maybe they will just work in nicely with my stud. Buying at auction is kinda a fun thing to do, even if you don't need the birds. It's part of it for me and I do like the excitement of it. I'm usually a bit disappointed when I get them home but then you can NEVER tell. I won't just bid on anything though, it has to have SOME potential, either in pedigree or in features.

 

Also WA has changed. When I started there were stacks of Novice's and few Open showers. As those Novice's progressed or dropped out, fewer have come in to take their place and at one stage we had very few Novice, stacks of Intermediate's and few Opens - It seems much better spread today but it's in a constant state of flux and clubs in general are losing members with the wider spread of interests available to young people and the "old boys club" attitude that still prevails in the budgie hobby to a large extent.

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by nubbly5

.......it's why I bought 3 birds from the last SWBC auction that I really didn't need BUT BUT BUT, I know whats behind these birds and it's all really good AND they were going for a song considering AND maybe they will just work in nicely with my stud. Buying at auction is kinda a fun thing to do, even if you don't need the birds. It's part of it for me and I do like the excitement of it.

 

Can relate to all of this, although given the small size of my flock I usually do "need" what I buy.

And, after breaking open the moneybox I'm going to an auction on Sunday! Hope I come back wearing a shirt

I bought 3 birds from the last SWBC auction that I really didn't need BUT BUT BUT

 

wish I had known this as I was interested in at least two of them that you bought and didnt need but thought your NEED was greater so I let them go

Hmmm, I didn't say I didn't WANT them. That's why I bid in the first place, but there would have been a distinct point at which I would have bowed out thinking it was not worth the "dabble" at that price. That's what i mean by having fun at an auction - the bidding and possibly winning is the fun part. It's like gambling sometimes it pays off and the birds form a great part of your stud, sometimes it doesn't and if you haven't paid huge dollars it's even better coz then you've snagged a bargain!!!!! Maybe that's why it really looks like an artificial inflation of the price (and I'm not saying that it doesn't happen) as I'll bid sometimes on what could be a bargain bird but will pull out when the price point goes over my estimation of what it's worth to give the bird a bash in my breeding program.

 

Just thinking about the topic itself though.......... I would have thought that these sorts of forums were a good place to recruit beginners and help them out with basics of breeding, showing etc but really how many TOP (I mean really TOP) breeders hang out here and help out others with what they have learned.........?

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by nubbly5

Auctions are fun....a great way to get "carried away". Lets hope most of the birds we bring home are up to our expectations

 

 

 

When I first started out in show budgies and in a club, the hardest thing was being accepted and listened to. There was a "boys club mentality" in the first club I joined back then and it really seemed you were judged before you even uttered a word. What seemed like an inner circle elite group going on made it hard for newcomers to both feel welcomed, assisted and even listened to when questions were on the tip of ones tongue. Females may have been perceived as "playing at budgie breeding"by a dominance of male members, and only once my birds began to do well on the show bench would some of these elite male members even deem fit to talk to me. I felt I had to prove myself to fit in. I joined other clubs to even out the balance and to have other options re members who would talk and share and socialise. Then we were always being pressured to show birds....not a single show cage back then was to be had...they were like gold. My first showcage came by it being loaned to me by a very nice man who would mentor me in those days. He told me after the show it was mine to keep. Gestures like this from the minority helped a lot. I am glad to say that things are changing, maybe with the coming and going of some members, maybe with some of us novices now having proved ourselves worthy But it must be said, that in a lot of cases starting out as a novice in some clubs can be "difficult" at best.

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by KAZ

my stud is small

it consists of four main breeders

and a few very well breed birds from here and their(but these ones are for cross over later once i get a bit of a line happening)

but i plan to get more birds from these three breeders

splats one of them

i have one good bird of hers but untill i can get my hands on more birds from the hens same line well i will wait

as i belive her birds have certaint things that i want to breed into my line and look Directional feather i hopei

got four good birds off nubbly

all of related lines bar one

and these are another lot of featchures i want and i wont need more from her for quiet some thime as i can breed these boys for quiet a while getting good stock hens and possable show birds as they are of good bloodlines plus what nubbly added i belive they are perfict for what im trying to do

 

Directional feather i hope

Just thinking about the topic itself though.......... I would have thought that these sorts of forums were a good place to recruit beginners and help them out with basics of breeding, showing etc but really how many TOP (I mean really TOP) breeders hang out here and help out others with what they have learned.........?

 

Even though my almost three year old son has been told how to climb onto the big playground at the park he still needs my help doing so... This forum gives members ALOT of great information that helps our budgies stay fit and healthy but what this forum can not give is someone to have right there who I can call and say 'Hey Bart, I'm looking at my birds and something just doesn't look right you reckon you could pop round?' (And I don't think the forum should have to pay for 'tech support' for its members ) It would be fantastic if we had the Tonkins, Gazzards, Rowes here... if anyone knows them invite them!

 

I've been reading this thread and found it great. I know its from an experienced breeders point of view, but If you'll allow I'll tell you the things that I'd like to find out as someone that wishes to join a club and start breeding next year after I've moved houses...

 

I'd love to know what can go wrong. Having all the facts before me allows me to make a more informed decision... I'm the kind of person that can't stand surprises... take birthdays and christmas for example... I like to know what it is I'm getting. that way if I don't like it I have time to warm up to the idea or at least prepare myself to pretend to like it I'm the same with everything and so, I don't want any surprises... I buy 10 birds am told 5 are cocks 5 are hens... when I find out that they are all cocks you can bet I'm coming around to your place for a pleasant chat...

 

Just looking at a bird WILL NOT tell me if the bird is, a good egg filler (in the case of a cock), a good egg layer (in case of a hen) wether they are good parents, it breeds well, what chicks it will reproduce (with 100% accuracy). All this information is passed onto me by 1 person, the person selling me the bird... What I would like as a beginner is to know that they arn't pulling the wool over my eyes. Sure when you cull you are of course not going to sell your best birds, thats not what I expect, what I would like is reliable information. For instance, if I come to you (an experienced breeder) and say, "I'm just starting out, I want a foundation Cock and Hen please," don't turn around and sell me a cock you KNOW shoots blanks and a hen that should she get pregnant by devine intervention will eat the eggs... or you can bet I'm coming around to your place for a pleasant chat...

 

The biggest thing I'd want is 'Community', which isn't all that common nowadays... By joining a club I am saying I want to join you and become a part of your community. I don't want to be an outsider, I want to feel like I am accepted. Don't treat newbies with contempt... Yes it is obvious that you need a male and female bird to make babies but maybe I skipped health class in High School... As a beginner I'm going to ask stupid questions that one day someone will ask me... please just take a breath and offer a hand of help...

 

Having been a member of this forum I now know what to look out for to determine sex, how healthy the bird is and other such things, but it would be REAL handy to have someone that I could ask for help in purchasing good birds for the price I pay. I guess what would be great is if there was some form of Mentoring or Apprenteship program at clubs...

 

(This post is NOT about this forum, I have found the overwelming majority of people on this forum to be fantastic, friendly and helpful, but I am talking about Clubs, I have spoken to a number of different people on and off this forum who have told me stories about people who have ripped them off or treated them poorly from Clubs when they were beginners, that is sad, is it any wonder that we lose so many through the journey)

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by JimmyBanks

ones are for cross over later once i get a bit of a line happening)

but i plan to get more birds from these three breeders

splats one of them

 

Gee, I hope you sold them to yourself cheap

 

i have one good bird of hers but untill i can get my hands on more birds from the hens same line well i will wait

 

I reckon if you ask her nicely she might be able to rush through a quick sale

one day

Great post Jimmy!

 

Just thinking about the topic itself though.......... I would have thought that these sorts of forums were a good place to recruit beginners and help them out with basics of breeding, showing etc but really how many TOP (I mean really TOP) breeders hang out here and help out others with what they have learned.........?

Well I have a sneaking suspicion that quite a few do take a look - of course Kaz would know better than anyone as she approves all new memberships so she knows who is who

But as to how many are ready and willing to help others out .... well Nubbly you are TOPPEST!

I guess it comes down to how many are computer literate and whether they see any point in sharing their knowledge - as I see it again we get back to that 'old boy's club' mentality .....I would guess that many of the dedicated members are those whose own experience in starting out is freshest and if I'm not mistaken they are mostly in the 50 and under age bracket.

 

I'd love to know what can go wrong. Having all the facts before me allows me to make a more informed decision... I'm the kind of person that can't stand surprises... take birthdays and christmas for example... I like to know what it is I'm getting. that way if I don't like it I have time to warm up to the idea or at least prepare myself to pretend to like it I'm the same with everything and so, I don't want any surprises... I buy 10 birds am told 5 are cocks 5 are hens... when I find out that they are all cocks you can bet I'm coming around to your place for a pleasant chat...

You know I am exactly the same about not liking surprises .....And I understand what you mean about wanting a breeder to do right by you and in my experience most will ..... but what you also need to take on board is that you need to be in the position to ask the right questions .... most breeders will offer you a variety of birds and get you to make your own choice, only with time and experience will you know what you really want and need .....

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by renee

Good post Jimmy and you have highlighted yet another hurdle newcomers (and not so newcomers) must face: who to trust when buying birds. It might sound strange, but if I'm buying from someone I don't know very well or not at all then I'm not only assessing the birds offered for sale but I'm also making a gut call on whether I'm being fed a load of BS. I guess the better way is to become friends with others in your club (when you join) and over time you will decide for yourself who the "shadier" characters might be. When I used to breed Rosellas I found that there was a lot of BS fed to prospective buyers of parrots because the birds were invariably expensive and provided an extreme test of the scruples of the breeder. Some find it easier to pass on a problem bird as being a top breeder which is pretty sad.

 

As to your request to list all the things that can go wrong, that could turn into one almighty depressing list. Best to try and enjoy the good things and slowly pick up on some of the not so good things by reading this forum I think

 

When it comes to buying budgies there are a lot of them around. Therefore you can afford to be more choosy. Probably the simplest piece of advice I could give you to avoid being ripped off by some scumbag passing off problem stuff is to only buy current year stock. That way it is untried and you stand as good a chanced as any of it breeding. Plus, younger birds usually settle down better at new premises.

 

For KAZ, the "boys club" mentality has reigned for a LOOOOOOOONG time. When I was a junior in the 70's any women in the club were generally expected to help out with preparing supper Times have changed a bit since then and I'd hope that this attitude is well on the way to disappearing as it's downright stupid. Something I've noticed on this forum though is that women are well represented numbers wise (and knowledge of course) compared to the ratio you find in most clubs. It's perhaps 50:50 in here whereas I'd guess it's more like 80:20 men:women at most clubs.

 

Also, as far as the cliquey groups go, I think it's unfortunately pretty universal that most (not all) of the very top breeders won't speak much to you until you've "proven" yourself. I know I've certainly found that to be the case. Looking from their perspective they maybe get a bit bugged out by every Tom, **** and Nancy asking them the same question, "What have you got for sale"? Have to find a patient one.

 

 

So, in summary:

• Buy current year birds (and don't buy anything you consider super expensive)
  
• Get to know some of the breeders in your club before you buy. When you find a decent one, ask LOTS of questions!
  

Well I have a sneaking suspicion that quite a few do take a look - of course Kaz would know better than anyone as she approves all new memberships so she knows who is who But as to how many are ready and willing to help others out .... well Nubbly you are TOPPEST!

Don't forget Chookbreeder09, he goes alright on the show bench!

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by Daryl

So, in summary:

• Buy current year birds (and don't buy anything you consider super expensive)
  
• Get to know some of the breeders in your club before you buy. When you find a decent one, ask LOTS of questions!
  

 

This thread is developing better than my wildest expectations! Great input guys!!!

 

I would also add Daryl, yes buy current year's stock but ALSO a couple of experienced pairs to help the maiden newbies and act as foster parents when the need arises.

 

A good rule of thumb when presented with 'cull' birds is "Why is this bird in your cull cage and Does it have any breeding or health issues I need to know about?" I don't know a breeder who wouldn't give you a truthful answer to those 2 questions.

 

I have taken home a couple of "won't breed for me hens" and had pleasant surprises.

 

Another very good piece of advice I was given as a beginner before I had even bought a budgie was "Don't spend more than $300 on a bird, they as just as likely to 'fall off the perch' as a $30 bird".

 

And you know you need those $30 birds to "learn" with

Edited November 13, 200915 yr by renee

Yes Hopefully I'll be joining Chookbreeder09's club at Melton... That's the closest one to my new place I think. It's definitely the closest one to me now...

Something I've noticed on this forum though is that women are well represented numbers wise (and knowledge of course) compared to the ratio you find in most clubs. It's perhaps 50:50 in here whereas I'd guess it's more like 80:20 men:women at most clubs.

 

I did a quick search on this forum and came up with:

 

Total Male: 158

Total Female: 226

Total Members:1701?? When you do a member search there are 1707 but according to the forum there are only 1701 right now...

 

That makes for a whole lot of 'Not Sures!'

Something I've noticed on this forum though is that women are well represented numbers wise (and knowledge of course) compared to the ratio you find in most clubs. It's perhaps 50:50 in here whereas I'd guess it's more like 80:20 men:women at most clubs.

 

I did a quick search on this forum and came up with:

 

Total Male: 158

Total Female: 226

Total Members:1701?? When you do a member search there are 1707 but according to the forum there are only 1701 right now...

 

That makes for a whole lot of 'Not Sures!' :D

so much for people putting down their sex when registering

 

PS reminds herself to set that as a necessary field of info