Interview With Gary And Dolores Armstrong

First interview from Gary and Dolores Armstrong of Rockingham Western Australia

 

 

 

Q1. AT WHICH POINT IN TIME DID YOU FIRST DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN BUDGERIGARS ?

 

I had no interest in keeping budgerigars but the first wife wanted to breed of all things those Danish Pied she saw in the pet shop and of course make a killing selling them to the pet market. It took 12 months of constant nagging until I finally gave in to her wishes and started to build an Aviary. 

 

Q2. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST AVIARY/BREEDING ROOM LIKE?

 

My Aviary and breeding room has got larger and more accommodating for the birds I breed from when I first started breeding them, as it has not changed much as from the beginning. 

 

Q3. WHERE DID YOUR FIRST BIRDS COME FROM AND OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DID YOU CONTINUE WITH THESE LINES?

 

The first wife’s birds came from a person getting out of the hobby and I remember them being the size of finches and about as much feather on them as well. They vanished quicker when I told her she could get better birds at a cheaper price from a breeder as I had a colleague at the place I work who bred them and they looked a bit better than the ones we had.

She bred with his birds for a year and then I showed some interest as I realized that her dream of making a killing is definitely not going to work.

I told her she needed to join a club which we did and our first club we joined was SWBC and then moved onto another breeder who had at the time most of the best birds in the state. Some birds bred okay from his and I then was left with the task of doing the whole lot of the birds by myself as the ex wife lost interest.

I could not afford to lose interest as I had spent that much time building and modifying the aviary that I thought life before and after would be a waste of time if I did not carry on with them. 

 

Q4. ARE YOUR PRESENT BIRDS FROM THESE SAME BLOODLINES, IF NOT WHAT BLOODLINES HAVE IMPACTED MOST WITHIN YOUR STUD?

 

No way NOT those first birds as my Daughter had a better bird that was a pet*! Some of my bird’s pedigrees do go back to one Exhibition Breeders birds but my lot was made up of hard work and little reward for the first 5 years. I did source 3 birds from different people and I do believe as I see in the pedigrees that many of my birds come from them.

 

* A little story how bad the first lot where; one of my daughters wanted a pet Budgerigar so I went to the pet shop. I was totally discussed with the birds so the way I am, looked through the papers and come across a club looking for new members. Naturally I dialed the number and the person was all interested to have us visit to look at buying a budgerigar (this was around a year before starting to build an aviary to start breeding budgerigars).

The breeder showed his birds to us and they were magnificent as they were of the new type from England (Well, they were crossed through his Australian Lines and they certainly opened my eyes up to what one could breed!)

The breeder did not want to sell a pet type bird to us but he reluctantly did for a whopping price of $20.00 Australian. The ex never let me live that down I might add! Said I was wasting money!In the pet shops at the time they were $10.00 at half the size and this bird we bought was twice as good (or 4 times as good as them, maybe the latter).

So here we had a pet bird that was quite a nice bird but he was 12 months old and never was going to talk but as you can see, similar to the way I write a good story, my daughter had him saying a few words 6 months later.

Now this bird I gauged as a sample of a good bird at the time and compared to those mongrels of the ex- wife’s lot she had bought, I could see that she had a mob of **** birds. After I built the aviary and the pet bird by this time was 2 years old, I bred him and bang we used him across what was I thought, a better hen than the rest and wanting to breed, instantly had some better chicks!

Quite an interesting bird, he could talk and was tame as and liked the girls in the aviary. What more could you want?

However, as I do now has not changed to what I did do in my early days of breeding them other than having talking birds. No time for that. 

 

Q5. HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR BIRDS FOR THE BREEDING SEASON?

 

No such thing in my aviary about preparing birds for breeding as when they are ready asI will pair them together and hopefully they are compatible with each other and breed.

Budgerigars in “season” in my aviary are always ready to breed because that’s how they are in the wild, opportunist and breed for survival!

I am the one who says I will start the breeding cycle when I am in the right frame of mind to do so, unfortunately.

Give you an example;

I have 40 breeding cages, usually takes 6 weeks to fill them with breeding pairs.Maybe, this may explain how breeding is commenced with the breeding pairs in my bird room without going into too much detail? 

 

Q6. DO YOU SET YOUR BREEDING SEASON BY THE CALENDER OR BY SIGNS OF THE BIRDS BEING READY ?

 

Q5 answers this question.  

 

Q7. WHEN PAIRING UP DO YOU GO BY PEDIGREE OR VISUAL APPEARANCES OR BOTH?

 

Visual, and check the pedigree to make sure I am breeding not too close to satisfy me the pairing is correct. 

 

Q8. HOW CLOSELY DO YOU MATE YOUR BIRDS AND WHAT RELATED MATINGS HAVE BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL?

 

To breed good birds you don’t breed close but breed to birds that have the same genetic makeup.

This means after establishing your Stud of birds you can have related birds but not close related but have similar make up that you pair together to maybe have improvement. 

 

Q9. WHAT VARIETY MIXES DO YOU USE FOR IMPROVEMENT IF ANY OR IS IT BEST TO BEST?

 

Your best to best pairings but have added little knowledge that I have gained to help me make what I believe is the right decision with the pairings. 

 

Q10. HOW MANY CHICKS AND ROUNDS DO YOU ALLOW YOUR BIRDS TO HAVE?

 

Each clutch I would like to see 2 to three chicks per nest.

I have 5 pairs that have had 3 rounds in a row this breeding cycle (2009-2010) and also 3 pairs that have had 4 rounds and willing to go again. One pairing look as good as the day they were paired up and in their 3rd round produce 6 very nice chicks. This pairing is an excellent pairing in Quality. If I let them go they would do it all again!!

I have also 1 pairing that produced 3 rounds from July to December (5 Months) had a month off and one day when looking for a new pair to put down to breed half way through January 2010, this hen from a previous pairing flew into my face and grabbed my nose by her claws (toe nails) and looked me in the eye as you may imagine. I knew what she wanted, so I grabbed her mate and stuck them into the breeding box and after 4 days had a egg and they about to start hatching in a day or 2 as I write this article.

This is the first year that this phenomenon has happened in my breeders ever and is a sign for me that is has me believing I have my bird’s health going in the right direction. I am still learning after 17 years in the hobby! 

 

Q11. WHAT FEATURES ARE THE HARDEST TO PUT ON A BIRD AND HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT ESTABLISHING THAT FEATURE AND RETAINING IT, THE DIRECTIONAL FEATHER, STRAIGHT BACKLINE, SHOULDER & LENGTH?

 

The top end! Forget about directional feather. The whole top end is so difficult to do and it takes many years of concentration in cross breeding and good luck to achieve but 5 minutes to lose it.

Shoulder and Length in an Exhibition budgerigar I am writing about comes with the top end.

The next hardest is getting a bird to stand well off the perch and don’t squat.

Just a trick I have learnt over the years is if the cheek patches are more horizontal than vertical then you are producing birds having good shoulder.

 

The Top End Maketh the Name for the Breeder! 

 

Q12. WHAT IS YOUR FEEDING PROGRAMME DURING THE BREEDING SEASON AND DOES THIS DIFFER DURING THE NON BREEDING SEASON?

 

No it does not only its intensified when chicks are in the nest.

Of course we all should know, give the conditions and a Budgie will breed anywhere.

Budgerigars are opportunist birds as that’s where they come from as they will grab the chance to breed if the conditions are right for them to do so anywhere, any place, any time. 

 

Q13a. PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT AVIARY DESIGN, SIZE, FLIGHTS, BREEDING CAGE DESIGN AND NUMBER OF CAGES ETC?

 

Here I am still adjusting 17 years later and still have not finished the aviary to how it has to be, well, to my way of thinking anyway!

I will eventually have four flights and 3 will be about 1500mm wide by 6m long. One special one which is called the World’s Biggest Nappy Cage where the perching area can safely house 300 Youngsters or Adults is 3m wide by 6m long and about 80% of this area has raised mesh. The raised mesh idea works very well for me. The mesh is around 1200mm off the ground

 

Q13b. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT YOUR SETUP IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO DO SO?

 

If a had the time and cash flow left on this planet over again I would like to have a bigger area well designed with air conditioning where the temperature does not fluctuate like it does. The whole area around the aviary would be incorporated into a garden where this would allow for coolness and piece of mine. Sounds like heaven but I do think achievable. 

 

Q14. DO YOU USE PREVENTATIVE MEDICATION DURING AND PRE BREEDING SEASON AND IF SO WHAT AND WHY.

 

I use Doxycycline and my Bioscope and that’s the best medicine I fine. The Doxy does help the immune system of the birds. However I check the droppings out on a regular basis to monitor the immune system of my birds and have never seen the bugs that everybody quote we need to treat for in our birds since introducing **Doxycycline into my birds. Hobbyist call it medication, I don’t because had been led to believe it is a inhibitor that does not fight infection but improves the strength in the blood of the bird to help combat or immune the birds whole body to infection to those infections that move around in the whole body of the bird. So why use them

when there is no need to do so? However, always have them on hand because I did one time have a breeding hen have Canker and it was too late for me to help her.

However saying this, the reason she had a visual sign of this infection is because her immune system was down and nothing else because all the other birds in my aviary never had any signs of the infection people talk about even her partner at the time in the breeding box as I gave him another hen thatbreed some nice chicks together. Note I checked the health and took a crop test of the bird to make sure he was not having the infection. 

 

**For example: If your birds have Coccidia infestation this tells me you bird immune system is very poor.

 

*Firstly you have to get rid of the Diarrhea, (never wil lget rid of the Coccidia) and then embark on a program of around 60 days of using this Inhibitor to build up the immune system of your birds overall.

*Secondly as I have just discovered this last breeding cycle. On a yearly basis as close to the start of the breeding cycle of your birds for the year, administer for 45 days. Try the method that on the seventh day, rest the bird from the inhibitor and give them minerals and soft food. This works a treat!

*Have also used the other method of using citric acid and doing it continuously for 40 days but I find this method does cause discomfort to the birds and causes too much illness. I tried this method in the early days and it was not successful I believe to the well being of the birds.

*In Summary

Why is this so?

I have very good proof our birds immune systems in captivity are not very strong (just like a rubber band on a wind up model airplane) after the rigors of breeding and also showing, where they should be at their peak of condition (The lackey is wound up and the plane takes off, (Breeding and Showing) you will notice they don’t seem to pick up to where they were before breeding or showing (the lackey has unwound and the plane is buffeted by winds (Infection or Molts). So maybe you can figure it out in what I have explained here in a novel round about layman’s way to when you should administer the Inhibitor.

Medications

So why do them? However, always have them on hand because I did one time have a breeding hen have Canker and it was too late for me to help her. However saying this, the reason she had a visual sign of this infection is because I believe her immune system was down and nothing else more because all the other birds in my aviary never had any signs of the infection. At this time I was doing the administration of Doxycycline straight after the breeding season which is fine but not really the best time I feel to use it. Close to the breeding cycle as possible as they are going “bananas” wanting to breed when near the 35th day of administration.

If you were to think about this inhibitor, Doxycycline, there is a huge potential in how you can use it efficiently. Example: last Nationals I treated my birds that went, for only two weeks and this was the first time ever that they have bred in the same year of the National they were exhibited. The distances and time they traveled by road and the times spent at Airports and being handled by the handlers was what I call the hardest road trip and the longest time held up in Holding cages ever accomplished but all my Exhibition reps bred for me. Even more remarkable they bred some very nice chicks but never enough! 

 

Q15. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE GREATEST ASSET OF BEING IN THE HOBBY AND WHERE DO YOU SEE THE HOBBY HEADING WITH SO MANY BREEDERS LEAVING TODAY?

 

I would say when I am at the Nationals it is great to be with same like minded people having a common goal. I talk about not having to be with people who have a not as positive attitude to the Nationals as I have.

I like a good strong forward thinking club 

 

Q16.  WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT VALUE ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS FORMED AND FELLOWSHIP WITHIN THE BUDGIE BREEDING FRATERNITY ?

 

I don’t know if its friendship, as we are all competing against each other. I feel it is more about Fellowship. Maybe we form a friendship with the clubs and I know we enjoy the hobby even more if we do well with our birds. I think a good club creates good breeders. 

 

Q17. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO PROMOTE THE HOBBY TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR CLUBS?

 

I have no idea because if a person wants to join they want to join and breed these critters, they will. You cannot stand on the corner with pamphlets and shove them under the noses of people as that never has worked in the past.

Most people like birds and if they don’t have to look after them, then they are happy to look at them.

For Example:

I remember being involved with a show and was close by to a Sunday Market and we placed a sign down at the market which was only 200M away and we turned over a profit of $850.00 that day from people coming into have a look . We did have a pet bird in a cage and also a cake as a prize.

We had Raffle books for the Cake and also for the bird in the cage.

The cake was worth $2.00 and the Cage and bird, $70.00.

At the end of the day there were 200 tickets for the cake and 10 tickets for the bird in the cages.

Yet we had a never ending stream all day of people coming through into the hall. So I guess it was easy to eat the cake and forget the bird as that meant effort!  

 

Q18. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A NATIONAL SHOW?

 

The National Show gives you the direction you must breed your birds to. Everything about the ANBC show on that weekend is about excellence in the hobby coming from all over Australia. 

 

Q19. HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT POINTING A NOVICE BREEDER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO ENABLE THEM TO REACH THE TOP BENCH IN AROUND EIGHT YEARS?

 

I usually give them a few roughies and send them away to learn how to breed them and tell them they must pick a breeder who is known to be honest and willing to help. I do give guidance but what peeves me off the most is many novice breeders are scared to front the better breeders to learn the tricks and tend to go and follow other novice breeders ideas which is fine but not good to learn about breeding these critters! Would you think? 

 

Q20. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH BIRDS WITH FEATHER DISORDERS?

 

There are many feather disorders and the skill of a breeder I would find, he/she will know how to deal with this problem on a bird to bird basis. 

 

Q21. WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU THE MOST IN THE FANCY?

 

Myself! The determination to make things right is what inspires me but the most by far what really inspires me is having a winning bird at the nationals. 

 

Q22.   WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LOWEST AND HIGHEST POINTS IN THE HOBBY?

 

Lowest point was 2003,4,5,6 losing all of my top line of birds to bad immunity to infection unfortunately.

Highest point

Third highest points tally (which didn’t know about until 2 months later) at the Nationals in 2002. That year I won the Spangle Class, first and second in Spangle D/F Class 3rd in the Normal Green class 3rd in the Recessive Pied class and 5th in the Lace wing. I also had 25 birds in the State team I recall and only 3 birds did not make it to the bench.

A good year, but we are looking forward to the day when we start to win at National level again. I feel we have been unfortunate the last 3 years because having great birds loosing condition at selection time which has been unfortunate. Have to get it right soon I guess

 

Q23. WHAT IN YOUR MIND WAS THE BEST BIRD YOU EVER BOUGHT THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR STUD AND WHAT APPROXIMATELY WAS ITS COST?

 

The best bird that I never bought was given to me and she was a “F/M recovered” but she could not fly. Also another hen and she was a Spangle Opaline Light Green and she was a swap for some Cobalt’s I have. Also having purchased a cock, which led to believe had a lot of Joe Mannes blood in it as according to the pedigree. 

 

Q24.  IF YOU WERE JUST STARTING OUT ALL OVER AGAIN AS A NOVICE IN TODAYS WORLD, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU DISPENSE BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT?

 

Majority of the information from most breeders I have found not to be absolutely true because many of the top breeders have never done the hard yards and started off with the stuff I bought.

Most of your breeding techniques you must build them up by yourself from the first day you start keeping them. 

 

Q25. WOULD YOU HAVE A PHILOSPHY TO SHARE THAT HAS HELPED YOU IN DAILY LIFE WITH YOUR BUDGERIGARS?

 

Treat your birds like a group of people that are dear to you and by feeding them on a sensible diet and having variation in diet also. They are an extension of you family!  

 

Q26. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MUTATION OR VARIETY THAT REALLY INSPIRES YOU ? AND WHAT VARIETIES ARE YOU SPECIALISING IN AT THE MOMENT ?

 

All varities inspire me except for Clearwings and Black eyes as such because what other variety that are required to have no spots?

Who has ever heard of a budgerigar that must not have spots if only being single factor in their breeding?

One of the topics I like talking about is feather in the mask and the association to the top end.

How could you not breed a good one of these with a strong top end without removing the spots for showing?  

 

Q27. GIVEN ALL OF THE ABOVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER TIPS OR HINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN AN EXHIBITION BUDGERIGAR STUD?

 

*Hard work and concentration in what you want to achieve with your birds.

*Be sponge like and absorb knowledge.

*Ask questions

*Don’t be afraid to share knowledge.

*Be involved with your club administration

*Become a Steward, learn about the Exhibition Points and the different varieties of Budgerigars.

*Become a judge and enjoy this capacity of being with people who have an understanding of what quality is about.

*Enjoy the breeding of the Varieties

*Enjoy Exhibition Budgerigar ride. 

 

Q28. IF THERE WAS ONE MAIN THING YOU HAVE WANTED TO SAY THAT ENCOMPASSES YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN BUDGERIGARS AND CLUBS WHAT WOULD IT BE?

 

I worry that due to restrictions in bird travel and room to breed birds that the Exhibition Budgerigar bird will dwindle out in the next 20 years.

The people I have been associated over the years can treat me as a friend or they may not do so. It does not matter, as I am focus on improving my birds and do look forward to the day when my birds are again on the top shelf.

I am dedicated but no way near over the top! I have room to help in good clubs and if able to will offer my serves or when asked or nominated to do so.

I like to be asked questions, as I like to give a lecture as I like to speak my mind.

I also like to see people doing well in the hobby without going overboard paying out too much money as I am opposed to people who think they can breed a champion from a very poor lot of birds that they purchase on the cheap. Not talking about free birds either, but those breeders who even after a few years of breeding, buying birds that are a “dime a dozen”.

I like a good club who have a focus on breeding for the ultimate show in the Calendar Year. I like a club to promote good birds and helps it members to source quality birds.

Breeding for the Nationals and competing against other people   

 

 

***notes**** PLEASE PROVIDE A PROFILE OF YOURSELF THAT BEST DESCRIBES WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE HOBBY  ( FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW YOU ) AND PROVIDE A PERSONAL PICTURE IF YOU HAVE ONE OR WISH TO DO SO.  

 

Above Questions and Answers is all I have to offer and that’s me in a nutshell!

 

I despise negative people

 

Visit our webpage and look at how we am improving our birdsover the years. The webpage is not about bragging it is about learning the art of breeding quality birds and just someone in the hobby who is giving it a go without “going over the top”

 

Our birds are not super but they are what some people say “Boring” as I have good depth in quality being the same. We also have some “standouts” as well, roughly about 10% of them. I would like a whole aviary full of them but I still would not be happy.

 

Visit our Web Page http://budgies.sytes.net/

 

Thanks for the opportunity Karen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No posting in these interview topics.............for reading only :sadsorry:

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....c=28229&hl= discussion and thanking the interviewees area. Bear in mind most of the interviewed people may not be a member of BBC and no questions can be asked.

Edited April 8, 201015 yr by KAZ