Article

Background

Tell us about your background in the hobby. When and how you started, what your first set-up was like. Take us from those early days through the various stages through to today and then describe your current bird room and birds. Do you have any special gadgets?

I actually started breeding what we fondly refer to as the Pet Parakeet at about 12 years of age. As a youngster, it was a great means of making some extra money. Approximately one hundred birds were kept in my mother's basement, or as my father called it, (his wine cellar). Once I reached 17 years of age my mind started to wonder from the birds to other interests, which will remain undisclosed. I then sold all the birds because of my new interests. I just didn't have the time anymore.

There was a long lapse between keeping birds. Work, marriage, and children filled the days. Then in 1974 (age 30) my place of business decided to implement a 3-day workweek (13 hour work days). After fixing up the house, it seems that I was constantly in my wife's way, to put it mildly. She asked if I had any hobbies that would interest me, rather than driving her crazy. I told her about the birds, and she agreed that I should give it a try. Although I was aware of the Exhibition Budgie, I decided to go with the pet bird again. In 1975 I found out about a Budgie Club on Long Island (New York State Budgerigar Society). I promptly joined the club and then ABS (American Budgerigar Society).

After visiting several aviaries, I was hooked, and had to have some of these fantastic birds. My bird room, at the time was slightly larger than 6 feet by 8 feet and was in the basement. My first house did not have a lot of space so breeding and keeping both the pet and exhibition budgie was impossible. So the pet budgies were sent off in order to concentrate on the Exhibition stock.

Most of the stock I acquired was from the late Alf Omerod background, one of the premiere breeders in the U.K., at the time. There were three top breeders here in the states, close to my area, that acquired stock directly from Mr. Omerod. These individuals seem to be winning at all the shows. I developed my line/lines from those original birds. One of those gentlemen, Jim Brown who lived in Long Island New York, was very instrumental in teaching me the ins and outs of breeding the birds. Unfortunately our friendship only lasted for two years as he passed on in 1977. But I feel I learned more in those two years than any other time in the hobby. Jim also took care of me with some great birds from his Omerod line. Jim was very generous to the Novice Breeders.

In 1979 my family moved to Long Island, NY. Here I still kept the birds in the basement, however maintained a much larger area (17 Feet x 28 Feet) and was able to keep many more birds. However, I did maintain my methods of furiously culling my birds. This kept me from being tempted to breed birds that would not help improve my family lines. Window fans blowing out kept the dust from accumulating and Vita Lights were used through out the aviary.

By 1981 Champion status was attained. I went on to enjoy many years of learning, success, and frustrations. I call all of it enjoyment because I simply love the hobby and the people that I have met through the years. In 1990 I became an ABS Judge and also served as a District Director for several years. I love to judge the birds. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet the various breeders throughout the country and get a look at the quality of the birds elsewhere. Aside from the people, the part of the hobby that I enjoy the most is the breeding season. I really get a thrill out of watching the parents raise the Chicks and seeing if my expectations are met with the various pairings.

In 1994 my family (which includes the birds) moved to North Edison NJ, where I have my first out door shed, which is now my Aviary. It is 12 feet deep by 21 feet wide. I know to many that this is small in size, however it works fine for me. I utilize all the space to its limit. Inside the shed I have 24 breeding cages with front hanging nest boxes, two large flights (11 feet long x 3 ft wide x seven ft high. Side by side), two small flights (7 ft long x 2 ft deep x 3 ft high. Stacked), two baby flights (3ft wide x 1½ ft deep by 1½ ft high also stacked), and two large cabinets, for supplies. There is also an area for seed containers/bags and rolls of paper. The paper is used at the bottom of the cages.

An average of approximately 200 chicks are raised each breeding season. I then try to get down to 150 birds in the aviary prior to the next breeding season. The majority are normal greens and grey greens. The rest consists of Pieds, Opalines, Cinnamons and Spangles.

In 1997 I needed an outcross for my birds, as the line was becoming too close. I did introduce some birds, over the years, from several top breeders here in the States. However, I decided that it was time to go further out. The birds I acquired were from Chris and Mary Snell of the U.K. These birds clicked very nicely with my own and produced some outstanding birds. Several of my birds were pulled and bred to the Snell birds to produce another line within my aviary. After several generations this line will now be crossed to another line in the aviary.

In 1999 a new organization was started here in the U.S. Budgerigar Association of America was formed. I decided to join the new organization. Of course this meant retiring from the ABS Judges Panel and resigning from the ABS Board of Directors. This was something I needed to do as I felt that things were becoming too stagnant and that a change was needed. I still maintain my friendships with the ABS membership and also attend the shows. I have many close friends in the ABS organization and will continue to. Currently I am on the Board of Directors and Administrator of the Judges Association for BAA.

There is one thing that I do, which has been passed on to other breeders in the area. This is more a method I use rather than a gadget. The breeding cages I use are constructed of wood. The cage front is white baked wire. In the late 1980s, a friend of mine (George Applegate), who was no longer in the hobby, mentioned a theory he had about the colour of the breeding cages, which he never had a chance to apply. He felt that a pleasant green colour would be more calming to the birds and would not cast shadows like the white finish. This would keep them calm and also maintain a darker effect, in the cage, which the birds seem to appreciate while breeding. He felt that it was more natural and closer the colour that nature provides. It was decided to give this a shot as I had some issues with the hens chasing and pecking the youngsters. Some were so badly hurt that I could not save them. I found a pleasant green colour called Woodlawn Green. A fresh coat is applied every other year. Since using the green colour very few problems, with chicks being attacked, have been experienced. In the last 15 years I can probably count the number of attacks on one hand. It seems that I can also leave the chicks in the breeding cage a lot longer without the parents becoming irritated. Other breeders in the area have used this method with the same success.

How do you think the hobby has changed in those years - good and bad, and what fanciers have had the greatest influence on you through the years?

Of course one of the biggest issues we are facing, is the decline of membership. Over the years we have found that there are many individuals that are breeding the budgies, but they are not joining the clubs. Many people have acquired my birds over the years, but declined when asked to join the club or parent organization. When I inquired as to why, the answers were always the same. Too much politics, club meetings were not informative enough, paying big prices for garbage birds, and people not sharing their knowledge, were just some of the issues. Quite a few of these individuals were breeding budgies for many years, and loved it.

In our local clubs (Garden State Budgie Society and Tri-State Budgie Society) as well as BAA, I feel that this is being addressed, and that things are changing for the better. In the GSBS club meetings we have started to schedule agendas way in advance. For instance, in our last meeting, two of our champion members gave separate presentations on the various types of Pieds and Lacewings. Several birds were brought to the meeting to discuss the differences and the good and bad features of the birds. Genetics and breeding of these varieties was also discussed. Having a visual reference also made it easier for the new members to understand. Our next meeting will be about record keeping. In the last two months we have had four new novice members. This type of meeting is very informative. We are also setting up mentors for these individuals. Our feed back from the new members is very positive and they have been spreading the word to other potential members. New members are what will keep the hobby alive and we must keep it interesting for them. BAA as the parent club is listening to the membership as a whole and this is an organization that places the budgies and the members up front.

The budgie itself is another thing that has changed. We are breeding larger birds with fantastic feather. We have supposedly improved the bird. Good or Bad? By putting the desired qualities into the birds are we taking some of nature's qualities away? True, our birds don't have to fend for themselves and they don't have to fly long distances, but we do want them to be healthy with all of the facilities and tools in place that have been provided. I love the look of our birds today so I do strive towards the Standard. However, I am trying to breed a quality Budgie that maintains substance and has all the desired qualities, both natural and enforced.

As mentioned previously, I feel that Jim Brown had the most impact on me. He was always willing to share his knowledge and friendship. Jim discussed every aspect of the hobby including genetics. No question was too small or large and he had great patience. Other breeders that influenced me were Harold and Gordon Trethaway, Don Langell, Frances Curran, and Ron Rebhan. Then there are the many breeders that I have visited and read about both here and abroad. Books written by the various breeders had an enormous amount of information. I am still learning and there are many people who have shared information over the years that have been useful to me. I feel that if I keep listening I can keep learning. There is a wealth of knowledge out there if you look and listen.

Management

Please describe your daily routine outside of the breeding season. What is your non-breeding diet? Tell us about any supplements you may use.

I do not vary my routine much at all. It is pretty much the same all year round. The lights are kept on for 14 hours a day, year round. This is because I have the birds up breeding from December to June at a time when natural light is not available to them for the required hours. The rest of the year they will have natural light. Lights are on at 07:00 and are all out by 21:00. Due to the heat in the summer, the birds are broken down before the end of June. The bird room has hit 100 F with humidity as high as 90 percent in the summer months. I do not air condition the shed. In the winter the room is kept at 60 degrees by using oil enclosed heating unit. The humidity is kept at 50 to 75 percent during the breeding months. The birds seem to like this climate. The birds are also sprayed all year round, with plain water. It seems to keep them in condition for show and breeding. I feel that if a bird is in show condition then it is in breeding condition as well.

My feeding routine will only vary when fresh items can't be acquired or in the hot weather. For instance, I will not feed hardboiled egg in the summer months. It goes bad too quickly and can become contaminated. However, I feed quite a bit to the breeding pairs when raring chicks. It is high in protein and is easily fed to the young. Only fresh corn on the cob is fed. This can't be found all year round. The birds also get fresh carrots. Wet greens are not fed as I find that it causes wet vent and will mat up the feathers at times. Since the birds need it, I feed an almost powdered form to them. From a pigeon company I pick up a product called Vegetural. I feed it in bowls all year round. The birds love it, especially the hens and the chicks. It contains spinach, carrots, green cabbage, onions, leak, and pertisil. It is free of preservatives and colours. Another item that is fed year round is millet spray. It is used a lot for the chicks after they leave the nest. They go right to it, where they may be a bit finicky with the other seed.

The seed mix used, on a daily basis, is 40% Canary, 35% White Millet, 5% Hulled Oats, 5% Red Millet, 5% German millet, 5% Japanese Millet, 5% Siberian Millet. A soaked seed mix is fed every other day, which contains many different seeds, including racehorse oats. This will be soaked over night. In the morning it is rinsed and drained. Baby cereal, Wheat Germ Oil, Egg food nestling formula, grated carrots and nutri-diet is added to the mix. This is stirred till it is crumbly and is fed all year round. The egg food nestling and nutri-diet are also fed dry, in the breeding cages. The water is changed on a daily basis. In the water electrolytes with vitamins are added. This is done twice a week. I also use Probiotics when needed (after shows, during breeding, and other stressful events).

Grit, Mineral blocks, salt blocks, iodine blocks, and cuttlebone, are always available to the birds. However, in the breeding cages, I only keep some grit and a cuttlebone. Grit is changed out upon cleaning time.

The bird room is cleaned from top to bottom on a weekly basis, unless I am away or it is not possible for one reason or another. I believe in a clean environment for the birds. The aviary and birds are sprayed twice a year with a Virkon S and water solution. Various products are used to clean with, such as Virkon S, Vanodine, and bleach solutions.

How are your birds flighted - mixed sexes or separate and what ratio of cocks and hens do you keep?

Last year I started to separate the Hens and Cocks. The birds are mixed in the baby cages, but once placed into the small or large flights they are separated. For twenty-five years the birds were kept together and few problems were experienced. However, since separating the sexes, it has been noticed that the birds seem to get down to business quicker when put up to breed. I also have some hens that are filling eggs this year that did not the previous two. They are now three years of age and sitting on fertile eggs. Since this is the only change between breeding seasons, I am attributing this to the separation of the sexes, which makes the heart grow fonder, so they say.

I try to maintain at least 20 more hens than cock birds, but it is very rare that this works out. Some years are luckier than others and more hens than cocks are raised, but most of the time it is the opposite. Also, for the most part people will require pairs when they acquire birds. One is no good without the other.

How important do you think outside flights are?

The pros and cons can be discussed at great length. I however have not had outdoor flights, and done quite well. I would like to have them eventually because I feel that the birds need the fresh air and the proper sunlight to keep them strong and vigorous. There is excellent ventilation in my aviary, with fresh air coming in through the opened windows and, some natural sunlight. Vita Lights are used to maintain light through out the aviary. In one window there is a fan, which brings fresh air into the aviary, and an attic fan in the roof of the shed to help circulate the airflow once the temperature exceeds 85 degrees. Some large Gum Trees provide a bit shade during the day. This environment has worked well for keeping the birds active and in good health, but is still not the outdoors. Of course when keeping the birds in outdoor flights we run into the other issues such as predators, diseases, and elements that are not indoors. As stated, I feel that the birds need as much of the natural environment as possible to maintain health. We all do our best to come close to it.

The Breeding Season

Describe your breeding cages and nest boxes. Have you ever tried other types of box or cage?

My breeding cages are wood on all sides with a white baked wire front. They are 25 inches wide x 14 inches deep x 15 inches high. As stated, they are painted inside with a Woodlawn Green colour. The nest boxes are attached to the front on the top right corner. I made these myself. They are the type where you can pull out the whole box as if it is a draw. For many years a side mounted nest box, was used, however in order to save space the new front mounted boxes were implemented. The birds had no trouble adapting to them, even birds that were bred the prior year. No increase or decrease in the fertility was noted. The birds have always maintained a high fertility rate.

I like the front attached nest box, as it is easier to work with, and clean. Several extra draws were made so that replacement is quickly done when cleaning them. Wood chips are used as bedding inside the box. This works well in keeping the box dry from the droppings. The outsides of the boxes are sprayed with a mist of water on occasion to maintain the proper level of moisture. The breeding cages are directly across from the flights, on one wall. They are stacked four high by six across.

Please describe your daily routine through the breeding season? What is your breeding season diet? Provide full details of any supplements you feed.

Discussed in Management item 1.

What influences the atmosphere of a birdroom the most and what have you done about it? How do you know the birds are in breeding condition?

My biggest problem in the bird room is probably the climate while breeding. Since it gets very cold during the months of January and February, there is a heating unit in the room, which is always running. The temperature is maintained at 60 degrees. This has caused the room to become quite dry, at times especially when there is limited rainfall. Since the room is cramped and all space is used, the method of spraying the room and exterior of the nest box has been adapted, in order to maintain proper humidity. If this is not done a dead in shell problem may be is encountered. I tried a humidifier in the room, however the birds did not seem to like it, so it was removed.