Bitten by the bug

Bitten by the bug
UPLOADED  BY MASTER LOFT

 

My wife Claire gave me a pair of budgies in July 2007, as she adopted them through a friend of friend of a work collegue. One was rung so decided to find out some info on the bird after contacting the Budgerigar Society to get the contact details of the breeder. After speaking to him to find out more on the hen, I then searched the Internet to find out about the care and upkeep of the birds, one had a case of scaly face and both birds weren't in very good condition, so were treated and cured.

This led my to www.budgergars.co.uk in turn onto the forum site, after joining i spent a lot of my time reading up on the care of birds, the forum is crammed pack full of useful information on the care and health breeding etc of budgies and all the members are extremely helpful with any questions that anyone has. After a while I tried unsuccessfully to breed with the pair, let's say him being around 6-7years old, she was not interested. After reading through the exhibition side of the forum, following links to various exhibition breeders' websites up and down the country, I decided that this was something I would like to take up.

I arranged a visit to the Crag stud an exhibitor quite close to me, The visit opened my eyes as what was there to be had, I was bitten by the bug so decided to join the BS and become a member. I went to the world show at Doncaster 2007 and got to see the culmination of the hard work of all the exhibitors and everyone involved in the show, taken aback by the scale of the show further fuelling my growing enthusiasm to become involved.

In the summer of 2008 I set about converting my 6 x 8 foot shed, tiling the floor, insulating the walls boarding it out, built a indoor flight fitted four double breeding cages that could be used also as stock cages. Then came an 8x3 foot outside flight, concrete base, double galvanised mesh, this was topped off with a PVC opaque roof to protect the birds, this was furnished with a few branches.

I was given some birds along with the purchase of the breeding cages and decided that these birds alone would be used solely for experience in caring for and breeding birds. I paired a few together in the September 2008 with some success also encountered some of the problems many of those who keep birds do each year. I had clear eggs, lost hens so had to foster chicks out, lost cocks etc. As a member of the forum all my many questions were answered by many of the members assisting me in my successes and failures, to which I am grateful.

As a result of visiting a few open shows during 2008 and again the Club show in Doncaster, I decided to purchase some better birds, realising what I had was not up to the job of being the foundation of my stud. I purchased related birds from 2 studs one being Kev at the Crag stud and Jim Pearson whose birds were from the Crag stud. I now have some chicks with my 2009 rings on this will lead me onto the next chapter, of the hobby exhibiting another steep learning curve to take on in preparation and showing, also trying to create my own related stud.

Posted in: How To Care budgies