This page will have from articles from Guests that have given me an insight into their journey in the Budgerigar Fancy - hope you enjoy them and let me know your story about you experience in this great hobby.
Del O'Connell's lovely frosted pied - endangered variety - from Arizona USA
My first Guest story is from Vicki Sanford of Adelaide S.A. (thank you so much Vicki-looking forward to your pics)
I started breeding budgies many years ago, but only on the colony system. I went out of them for a few years and then started
back up again about 11 years ago. About 5 years ago I joined the North East Budgerigar Society and started ringing my birds about a year later. I initially started on the colony system again, but gradually went into separate breeding boxes. I then started breeding the budgies in my daughter's cubby house, then the hubby's garden shed, then a small converted aviary. Just over a year ago I finally got a 3m x 4m shed especially for breeding and storing my budgie gear. I now have 24 breeding boxes and breed from about April through until January. My breeding room is equipped with a laundry trough (what a godsend, everyone should have one in their room), an old freezer for storing seed, millet sprays etc. and a portable refrigerated air-cond. for when we have heatwaves (helps me stay cool too). I currently have 2 main aviaries and a small one for sell birds. My hubby is going to make me some new aviaries this year, and I'm thinking of having small separate ones and putting the different varieties together in each one. That way all my Clearbodies would be together, my Rec. Pieds all in together, my Clearwings together etc. Will make culling much easier with the varieties all together instead of all mixed up as they currently are. My favourite colour is violet, I have it everywhere, in fact I don't have much cobolt cos they are actually sky violets. I am trying to improve the size of my violets and mauves. Because I also breed Recessive Pieds and Clearwings, I have quite a few small headed birds, so they are a work in progress. I am slowly getting there. I mainly breed my varieties in the blue series, but do a bit in the green just so I have a contrast of colours. I also breed Australian Yellowface (goldenface) in the single and double forms and am trying to put that colour variation into everything except Clearbodies. In the double factor form Aust. Yellowface look stunning, especially in the violet, but trying to keep size is a bit of an effort. Once again another work in progress! What would we do with ourselves without this hobby? I can't give you any photos yet because I don't have any on file. I will also need my daughter's help to put them into the computer, I'm not very knowledgeable on this thing. Will send you some when I have worked on them.
I'll try to get some good ones of my birds, any requests? The National's are getting closer. I went to the Nationals last year, did you? Last year 1 of my Clearbodies went as the standby, so I guess I'm not doing too bad. Who knows if I'll get anything this year. What tours are you doing at this year's Nationals? I'm only going on Dr. Harry's Tour because I did Tassie a couple of years ago with my family. My friend, Sue, is supposed to be also doing the Cradle Mountain and Arthur River tours because she has never been to Tassie. I am also doing the Meet and Greet on Friday night, plus having a look at the birds on Saturday & Sunday plus the Monday night forum. See you soon, hope to hear from you soon. Your fellow Intermediate budgie breeder, Vicki of Adelaide.
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