Owners of The Challenge book are fully aware of the four chapters for beginners which are very detailed. This article is a summary of these chapters to advise newcomers to the hobby how to take the first safe steps before investing in aviaries and budgerigars in the wrong way.
The Upside and Downside
The perfect aviary for the beginner to create. Owner: S. Bailey, Hampshire
Breeding a really good bird gives all of us a great thrill because you have made the pairing to begin with and it has given you a result that excites you. That is what it is all about.
On the downside, there are countless pitfalls to overcome and eventually one gets the feeling that it is always the best birds that you have bred that fall victim in the breeding cage, or to a disease.
Undoubtedly your first decision is to ask yourself if you are the type of person that can withstand losses. To quote a famous breeder, when a buyer informed him that he had lost his new purchase from him overnight, he received the reply, “They do that you know”.
If you breed livestock you have to take the knocks as well as the pleasures. The question is – can you bear that and move on?
Other questions to think about: can you devote yourself to your hobby with tireless good management, combined with the support of your family and the daily efforts involved?
Size Does Not Matter
The interior view. Owner: S. Bailey, Hampshire
There is no doubt that the small aviary of quality and comfort for both birds and owner, can breed top winners at the highest level – i.e. just as well as the owners of massive aviaries with studs of 500 plus birds.
That fact should spur on all beginners, but make your aviary quality throughout – because in periods of bad weather there is nothing more off-putting that having to work in a depressing environment.
Do Nothing For A Year!
So you have your aviary up and ready for stock – what to do now?
The answer: nothing for a year!
You have to learn a massive amount and get your eyes trained for quality from the best birds that are around. You must spend time going to all manner of aviaries, many built on what the owners suit them, not what suits the birds. You will see this repeatedly.
Go to several exhibitions. Go up and ask other fanciers questions and certainly never be nervous about speaking to well known champion breeders for advice. Do not put them on pedestals as they too were once beginners.
Big Decisions
When it comes to buying your first birds, make sure that you have decided beforehand:
- Am I going to concentrate on what are called the standard normal series (which you will have learned about), where it is easier to sell your quality surplus….
OR
- Am I going to concentrate on “generalising” – i.e. the specialist and rare varieties (as they are termed) where it is more difficult to move your unwanted birds…..
Bright colours are what so many beginners are initially attracted to, but they may not necessarily be the right birds to begin with.
If it were me and I wanted to breed, say, the bright yellow Lutinos, then I would be having them as the minor part of my aviary with the Normals being dominant. It’s all a matter of choice.
Getting your Coded Rings
All fanciers visiting my aviary are offered a choice of outcrosses,
advice and full breeding results where applicable.
You need to join at club level, somewhere close to you, and then at area level and finally at national level. The final national level is where you can order your closed rings that are put on all your birds at 7-10 days of age, each with your personal registered ring number engraved on them.
The society will guide you. At local level there will be monthly meetings with invited speakers from whom to learn. Hopefully, your arrival will be greeted warmly by the existing membership and you will be “in the budgerigar fold”.
Finally a word of advice at meetings. It’s simple — “Focus on what you are for, not what you are against”.
You’ll feel better for it and will be popular as well.
Conclusion
To conclude, you will eventually start to exhibit your own bred birds.
Do well, but above all be a good loser. Most fanciers are just that, but look forward to the day when you get rosettes all over your winner. After that you have the hobby in your blood and you are stuck like the rest of us!
If you want the full information about beginning in the hobby, I suggest that you seriously consider purchasing The Challenge book from myself (click here for information). The hobby itself is kind enough to refer to it as “The Bible” on this specialist subject.
Last of all, always be aware of these two websites:
This one (www.budgerigar.co.uk) and its sister website www.budgerigarworld.com.
Between them they provide, arguably, the best in-depth quality information on exhibition budgerigars anywhere, at no cost! They cannot be bettered.