VARIOUS NEWS AND MISCELLANEOUS Part 1 Last updated at 18 August 2009 For next or previous screen: use the mouse wheel, or Pg Up and Pg Dn or and on your keyboard.
A word from the editor Dear reader, Developments in the Fancy never stop. Clubs close, other Clubs join in a new co-operative Club, and lately 3 Exhibitions co-operated and planned their coming Shows together in one large event. Sometimes these developments are watched with mixed feelings; it looks like much of the Club s history will vanish. But when we keep an open eye for the future we will see that in this way the hobby is able to survive and we will always be surrounded by our favourite small animals. The digital magazine Aviculture Europe perfectly fits in the image of the new time and we consider it our task to educate on keeping these small animals. We visit breeders, exhibitions and clubs; we call upon experienced breeders to speak about the fancy, to benefit the novice fanciers. Our never ending efforts to bring our readers as much information as possible and present this information in a progressive way, challenges us to choose new looks from time to time. In this issue we changed the lay-out of the section Various always our opening article, and split it up into several short items, spreading it around the issue. Your contributions to the magazine are highly appreciated. This can be done by a small financial donation, but also by sharing with us your efforts on creating a new colour variety or trying to foster and maintain a rare breed, or even your photos of pigeons and poultry in your holiday country. These contributions are welcome at redactie@aviculture-europe.nl The new issue is again of a rich and varied composition and we wish you pleasant reading! With thanks to all contributors and advertisers, On behalf of the team of Aviculture Europe, Nico van Benten
Press report on the New Show in Holland NATIONALE KLEINDIERENSHOW NEDERLAND Thursday 28 January 2010 Friday 29 January 2010 Saturday 30 January 2010 in the Veemarkt Hall in Utrecht. We herewith inform you about the DATES of the New Show in Holland, to be held in the Veemarkt Halls Utrecht, Sartreweg 1, 3573 PW Utrecht: Friday January 29 and Saturday January 30. (NOT on Sunday!) Judging is Thursday 28. In the afternoon the Show will be open for public, but please note: the Sales Office will be CLOSED this day! This spectacular Show, organised by the Royal Avicultura, the Royal Ornithophilia and the Dutch Rabbit Breeders Union Show, will combine the Grand National Union Show for Fancy Pigeons NBS; a large Poultry & Waterfowl Show and the Grand National Union Show for Rabbits KLN (including cavies and rodents) - they expect over 4000 rabbits! This Show promises to be something really special. Foreign participants and visitors are welcome to this show! More news will be published in the next issues of Aviculture Europe and as soon as possible on the Website of the Show. We will keep you informed! For more info please contact: Nico van Benten, e-mail vbc@xs4all.nl Edelhertlaan 32, 2623 EL Delft - The Netherlands Tel. et Fax. 00-31 152612187
THE FRAME Silkies These white Silkies - a cockerel and a pullet - have been painted by the wellknown Spanish painter Emilio Blasco, an international pigeon judge, who is also especially famous for his pigeon and poultry paintings. Silkies are known for their unique, fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk and for their dark blue flesh and blue earlobes. Emilio succeeded very well in expressing these unusual qualities.
All in all it is expected that the fair this year will be even more successful than the year before. The event takes place at Fonteinalle 2 in Doorwerth, from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The adjoining Tea House De Zalmen will be open for refreshments and snacks. For more information please contact Johan Ruys, email J.Ruys@kpnplanet.nl Also see http://www.zeldzame-kropperrassen.nl Photos: Aviculture Europe. SLENK PIGEON DAY IN DOORWERTH (THE NETHERLANDS) Sunday, September 27th is Harvest Home Fair at Doorwerth Castle, the Netherlands. This day a little fair pops up to take over the Castle Park. It has all the wonderful food of the Castle s Park kitchen gardens and orchards, including biological wines, mushrooms, beers, jams, sauces and other related fair food products. And they again managed to fit in the Slenk Pigeon Day too. All Slenk Pigeon fanciers both Gelders Slenk and Groningen Slenk - are invited to come and show their rare breed and all pigeon lovers are very welcome this day in Doorwerth. It is a good opportunity to exchange views about the Slenk breeds and the pigeon keeping hobby. It is also possible to bring pigeons to exchange or to sell. Left: Gelders Slenk. Right: Groninger Slenk.
The photo of the above cockerel, taken when the bird was seven months old illustrates that the quality of the line has been maintained. Now nine months old the cockerel, (and his other brothers), are bigger than any of the cockerels of the other breeds kept. Marlene says this is how it should be, as the Minorca is the largest of the Light breeds, and she places great emphasis, on body size, and egg laying ability when selecting breeding stock. Her birds are line-bred, which is just as well as there are very few breeders of quality Minorcas these days, as the popularity of large fowl of most breeds is waning. Regards, Richard Oakey. Copyright 2009 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC. UPDATE: MINORCAS IN AUSTRALIA In our April issue, in the article on Minorca's in the segment on Minorcas in Australia, we used a photo of a cockerel of the Oakey family. The photo was not particularly impressive, but at the time it was the only photo they had available. Now Richard and Marlene sent us a photo of one of this years cockerels, (he is just over nine months of age), being a better representative of their line. Richard wrote: "Marlene Oakey, from just outside Gawler in South Australia, has bred Minorcas for many years. When younger she showed them at the local Agricultural shows, with considerable success, dominating their classes, and on two occasions in the mid nineties winning champion Bird of Show, once at Clare (one of the top S.A. country Shows), and once at Port Lincoln. These days the shows are too much trouble, but she is fond of the breed, and appreciates their egglaying capabilities, so she still breeds her Minorcas in the same manner as she did when showing.