An Interview with Paul B a Budgerigar Fancier from Belgium By Mobassir Sattar Khan from Pakistan June, 2007 Introductions Q-1. I know that you are very experience and well known Budgerigars breeder, but for new comers please give us a brief introduction about yourself. Answer: like exhibition budgies all my life. Pretty to have them Q-2. Are you involve in this fancy as just for a hobby or now it is your profession? Answer: just a hobby. Basic Information Q-1. What is your basic profession and where do you live, also tell us where your aviary is located? Answer: retired live in Belgium. Have a house with a garden in the city, so not much space Q-2. How did you get interested in the fancy and what attracted you to the Budgerigar? Answer: as I was child I was interested in birds, canary s and later budgies as they are much simpler to keep. Q-3. Do you have a Standard of bird that you desire to breed in Exhibition Budgerigars? Answer: we try to do better every year, but attention to overdue, lumps, no tail etc. Q-4. Are you member of any Budgerigar or Misc bird s club/society? Answer: yes I am member of 2, BGC and KBOF in Belgium. Also a member of BW In England Q-5. How many birds do you keep in your stock every year? Answer: between 15 and 20 cages, so about 60 80 birds. Q-6. Which color or variety is your most favorite? Answer: like violet, spangle, texas clearbody and malenistic/cleartail. Q-7. Please also brief use about start and end time of your breeding and non breeding season in your area, and at what period your birds start moulting? Answer: starting in winter, we have our rings 1 october, from september till may. Budgies moult all the time. That is why there is always a fine dust in the aviaries. Q-8. Basic information about weather conditions in your area and the weather effects on your birds? Answer: As I said in the winter. I have a heather that makes r-that the bird room has always a temperature of 10-15 C. Background
Q-1. Please share something with our readers about your background in the Budgerigars hobby how and when you initially started and what period of time have you been involved with this hobby? Answer: I started as I was 15 years old with canary s. later when I was married, I had budgies and neophema s and at 30 only budgies. Q-2. Where did your initial stock come from? And when you feel that you need to introduce good blood line from any well reputed champion breeder. Answer: from a pet store, as there where not much budgies at that time 1980. Q-3. What common problems you faced at the earlier stage of your hobby? and when you start feeling that you are now comfortable with this hobby and you can handle most common problem related with Budgerigars. Answer: after years and years, you begin to feel what is a good or wrong base. I also started do study the inheritance. Management Q-1. Basic introduction about your aviary management program? Answer: just breeding with the best. Q-2. Would you please share some thing in brief with us about one year planning of your bird s management program? Answer: always pair the best and look out for big budgies as they have many bad quality s, bumps no tail etc. Q-3. How do you maintain your record? For that are you are using any professional bird s management software or you prefer manual record keeping. Answer: yes, I like to know who is the father, mother, grand parents and so on from a bird. Q-4. Do you mark eggs if yes then tell us what style of marking are you using? Answer: no I do not, after 4 days you can see if they are fertile or not. Q-5. What type of marker or pen do you use for marking and do you ever have problems when hen the refuses marked eggs? Answer: no marker. Q-6. Do you use fosters, if yes then please share your fostering experience with us, especially how do you select fostering couples? Answer: from time to time I use them, ex. only one egg or to many. I put them under other parents, who have another color or drawing so I can recognise the bird. You cab put for example an ino under a normal pair. Q-7. How do you handle the chicks in the nest and in early ages, especially in case of mother death or feeding refusal by parents then how do you mange a day old chick? Answer: if every thing is normal, I let it as it is. When just born, you must see a feeding within the 2 hours. If not, there is something wrong, hen to young. Then I put an older chick under and when this has been feeded, I put the new born again in the nest. Mostly everything is normal again. Q-8. At what age you ring your chicks? Answer: depens, between 5 and 11 days.
Q-9. How do you plane for safety of your birds from different weather conditions Answer: no problem so far in Belgium. Q-10. Any suggestions from you for all new comers that how they should plan their management program to reduce risk of common basic problems. Answer: go and see other breeders and learn from it and ask them if they can do it again, how do they do it then. Breeding Q-1. At what time do you start breeding each year? Answer: September Q-2. Are you breeding all Misc color or you are specializing in any specific variety/varieties. If you are breeding any specific variety then please tell us how and why did you chose that colors and what about your success in that specified area? Answer: I put all of them if I can in the breeding room, but I like some color birds like the violet and the malenistic because they are attractive to me. Q-3. What are the roles of "normal budgerigars in your success, do you also use normal budgerigars for the improvement of size and quality of any other variety? Answer: of course for exemple to have good albino color, you have to use no blues, but grey s for the color contrast, blues give a blue shine in the albino. Never pair cinnamon onto spangle, the drawning becomes not so clear as in the normals. Q-4. How many pair do you prepare each year for breeding and what are the ratio of extra cocks and hens do keep ready incase of any urgent requirements? Answer: between 15 and 20 pairs. 30 hens as are the weak link and 20 cocks. Q-5. How many birds do you breed each year and how many clutches do you take from one pair. Answer: about 100 chicks and 2 rounds. No more. Q-6. Do you select your pair for breeding by their visual quality or genetically? And also mention if you have any other criteria of selections when pairing up? Answer: both and I look in my breeding book. The youngsters must be the same or larger as there parents Q-7. And what important thing you consider when you put the birds into the breeding cages? Answer: must be in breeding condition. Put 3 hens in 1 breeding cage with a nest. The cocks in another. When a hen is going in the nest box, she is ready and you can put here with a cock. Q-8. Do you use inbreeding or line-breeding system? And what are your opinions on line breeding? Answer: I do not like it, that is ok if you have many birds. To close is fatal, the closed I go is cousin with niece. Q-9. What basic points of pairings do you recommend to consider new comers to produce the best exhibition?
Answer: take always the best. Makes that everything is ok like having 2 tail feathers, if not pair them with one that has them. Always compensated the one with the other. Q-10. How do you go about obtaining suitable out-crosses from other fanciers? Answer: that is a risk, you can only trust the fancier and his judgement. Here a trick, if you go for it, take the best from your stock and compare him with the one you want. If he is smaller, do not buy him. Q-11. How do you differentiates between controlled and uncontrolled breeding systems, and would you please share you personal experience about both systems? Answer: always try to breed in the same season and give your birds a rest, minimum 6 months, they needed it. I do not like to breed all 12 months. Q12. Any other points you would like to mention which hasn't been covered above Answer: breed but not to much, you must also find a way to sale your surplus as seed in not cheap and they also need space to fly. Diseases / medication Q-1. Would you please point out names of most common diseases in Budgerigars, and as per your practical experience which disease are most dangerous in budgerigars? Answer: going light and scaly face Q-2. How do you monitor your aviary for any active sign of any illness or disease? Answer: for scaly face ivomec liquid. A bad eye terramicine, for others baytril. Q-3. What immediate action you take at the time of first sign of any illness? Answer: separate the bird and keep it warm and give baytril. Q-4. How much effort do you put into trying to cure a sick bird? Answer: not much, I let nature take care. When a bird get sick and recover with medication, I do not use it for breeding. We give birds to much medication even when they are not sick. It is like us and the use of antibiotics. To much. Q-5. Do you use preventative medication during breeding and none breeding seasons? If yes then please tell us which medicines do you use, why do you selected these medicines and how do you schedule them. Answer: Answer: as I said before, no medication when a bird is not sick. We do not use medication when we are not sick. Q-6. What action you take to minimize health risk, I mean how do you prevent your aviary from diseases? Answer: I use a clean bottom, no wood, no paper, no sand. Every 2 days I clean the floor and from time to time I use a whitewash like we do to white a wall. Q-7. As per your personal experience what are the key factor to maintain good health in your flock. Answer: good food, plenty of air and a large aviary. Q-8. What medicines or medical related instrument should be always present in aviary? Answer: for an inflammation of the eye terramicine and ivomec for scaly face.
Q-9. Do you or any of your friends have experience of uses of homeopathic or herbal medicine for birds, if yes please share that experience with us. Answer: No Q-10. At end of medical related question I would like you to tell us about side effect of medicines which we normally use for preventions or treatment around the year, as I heard that excessive use of medicines can increase infertility problems? Answer: I do not know. My Setup Q-1. Do you remember what was your first setup was look like? Answer: a wooden house and an outside flight Q-2. Please explain your current aviary design. (I will appreciate if you brief it with picture), would please also tell us that did you design your aviary with your own idea or you hired some to do it for you? Answer: look at my website, there you have it all. http://www.geocities.com/budgiespaul Q-3. In how many cages are you breeding today? And would you please explain design and size of your breeding cage and what are the benefits of your current design? Answer: 15-20 breedings., also look at the web. Q-4. How many indoor and outdoor flights do you have and how many birds you keep in one flight, please also explain sizes and design of these flights. Answer: the aviary 7m X 3,5m is in 3 parts each with a small outside flight. Q-5. Please also tell us how do you divide your stock in different flights, I mean by cocks and hens or by adult and young birds? Answer: cocks and hens separated and the 3th for sale or in breeding season for the youngsters. Q-6. Tell us something about your hospital and quarantine cages, how many do you have and what area of your aviary you specified for treatment and quarantine process? I will appreciate if you please tell new comers benefits of quarantine process. Answer: I have not. Newcomers are set with the others. I know where I must buy my new comers. Q-7. Do you think that fresh air should also pass through your aviary and how do you control and manage air ventilation in your aviary Answer: I have an incoming and outgoing ventilation, the outgoing is nothong else than a kitchen ventilator. Q-8. How important lighting play a role for healthy flock and fertility, and what type of lighting system do you use, sun light or any artificial lighting system.
Answer: in the summer no light, in winter I put the light on at 16.30 till 20.30 only because when I am out for a day, I can feed them when I returne. I use the special light that includes sunlight. Q-9. How do you maintain temperature within your aviary? Answer: I use an electric heather with thermostat +/- 10-15 C Q-10. Now after your huge experience of this hobby if you got a chance to build your aviary once again (Complete new setup), will you still go for your current aviary design or you have some latest idea s which fulfill your latest requirement? Answer:I think the same, I do not have space enough. Q-11. Ok, with your huge experience at the end of Aviary setup section please guide if a new comer ask you to design a new setup for him for about 10 breeding pairs, So how you will design it with all current facilities and future expansions?. You must build as great as you can, even for 5 birds. As we have winters with -5-10 c from time to time, I use a separate breeding room for heathing. Breeding cage 80-40-45 cm. Nutrition Answer: Q-1. We all know that good nutrition is key of success, so tell us about importance of good and controlled nutrition in your point if view? Answer: Feeding is very important as we like to breed budgies with body. Here you find the mixture that I use myself. SEED MIXTURE FOR THE WHOLE SEASON ON A BASE OF 100 POUND. 20 pound white millet 20 pound yellow millet 30 pound japanese millet 20 pound canary seed 2 pound niger seed 4 pound sesam seed 4 pound peeled oats
Hereby I put a sack of 50 pound budgie mix* These 150 pounds are mixed in a special cask. A lot of people adapt these percentages according the seasons, more oats, sesam and niger in winter and more other seeds in the summer. I do not do this, because I think that in a aviary there is plenty of all kind of seeds present at all times, if you give them daily. Keep an eye on one thing, make shure that the dishes are empty!! If after a few days there are still seeds in it, there is something wrong with your mixture.met het geven van zaad zoals hierboven, valt dit niet voor. *I use the 50 pound budgie mix extra in the summer when the birds are not breeding. SOFTFOOD Another point of discussion about giving a lot more from this and a little less from that. If everything is ok in your breeding room, do not change your manner of feeding, just because some person tell's you that his way of feeding things is so much better. Please find here my softfood mixture: Cédé softfood for lovebirds, this because it is not so dry as for budgies. shelled oats couscous Pieters mix Pinkies A dish with only canary seed, when there are youngsters. Some vitamines. For 20 pairs I take, 7 handgrips shelled oats, that we put in water for about 8 hours. After that we rinse several times and mix this with 12 handgrips of the Cédé softfood, Pietersmix and couscous. If all is wel done you have a mix who is not to dry or moisty. This we give on our birds together with +/- 6 pinkies. In the breeding season we give this every day, the rest of the year, 2-3 times a week. OTHER GIFTS
First of all grit with oyster shell and seaweed. One remark on this, it is not because the dish is full that everything is ok. The necessary things for the birds are removed, so you must change it every 2 weeks. The red cubus minerals, I use the powderform, are given seperatly, certainly when they have youngsters. Cuttlefish bone. From time to time branches of the deciduous trees. Chickweed: very good for the birds. Water, refresh it every day, certainly in the summer. These are the main points what to give on your birds. Q-2. What about you re feeding program, and what are the differences in your feeding compared to other studs? Answer:see above Q-3. What mix do you use? And where do you source your seed from? Answer:see above Q-4. What is difference between your birds diet in breeding and non-breeding seasons? And how do you schedule it in both seasons. Answer:see above Q-5. Seed mix can only fulfill less then 50% needs of budgerigars body, do you agree with this comment? And how important do you think the constituents of the seed mix are? Answer: with my mix, 90%. Q-6. What are the importance of supplements in budgerigars in your opinion and tell us about any well known supplements you may use. Answer: Q-7. How do you schedule multivitamins in breeding and none breeding season and share with us what brand name you use? Answer: ONLY IN BREEDING SEASON AND WITH CARE, NOT TO MUTCH. BRAND IS CEDE EGGFOOD Q-8. Importance of grit in budgerigars in your pint of view, and how do you offer it to your birds? Answer: I put some grit for budgies in a plate and also some red stone.
Q-9. Calcium is also most important part of nutrition, how do you fulfill need of calcium of your birds? Answer: we have the octopus calcium plate. Q-10. Do offer greens to your birds, please explain what selective greens you offer in breeding and none breeding seasons and how do you schedule it? Answer: only chicken weed, nothing else. I do not like to have the shit. Q-11. Almost in all established countries a range of Multivitamins/minerals/supplements are available for birds in different brands, would you like share any good name with your successful experience? Answer: breedmax is ok, not to much. Q-12. What soft food do you use, any readymade formula from market or you prepare your own soft food mixture? Please also share any home made soft food recipe with our readers for those who can any buy formula. Answer: see above Q-13. Are you satisfied about water quality in your country or do use nay water purifies system such as water cleaning medicines? Also tell us how you schedule fresh water (without any supplements) in your aviary in both breeding and none-breeding seasons because in our area most of the fancier remove water container from cages in winter, so do you?. Answer: water is ok here. I use from time to time in the water for the acidity a drop of apple cider. Any other points you would like to mention which hasn't been covered in topic discussed above? Society & Shows Q-1. For how long have you been involved with a Budgerigar society or club, and what are your roles now in your society? Would you also please tell us what your ring code numbers are? Answer: BGC AND KBOF IN BELGIUM NUMBER KBOF 141391 Q-2. What are the benefits of becoming a member of any bird s society in your opinion? And which part of the hobby do you prefer, showing or breeding? Answer: you lean a lot and I like breeding and showing. Q-3. How many budgerigars societies/clubs are actively working in your country/area at the moment? Answer: 5 Q-4. What is the benefit of having the National show each year? Every fancier who show his birds always want to become a national and World Champion, so what are you plane for it? Answer: I like to show and I like to be on the top, what is not the case.
Q-5. In which shows do you participate normally? And how many birds would you typically show. And it is true that you have never shown a bought bird? Do you also consider age factor before selection of show team. Answer: I show the baby and the great. I put 10-20 birds. A bought bird is not yours, so why showing it? Q-6. Tell us something about your first champion bird, that bird was really the best bird in your stud in your show team? Was it from a winning family or a blood line from another champion breeder? Answer: I had only 2 winners, a df spangle yellow bird and also 4 lutinos in 1 cage. Q-7. Has that bird won before? What is the background of that champion bird? Do you think that bird was a lucky winner? Answer: 2 years and no it was a super bird. Q-8. How many birds would you typically show? What are the criteria about selections of your show team, and at what age you start consideration an individual bird for a member of next show team because I believe every fancier who participate in shows also a judge because he judge his own birds for best selections of show team. Answer:10-20. Q-9. What s your experience says about a good ratio of your winning birds always came through a champion family or a visually low quality pair can also produce a show winner. Answer: always come from the better breeding birds. Q-10. Would you please like to describe briefly that what preparation would your team have and do you use any specific training methods? Note: (for all above question I requested for short answer but here I would like ask for detailed information from training and final preparation to showing your bird.) Answer: training begins as the youngsters are on the perch. You put them at regular base in a showcase and force them to mount the perch. After a time they know what to do. Q-11. What do you do when you return from a show, I mean what you do for the quick recovery of show/traveling stress. And how do make it assure that birds you are taking back from the show are not carrying any disease with them. Answer: as I come at home I put them directly in the aviary. The show is only one day, so no problem. Q-12. How many Challenge Certificates, Variety champion awards and show winner awards do you have till now? Answer: I do not know, 15 GOBLETS and many other things like flags and so on. Q-13. Dose your societies also allow sale/purchase during or after show? And do you also have any experience of buying some good blood line from show or plane for buying from a show participant in future? Answer: yes they do and I buy from they I know. Q-14. How important is wining for any fancier and how should he/she react when get beaten, and what is you personal experience on this topic
Answer: it feels fine to win, but when we are beaten, you must say by yourself, next time better. Q-15.. Have you ever participates in shows as show manager, judge, or any other member of show management team, if yes please shares your experience with us. Answer: yes as a assistant and one rule, do what you must do and shut your mouth, even when you do not agree. Q-16. What views do you hold on this subject that at the moment there are many different Budgerigars standards are in all over the word, don t you think it shouldn t be now centralized I mean isn t possible that every society should follow one standard. For example if every society starts follows WBO or any other international organization. Then will it not give us more advantages and success in this fancy? Answer: an utopy, look at the world at this moment, can you see one world one rule???? I believed in it some time ago, but I see that there are to many differences. One example, the lutino, must the flight feathers be white or like the body, yellow? Q-17. At the end of Society & Shows section if you feel any other related topic still need to discuss, and then please feel free to mention it. Otherwise please tell us Now you if are a champion breeder so what is the next challenge that you are going to plane? Answer: sorry I am only a beginner, due to an illness in my birds. So I only start again this year. Problems & issues Q-1. Infertility is one of the hottest issues for every fancier may at the early stage of his hobby. So what is your opinion on that, I also want you to please explain what common causes of infertility are, and what preventative action can reduce infertility? Q-2. If you found multiple infertile clutches from a pair then how do you diagnose real issues and if one of the partners diagnose infertile then what best treatment you do for this problem. And as per you knowledge and experience the high ratio of infertility appear in hens or cocks? Answer: you must begin with fertile birds and that are not the big one. Infertility is the sickness of the bigger birds. When a breeding pair has fertile eggs, the youngsters also produce fertile eggs. The problem is that the show likes big birds and to obtain that, we have problems after some years. Q-3. Egg binding and another big issue as earlier stage of fancy, what are the ratios of egg binding in your aviary, please also tell our members causes and preventative method of egg binding? Answer: I do not have them, it is a question of having birds that are fertile. When you see no eggs after 20 days, they are not ready and put them in the flight. Q-4. Please tell us some thing about excessive or chronic egg lying (when a hen is not stopping laying egg without mating with cock). Why some hens behave like this? Answer: I think it is a sort of sickness, do not use her. Q-5. Hernia problem (Swelling of vent Area), after a clutch/clutches some hens appears in this condition. Can you guide our reader why some hens faces this problem, please also share your personal experience how to tackle when a hen appear in this condition and how do you treat her?
Answer: do not know, maybe also sort of sickness. As I said before, we must do more natural selection, so we do not have this problems. Q-6. Feather Plucking is also a known problem and some time one the parent bird found plucking feathers of their young s. What is your experience on this? Answer: this is a lack of vitamins, when you use the feeding that I give, you do not have this problem. Q-7. Some time we found an injured bird with broken leg, wings or in bleeding conditions, so what is your experience of treating injured birds? Answer: I think I put it out of his misery. Q-8. What are your opinion on feather duster, is it a problem or a budgerigars variety. I also read some different comment on internet about feather duster for example if any of you pair produces a feather duster its mean very soon you can also get a show winner from this par or feather duster is problem and we should diagnose and cull that bird that is carrying this problem. Please also share you personal experience. Answer: also a question of a short on vitamines and/or to much inbreeding to produce bigger budgies. Sales, Value and pricing Q-1. What criteria do you use for the selection of your surpluses birds, I mean how do you grade your young/adult birds about their quality for planning either you will keep this bird or will be added in sale stock? Answer: I consult my breeding book, take the birds I need and sale the others. Q-2. At what minimum or maximum price do you normally sell one pair? And do allow buyer to select his favorite color or quality from sell stock or you just ask for specification from buyer and then you select as per their choice. Answer: it is the bird that makes the price. For the moment I charge what I can have in the pet store. Q-3. Budgerigar s prices are different from country to country and a fancier to fancier, but if you got a chance to implementation of a price standard what price you will decide for a fancier should expect to pay for a quality budgerigar? Answer: can not answer that. It is the fancier that makes the price. At this moment I do not like what I see. For several fanciers it becomes a living. Q-4. What views do you hold on current much uncontrolled situation of these very high prices of single Budgerigars which start from 300 Euro to 1000 Euro or above? Do you still think Budgerigars fancy is still pure hobby, don t you agree with me that very high commercial factor is now Involved. Answer: Prices like $1000 exist for one bird. Where is the hobby in this. A lot of young men do not want birds anymore because of this. Also to go for a price on the shows, you need this birds or you never get on the top. Q-5. Now days buying a budgerigar from champion breeder (especially Champion fanciers) is equal or more expansive then buying a diamond necklace for you wife, so how we can still say that keeping and breeding Budgerigars is a pure hobby. So in current situation don t you think WBO and other equal organizations should work for
standardizations of price and they should send standard price circulates to every budgerigar s society/clubs for their members? I believe in this way a genuine hobbyist will agree but all commercial breeders will be against of this rule. But we can easily differentiate between a hobbyist and commercial fancier. Answer: you can never make a standard because it is a hobby and not a commercial thing. We can do something if we change the rules like it was 50 years ago, but that of course is impossible. General Q-1. Have you been to visit breeders in other countries? Answer: no Q-2. What is the next challenge that you are going to take in coming years? Answer: the have better birds every year. Q-3. What was the best source of your knowledge about budgerigars and as per you experience what is the best source of knowledge now days? Are there any Budgerigars books that have given you inspiration and you wants to recommend it to others? Answer: the book from a dutch breeder, Beckman Q-4. What do you know about Sex linked, Dominant and Recessive varieties, and what are the benefits of breeding budgerigars after understanding these factors? Answer: any breeder must learn this things, so he knows what a breeding couple produce in color and drawning even when they are still in the eggs. Q-5. what method you use for Identification of fertile or infertile eggs Answer: I have a light like a pencil. Q-6. What are your experience on hand feeding of sick birds and few day old budgerigars baby? Please also tell our reader that what size of crop needle you use for hand feeding of budgerigars chicks. Answer: have no experience on this. Q-7. What is the best breeding period of his age in Budgerigars, and in what minimum and maximum age you start allow or end breeding from you birds. Please tell in both hens and cocks. How do you deal with an older none breeder bird? Answer: best cock 10 months and hens 12 months Q-8. What opinion do you hold on this topic that some diseases from Budgerigars or other birds can transfers to human, what are your personal experience on this very serious and important topic? Answer: I have not. About the disease, budgies are not involved in this. Q-9. Would you please also like share who is your ideal Budgerigars breeder in current budgerigars world, and if you get a chance rating of top 3 budgerigars from all over the world then what name you will chose? Answer: lutolf mannes - Q-10. Where can you see the fancy heading especially with so many fanciers leaving the hobby? Answer: the budgie is to expensive for beginners.
Q-11. What is the best tip that you have ever been given? What is best tip you want to give other with you experience? Answer: when you like to breed any bird, do it as a hobby. The moment that money takes over, leave it. Any other points you would like to mention which hasn't been covered in topics discussed above? First of all I would like to appreciate your patience and no doubt that you continue proves your professionalism and commitment with work, I know that it was very lengthy and time taking process but you completed it with very successfully. Thanks and once again I appreciate it very much you not only prove your self a true fancier who wants to help other in this fancy but also your name and information will be now always part of this new Budgerigars information system. At the end of the interview, Please give a note on your experience being with me during this new 109-Q -Questions by Mobassir s Interview system 2006, how did you like this new interview system. How did you complete whole interview, and how did you quote it for new comers in sense of knowledge and help. I also would like to welcome if you want to say some thing about my self or my work for the promotions of Budgerigars hobby. You re Comments: Like to have don it. My English is poor from time to time, as I speak dutch and I only learned English in school. Thanks for the comments to be a champion what is not the case. I like what I am doing but as I said before, it becomes a question of money and like always this is a bad foundation. Hope in future it becomes like it was before, pleasant to see people and like to do our hobby. Paul belgium