BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY of NEW SOUTH
WALES Inc.
Today’s domesticated and
exhibition Budgerigars (Melopsittacas Undulatus), possibly the most popular bird kept throughout
the world today,
originated in the wild in the
green form as a native of
Grass Parakeet, Scollop Parrot, all of which have given way to the original
native name “budgerigar” although the spelling and pronunciation has
included but not confined to
Budgerygah
and Boodgereegar. It appears that these native
aboriginal names were derived from the name meaning “good food”.
The native Budgerigars are
widespread throughout the interior of mainland
with timber and
scrubland.
Before buying your first Budgerigar, or start
building an aviary, you are well advised to take a little time reading up on the
subject and asking advise from experienced birdkeepers.
The best way to learn about
Budgerigars is to join a local club and make contact with other fanciers who
are usually only too pleased to show you around their own aviary to look at
their methods.
This enjoyable and fascinating hobby brings
many fanciers together, forming many friendships throughout the country with
one thing in common, the love of Budgerigars.
Choosing a pet cage
Pet budgerigars are
easy to keep and, as long as you follow a few basic rules, their cheerful
nature, eagerness to please and the ability to talk make them the ideal
companion for all ages.
They are also inexpensive
to purchase, feed and house.
Select for your Budgerigar the biggest
cage you can afford, or have space for. Your bird must have room to stretch its
wings, fly from perch to perch, climb or play. The cage should have
several good perches of different thickness
to allow your bird to exercise its feet.
Place the cage at about shoulder height in a cool, ventilated
environment where there is plenty of light,
but away from draughts and direct
sunlight.
Choosing a bird
It is important to choose a healthy
Budgerigar whenever you purchase a bird. You should look for a registered
breeder or a good pet shop when acquiring your Budgerigar. The Budgerigar
Society
can also tell you
about breeders in your area from whom you may be able to purchase your bird,
and are willing to give help and advice. Prices will vary depending on variety
and quality and
availability. Newcomers to the fancy are usually
eager to obtain birds. It may take time to develop an “eye” for a good bird so
in the beginning it would be wise to take the advice from an experienced
breeder you can trust. Usually it is wise to give
preference to young birds over older birds when making your first purchase (1
to 2 years old).
To manage your birds effectively you should
already have your aviary prepared.
A good diet
In their
natural environment Budgerigars feed on a variety of seeding grasses as well as
the leaves of plants when available. It is for this reason the birds need a
balanced seed mix of canary and millets.
Many
suitable mixtures are available from your pet shop or produce merchant. Only buy seed that is free of dust and does
not have a musty smell.
A regular supply of fresh green
leafy vegetable, fruit or seeding grasses will certainly benefit most birds, however any old or stale food should be removed.
Clean water should always be available.
Your birds
will also benefit from a supply of good grit, which is required to digest their
food and a source of calcium. Cuttlefish is also a good source of calcium,
which is needed to replace
growing
lost feathers and bones. An iodine block is also a good source of calcium and
helps keep the birds beak trim.
Your bird’s health
A healthy Budgerigar is bright-eyed, alert and
smooth feathered. You should get to know your bird’s normal appearance. If the bird
is unusually still, the feathers are fluffed or the bird is huddled
up in the corner, seek advice. Check the droppings, they should be solid in appearance, not
watery. At the first sign of sickness
seek expert advice.
Colony breeding
An aviary containing Budgerigars provides an
attractive focal point for any garden, large or small and the requirements are
few. A flight with a waterproof, and more importantly a draught proof
shelter where the birds can go in inclement
weather are all that are needed. An aviary 1.8m x 1.8m x 1m will generally
house approximately 30 Budgerigars.
Open flights should face away from the
prevailing winds and where possible face north.
In designing your aviary, first you should
consider how many birds you are intending to house. Initially an aviary with
one or two flights and a small breeding room may be sufficient for your needs.
This
aviary should be designed with the facility to extend, should you decide at a
later date to house additional birds.
Aviary size is up to individual choice and your
situation, but plan for the future, it is easier to build a structure that is
adaptable to growth, than to have to add on now and again due to overcrowding
in your flights, with more birds than what your
original intentions were.
When using new galvanized wire on any type of
birdcage, make sure you wash it down with a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 10
parts water. This will kill off the zinc accumulated in the galvanizing
process, and alleviate any problem of zinc
poisoning.
Treated pine should not be used in the aviary
construction as the chemicals used will be deadly should the birds chew into
this product, as they certainly will, if given the opportunity.
The size of perches in an aviary is of the
utmost importance. Varying sizes will be an advantage to your birds, as they
will exercise their feet as they land on different sizes. Try to emulate
natural
branches as often as possible.
The basic requirements are to avoid
overcrowding, having equal numbers of cocks and hens and introduce nest boxes
when spring arrives.
To avoid squabbling among hens it is best to
put up additional nest boxes to the number of breeding pairs. Hens often prefer
the highest nest box, so problems can be avoided by fixing all of
them at the same height, near the roof of the
shelter.
Let
nature take its course, and remember expert advice will not be far away.
Control breeding
The difference here is that the breeder chooses
the pairings and that cages are used so that there is certainty about the
parentage of chicks. You need only limited facilities, a small area
containing a few cages.
A breeding cage for a pair needs to be at least
60cm long x 45cm high x 40cm deep. Larger cages give chicks more room when they
leave the nest box. Budgerigar breeders are fortunate
because their birds are very easy to please
about the boxes in which they will breed.
Nest boxes may be positioned either inside or
outside of the cage and are usually made of plywood although other materials
have been successfully used over the tears. The minimum size
would be 20cm x 12cm x 12cm with a 5cm entrance
hole.
Nesting material such as wood shavings (not
treated pine) or rice hulls should be provided.
An average clutch is 5-6 eggs and
are laid on
alternate days, taking 18 days for each egg to hatch, so chicks in the average
nest will be hatching for up to two weeks, leaving the nest at
about five weeks of age. Some hens will not start to
sit until she has laid the 2nd or 3rd egg.
Chicks are usually rung with a closed aluminium
ring available to members of the Society at around 5-10 days old. These rings
will carry the year and an individual number for every
Budgerigar you breed.
Control, or selective breeding is used to
produce either chosen colours or to improve upon show points of exhibition
birds. It is why the exhibition Budgerigars of today is so different
to their cousins in the wild.
Attempts to control colour can sometimes be
surprising, as the colour make-up of Budgerigars involve hidden factors that can
come out in the chicks. It is not unusual to breed Blue
chicks from Green parents and it is even
possible to produce Albinos from two Green birds.
The Ideal Budgerigar
The ultimate aim of most controlled breeding is
to produce a Budgerigar that approaches the “Ideal” as laid down by the
Australian National Budgerigar Council in its “Standard”. The
measure of how well breeders achieve this objective can
be measured at shows – another fascinating aspect of Budgerigar keeping.
Exhibiting
The main reason for benching birds at shows is
to let breeders compete with each other. However, there is much more to
Budgerigar shows than that. They provide a meeting place for
enthusiasts. Some will be on the lookout for
new stock, while others look forward to seeing old or new friends who they may
meet as little as once a year.
Showing is structured so that newcomers compete
with other relatively inexperienced breeders, while still giving them a chance
to beat the ‘big boys’. There are three status levels:
novice, intermediate and open. Progress
through the levels is governed by success.
Branch Membership
The enjoyment of the Budgerigar is at its best
with people who have similar interests. The Budgerigar Society of New South
Wales Inc. has registered Branches and associated societies
located around metropolitan
Become a member and be part of this enjoyable
experience.
See which Branch of the
Society is closest to you and you will be most welcome to attend one of their monthly
meetings (see details under Branches page).
Branches
of the Society are based in the following geographical areas: (see under
“Branches” for contact details).
Shoalhaven, St.George
(