Aviary Chatter
The Rare Budgerigar Club of W.A. Inc Issue 111 March 2012
The Rare Budgerigar Club of W.A. Inc
Club Patron Mr Bryan Pearce
Executive Committee of Management 2010
PRESIDENT BRYAN PEARCE 9342 8237
VICE PRESIDENT COLIN CHAPMAN 9375 8424
SECRETARY ATTILA KISS 9248 2422
TREASURER ATTILA KISS 9248 2422
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
Show Manager Betty Rea
Assistant Show Manager Colin Chapman
Show Stewards John Green, Colin Chapman
Tony Piercy, Jordan Dunn
Show Secretary Rose Dunn
Assistant Show Secretary Colin Chapman
Lovebirds Colin Chapman
Accessories Officer Wayne Bender
Trophy Officer John Green
Magazine Editor Betty Rea
Assistant Editor Bryan Pearce
Ring Registrar Barry Fletcher
Librarian Wayne Bender
Catering Officer Carole Pearce
& Barbara Howell
Transport Officer Wayne Bender
Many thanks to everyone who volunteered for a position and congratulations.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the AUTHORS only and are not necessarily those of the
committee or members.
ABN 22413194003
2.
MEETS THE 1ST
SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH AT
SENIOR CITIZENS HALL PATRICK COURT
GIRRAWHEEN
OFF GIRRAWHEEN ROAD DOORS OPEN AT 12-45 PM
MEETING COMMENCES AT 1.15 PM
COMMITTEE MEETING
Meetings will be held at the Pearce home. The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on the
Thursday following the monthly Table Show bi-monthly as advised.
All members who hold any sort of position are encouraged to participate and all members are
welcome to attend.
RING ORDERS ALL RING ORDERS ARE TO BE PLACED WITH BARRY FLETCHER. ORDERS WILL NOT
BE ACCEPTED BY ANY OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER
Phone 9377 3003
Payment must be included with your ring order
Closing date a week prior to the 25th
of the month.
UNCODED RINGS AVAILABLE AT EACH MEETING
ALL CORRESPONDENCE
To the Secretary
Mr Attila Kiss PO Box 25, Ballajura, WA 6066
CONTENTS
FRONT COVER ……………………….……………………. PAGE 1.
COMMITTEE POSITIONS…………….……………………. PAGE 2.
CONTENTS & INFORMATION…….……………………… PAGE 3.
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK ………………. ………..……. PAGE 4.
SHOW SCHEDULE 2011 AND NOTICES…….…………... PAGE 5.
NOTICES AND INFORMATION….……………………… PAGE 6.
FINANCIAL REPORT ………………..…………..…..…… PAGE 7.
THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT………………………….…. PAGE 8
THE WORLD SHOW 2012……….………………...…..…… PAGE 9.
CONTINUED ……………………..……..………………..… PAGE 10.
FAREWELL TO THE KIPLINGS …………………..…...… PAGE 11.
TIMES PAST ………………………………………..…….... PAGE 12.
THE STATE SHOW RESULTS …..……………………….. PAGE 13
THE STATE SHOW PICTURES … …….…………............ PAGE 14.
QUESTION AND ANSWER. …..………..……………. …. PAGE 15.
THE WILD BUDGERIGAR ……………………..………... PAGE 16.
MEMBERSHIP LIST FOR 2011 …………………………….. PAGE 17.
BREEDERS’ DIRECTORY…….………………………..…... PAGE 18.
3.
From the Editor’s Desk The AGM was attended by most of our active members and we are grateful to
everyone who accepted nomination for a position - we may be small in number but
our members have shown very willing to take an active part in the club, allowing us
to continue meeting and holding shows.
Congratulations to all office bearers. We welcome Barbara Howell as an official
club member this year. Barbara has already been with us for some time, assisting Carole in the
kitchen, thanks Barbara and Carole for all your hard work.
RBC is in its tenth year. The Annual Show this year will be our tenth. The Club had its first official
outing at Osborne Park Agricultural Show in 2002. Early in 2003 we attended the BIG (Birds Interest
Group) display in Claremont, with a display of birds, and club personnel present to answer questions
from the public. Dr. Phil Clark attended the inaugural show in 2003 giving a talk to members while
the judging was in progress. His topic concerned illnesses that affect our birds, treatment of these
illnesses and prevention of diseases.
MBC have also just had their AGM. Congratulations to Alan, who was returned as president for a
second term, and to all of the new office bearers.
Festivals, Celebrations and Coming Events
March - need to order Green rings for 2013 - Fordates see page 6.
Preselection for the nationals May 20th
at coodanup
MBC Auction june 23rd
Bassendean
Round and About - who’s doing what
SOUTH WEST BUDGERIGAR CLUB (MANDURAH) INC
THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH 11-30 A.M.
EXCEPTIONS FOR 2011 - No Club Shows in: February or May and December will be the 1st Sunday.
COODANUP COMMUNITY CENTRE, WANJEEP ST. COODANUP
Contact Jan 9534 3261
METROPOLITAN BUDGERIGAR CLUB OF W.A. INC FOURTH SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH 11-30 A.M.
BASSENDEAN COMMUNITY HALL, OLD PERTH ROAD
BASSENDEAN
Contact Rita Posthuma 9399 3845
Wise Words from Wilma Do you have chicks in fully enclosed nest boxes gasping for breath in hot and humid weather? If your
boxes have sliding doors, remove door and replace with a wire door cut from 2X 1 cm mesh. The
solid door can be replaced when it is cool enough. Yes, of course other sized mesh can be used!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Editorial deadline If you have material to be included in the magazine, please get it to the
editor as early in the month as possible. The deadline is the 15th
of each month but it may not
be possible to fit in anything received at the last minute until the following month.
4.
PROPOSED SHOW SCHEDULE FOR 2012
Date Event Show type Monthly special
February 5th
A.G.M.
No Show
March 4th
Table Show Graded Clearbody
Greywing
Olive
Mauve
Fallow April 1
st Table Show Graded Lacewing
Clearwing
Violet
Crest
Cinnamonwing May 6
th Table Show Graded Lutino
Dilute
Spangle
Spangle DF
Emphasis on Young birds
June 3rd
Table Show Graded Albino
Black Eyed Self
OpalineASC
Opaline AOSV
Yellowface Blue
July 1st ANNUAL
SHOW
Open Graded
Double points
August 5th
Interclub
Challenge
Graded
September No show
October 7th
BRASEA HOSTED BY
R.B.C.
November 4th Table Show Dominant Pieds
Recessive Pieds
Dark Eyed Clear
Dutch Pied
UBC NOVEMBER 24
th Wanneroo Show Open Graded
Double Points
DECEMBER 1st Osborne Park
show Open Graded
Double Points
December 2nd
Christmas Party NO SHOW
ACCESSORIES TABLE
Please note that only non-perishable items will be held in stock. You may however order
other products through Wayne. This is because there has been a lot of waste in the past
with items passing their use-by date and needing to be sold cheaply or discarded.
Have you had a look at the club’s website yet?
http://www.rarebudgerigarclub.org.au
5.
REVISED SEED PRICES
Buy your seed through the club – a good deal for you and a little bonus for the
club.
20kg Budgie Breeder $42-00
20kg Budgie Mix $30-00
20kg Small Parrot $28-00
20kg White Millet $36-00
20kg Hulled Oats $23-00
20kg Plain Canary $50-00
20kg Canary Mix $32-00
Seed orders taken by Wayne (9447 5107) *** Please have your orders in AT LEAST one week prior to the show
so that seed can be ordered in time for the weekend. ***
RING ORDER CLOSING DATES 2013 RINGS [GREEN]
[1st Order 20th March 2012]; 31st August 2012; 30th November 2012; 28th February 2013 and May 31st May 2013]
RING PRICES FOR 2013 RINGS WILL BE 55c EACH. Please refer to your Club Ring Order Form as some surcharges apply.
RING ORDER CLOSING DATES 2012 RINGS [GOLD]
28th February 2012 and 31st May 2012 [Final]
Please make sure order and payment are with Barry at least a week before these dates.
Happy Birthday
RBC turns ten this year - here is a little Club history:
The founding members were Judy and Kevin Higgins at membership No 1,
Ken Hall No 4, Lionel and Norma Kipling No5 and Graeme & Laurie McDonnell at No 10.
Our longest standing current member is Wilma Bunter member No. 11 with Colin Chapman
at No. 12. The Bitmeads come in at No.16, Betty Rea at 26 and Bryan Pearce at 27. These
are followed by David Kaljuste No 30, John Green No 38, Linda and Malcolm Hinde No 49,
with a big jump to No 86 Margaret Brown and No 99 Barry and Melanie Fletcher.
Wilma Colin
Neil and Laura
Betty Bryan 6.
FINANCIAL REPORT for 2011
Receipts Payments
Membership 717.00 Ink 315.48
Benching 241.50 Stamps 198.00
Show Cages 25.00 Stationery 88.95
Raffle 676.90 Raffle 140.42
Accessories 155.50 Accessories 89.00
Rings 357.00 Rings 254.45
Advertising 50.00 Trophies 1046.20
BRASEA Sale 50.00 Affiliation Fees 300.00
Interest 0.48 Insurance 65.00
Donations 110.00 Website 91.74
GST 604.00 Printing 0.00
Seed 3690.64 Seed 3389.51
Commission 0.00 Hall Hire 960.40
Bond 1400.00 Bond 1400.00
Kitchen 311.95 Kitchen 223.70
BRASEA Raffle 450.00
Interclub Raffle 200.00
TOTAL IN $9,039.97 TOTAL OUT $8,562.85
Surplus 477.12
TOTAL $9,039.97 TOTAL $9,039.97
Bank Balance on 1/1/12 $6,379.43
The Bank Balance Includes:
Provision for BRASEA Show: $450
Provision for Interclub Challenge: $200
INTERNET BANKING There have been several inquiries about Internet banking by members who would like to pay their membership
and purchases via Internet banking. This has been arranged with our bank – Bank West. If you would like to
use this system please remember to inform the treasurer about your deposit so that he can justify the deposit in
the account book and the books will balance.
Account name: The Rare Budgerigar Club of W.A.
BSB: 306 114 ACCOUNT NUMBER 011 673-9 NARRATION: YOUR NAME
7.
The President’s report for the Year 2011 As presented at the AGM February 2012
We have reached the end of another year of our club and the beginning of
another.
This year we’ve had some successful major shows, our Open Show and the
BRASEA. Our members supported these two very well but it was
disappointing that we did not have a great deal of participation from the other
clubs’ members.
We raised a considerable amount of money towards this year’s BRASEA Show,
so perhaps we can make it a bit bigger and better.
The Christmas wind up was enjoyable. There was plenty to eat, followed by the
trophy presentation and from the feedback that I received from the members
everyone seemed to have had a great time.
This year also saw the implementation of some breeders getting together to
breed and improve the Australian Yellowface. Hopefully we will start to see
some improvement over the coming year or so.
Finally I would like to thank all the committee members for their great effort
throughout 2011 and all the members who participated during the year, it
makes for a smooth running club. The club ran so well that most of the time I
wasn’t needed.
Many thanks to you all. The only area we are lacking in is a few more members
at meetings; but on saying that, we still managed to keep good numbers of birds
on the bench, which says a lot for our members.
All the best for 2012
(signed ) Bryan Pearce. r
Goldenface Breeders Group (W.A.) UPDATE: There are now a dozen members of this group with six
having received birds from interstate through the group. This is in an
effort to improve the quality of the W.A. stock. Some members have had
some success in breeding while others have had a bird die or have had
the chicks they produced die.
It’s not too late to apply to join this group if you are interested - ask Betty
for a membership form.
The reason for this venture is to try to ensure that W.A. has some DF Goldenface ready
for the Nationals in 2013.
8.
The World Show 2012
by Ghalib Al-Nasser
There is always an air of excitement when attending the World Show
wherever it is held and those who used to attend the National Exhibition
of Cage & Aviary Birds of yesteryear will understand that excitement. I
have attended a number of World Shows in the past but this year’s show
was with a difference as I was invited to judge.
The World Show is the show of the legislative world organisation
Confederation of Ornithologique Mondiale (COM) which was formed
in 1952. The show is hosted each year in a different country in Europe
and this year’s show was hosted by COM Spain in Almeria situated in
southern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea. This was in fact the 60th COM
show. There are 40 countries affiliated to COM stretching as far as South
Korea in the east to Chile in the west.
Roberto Sabbatini and Ghalib Al-Nasser
COM structure has two executive committees each consisting of seven members; the COM Board of
Directors and the judges’ committee called the Ordre Mondial Des Juges OMJ. Each committee has
its own president, vice president, secretary and members of the board. The affiliated countries are
divided into two groups A & B depending on their size and the number of OMJ judges that they have.
This year’s show had 105 judges invited from 13 countries mainly from Europe but some from
Argentina, Brazil & Colombia.
The two conveyors of the British team, Richard Lumley & Gary Mann, took 30 hours each way for
the journey and did 3,500 miles round trip to attend this event on our behalf; so our sincere thanks go
to them for this tiring and thankless task.
With my fellow Italian judge, Roberto Sabatini, we commenced judging the 327 budgerigars entered
on the Monday morning. However, the show had received an entry of 26,367 from 2971 exhibitors
coming from 17 countries. It is mind boggling indeed. As always, the host country supplied the
biggest team and on this occasion Spain’s team was 11,836 (44.9%) and the Coloured Canaries,
always the largest, with 48% of the total entry. Our COM-UK team was 142 (0.54% of the total entry)
from 29 exhibitors.
Friday to Sunday was spent at the show looking at the wonderful birds and the various mutations that
you normally do not see at our shows. It was a great time meeting the 30 plus fanciers from our
country who attended the event as well as some from Gibraltar, and also making new friendships with
so many judges, fanciers and workers as well as renewing old friendships.
Saturday night was the gala night with over 400 attending and our table consisted of 8 British and our
friend from Israel Avi Rubens. It was again a wonderful evening with the family of nations sitting
together eating some wonderful Spanish food and listing to some lovely Spanish & Italian singers and
flamingo dancers. The finale of that evening was when each country was called to the stage to be
presented with their national flag and singing the national anthem. I only hoped that there were more
of us to get to the stage and I wished that we were as great as our name indicated Great Britain. The
speaker also announced the number of medals each country has won and it was announced that we
had won 5 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. Of course Spain, as to be expected, won 44% of the
total medals awarded.
On behalf of COM-UK and the 29 exhibitors, I would like to record our sincere thanks to Richard
Lumley & Gary Mann for their tremendous work in collecting our team from various points of
delivery at home and making the long journey to the show and back again delivering the birds to the
various exhibitors on Monday & Tuesday. Their work is much appreciated. Our congratulations are
also extended to Geoff Capes, Roger Carr, Bernard Howlett & Louis Spiteri for winning gold medals
and to Roy Aplin who won a silver and two bronze medals as well as John Ward who won a bronze
medal.
Many thanks to Ghalib Al-Nasser for providing this very up to date report from the World Show
which was held at the end of January 2012.
We made an appeal in the schedule for exhibitors to donate birds so that we could sell them at the
show to raise funds for COM-UK and again I would like to thank Richard Lumley, Willy McKay,
Rob Bunting, Chris Smith, Gary Mann and myself for donating birds that were sold and raised some
funds for next year’s show.
My final appeal is for more exhibitors and more birds for next year’s event in Belgium.
Awards won by Roger Car, Geoff Capes and Roy Aplin
New book release Dr Rob Marshall’s Book
The Budgerigar
415 pages, hard cover, with more than 2,000 colour photos and illustrations.
This definitive work provides Budgerigar breeders with detailed information on all
aspects of keeping and exhibiting. The first 7 chapters cover the relationship
of the wild budgerigar with its natural environment. Nutrition required for
breeding success with exhibition budgerigars, genetics and breeding systems
needed to produce show features are covered in the next 9 chapters.
Health and diseases are covered in the final 13 chapters.
$114 plus $16 courier postage for Australia
Overseas delivery Aus$35 - Bulk orders cheaper
ORDERS/CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
Phone: 02 9871 6036 www.birdhealth.com.au
772 Pennant Hills Road, Carlingford. N.S.W. 2118
Dates for 2012
State Selections May 20th 2012
Interclub Challenge August 5th
2012
BRASEA October 7th
10.
Another notice advised members that Mrs Brown was decorating ashtrays with the club design, an ideal gift for Christmas. Cost 80c each.
Club activities mentioned
include not only shows and
meetings but a car rally,
jumble sale and a ladies
tennis morning. A raffle
hamper was also being
organised for Christmas.
Farewell to the Kiplings Lionel and Norma came to the Club for the last time, before the AGM started on February 5
th , in order to
present some history to the club. They had a time capsule that had been buried on the 18
th of February 1979
and raised on the same date in 2004. The envelope bore the Kwinana Apex Club sticker and contained a
magazine dating from 1978, a Festival of Kwinana sash for reserve Champion dating from 1975 and three
photographs from the inaugural Kwinana Festival Show held by the West Coast Budgerigar Club of W.A. in
1975. There was also a chart of the distribution of points for varieties and the “ideal budgerigar” illustration.
These objects will be held in trust by the RBC as they are of historical significance.
The West Coast Budgerigar Club ceased to exist in its own right shortly before RBC came into existence and
many of our original members were West Coast members who no longer had a club. Having read the magazine
that was buried in the time capsule it is very evident that the Kiplings were actively involved with that club, as
they were with RBC in the early days. Norma served at the Show Secretary’s table with Laurie McDonnell for
some years and Lionel was the Treasurer, Vice President, emergency judge, transport officer, Lovebird
co-ordinator and a great spokesperson for the club.
With the passing of time both Lionel and Norma have experienced health problems and have now given up their
Lovebirds, having sold off their budgerigars some years ago. We wish them well as they concentrate on family
and other interests and thank them for all they have contributed to the club.
DONATION The Kiplings have very generously donated their bird books to the RBC
Library. These include both Budgerigar and Lovebird books, so please make use of them. Thank you Lionel and Norma.
11.
White T-Shirts handed to Norma
Kipling at the meetings could
have the club logo (as on the
cover of the magazine) painted
on them for $1-50. $1 for the
club and 50c for paint. Another
of Norma’s many talents!
An article in the “Budgie Review” was a report about
the first magazine having arrived from the Biggest
Bird Club in the world, with 12,000 members world
wide, including one in Australia . The club
comprised many branches with the central committee
in Munich, Germany. Their Library was in five
languages, including Japanese! There were also
details of the points system used, and their awards.
Membership Rates were:
Family.................$6-00
Adult...................$4-50
Junior..................$2-00
Pensioner Family ..$2-50
Pensioner Single.....$2-00
One of the Juniors
mentioned in the
magazine was Lisa
Kipling
Times Past
12.
THE STATE SHOW -COODANUP February 19th 2012
Juveniles Best in Show C & B Gearing
Best Opposite Sex G&D Armstrong
Reserve Best in Show G&D Armstrong
Very Highly Commended N. Wheatley
Highly Commended C & B Gearing
Commended J. Patterson
Best Open C & B Gearing
Reserve Open G&D Armstrong
Best Intermediate C Alder
Reserve Intermediate L. Trumper
Best Novice J. Patterson
Reserve Novice J. Patterson
Young
Best in Show C & B Gearing
Best Opposite Sex C & B Gearing
Reserve Best in Show C & B Gearing
Very Highly Commended C & B Gearing
Highly Commended M. Gearing
Commended A. Jaeschke
Best Open C & B Gearing
Reserve Open C & B Gearing
Best Intermediate C. Alder
Reserve Intermediate R. Minn
Best Novice A Robbins
Reserve Novice A. Robbins
Adults Best in Show J. McMahon
Best Opposite Sex R. Levy
Reserve Best in Show M. Gearing
Very Highly Commended R. Levy
Highly Commended A Jaeschke
Commended M. Gearing
Best Open J. McMahon
Reserve Open M. Gearing
Best Intermediate C. Alder
Reserve Intermediate C & J Huck
Best Novice Daley & McJannett
Reserve Novice J. Patterson
Congratulations to all winners!
13.
THE STATE SHOW -COODANUP February 19th 2012
Winning Juveniles (Gold rings)
Winning Young (Magenta rings)
Winning Adults
The WABC raffle was drawn at the show.
Winners were:
1st Bob Glasheen (left)
2nd
Christine Morgani
3rd
Gary Armstrong
Karen Morgan made and donated the glass lamp (held by Bob)
and Bernie Van Dyk organized a donation of seed from Triangle
as well as painting the show cages. Thanks to all concerned.
Congratulations to all winners and thank you to everyone who
bought /sold tickets and helped to raise funds for the WABC.
2015 looms closer by the minute!
14.
Q & A Section Q . One of my friends says he had a nest with Albinos, Clearbodies and
Lacewings in it - can this be possible?
A. Yes it is, because Clearbody (and we are talking Texas Clearbody
here), Ino and Lacewing are multiple alleles. As these are sex-linked
varieties the hen can only carry one gene for these, the cock will
necessarily be carrying two different ones, that is, he will need to be split.
Below are some tables showing combinations of cock and hen that would allow for three
varieties to be produced in one nest. Sex linkage allows for them to be expressed in this way.
It will not work with a Lacewing hen because the cock would then need to be a
Clearbody/Ino and both of these are dominant to Lacewing. For this reason all cocks would
be either Clearbody or Ino split for Lacewing and all hens would be Clearbody or Ino visuals.
Clearbody cock/Lacewing X Albino hen 25% Clearbody/ Albino cocks
25% Albino/ Lacewing cocks
25% Clearbody hens
25% Lacewing hens
Albino cock/Lacewing X Clearbody hen 25% Clearbody/ Albino cocks
25% Clearbody / Lacewing cocks
25% Albino hens
25% Lacewing hens
Vale Garnett Skuthorpe Garnett was a breeder of renown, specializing in Clearwings and Recessive Pieds. He was a member of the Budgerigar fraternity for many years.
In 1989 he was Treasurer of the West Coast Budgerigar Club, and after Keith Rymell’s resignation in April also of the WABC.
The 1997 Judges Panel included Stan Loynes, Bryan Pearce, Carole Pearce, Irene
Phillips and Garnett Skuthorp as Senior Judges. R.I.P.
Electronic version Aviary Chatter is available in electronic format, emailed at the beginning of each month.
Many members who are on the internet have chosen to have their copy in this format, saving
paper, ink etc. and reducing the amount of paperwork under which we are being buried on a
daily basis. Please let me know if you would prefer to have your copy emailed.
The magazine is exactly as you get on paper except that you get FULL COLOUR because
some of the colour pages are reproduced in black and white for the printed copy.
If you are uncertain, you are welcome to have a trial period, and receive both for a month or
two to see which you prefer.
The Ed.
15.
The Wild Budgerigar
The native Australian bird is known by several names including wild-type budgerigar, bush
budgerigar, parakeet, shell parakeet, undulated grass parakeet, zebra parrot and lovebird.
Surprisingly there are people who do not realize that it is an Australian native bird, mistaking
it for an English bird, possibly due to the recognition given to the English type show bird.
There is a vast difference between the original bird and the showbird of today. Apart from
the obvious size difference the shape of the bird has changed, with emphasis on the large
head and shoulders of the showbird.
So what do we know about the wild type bird? It is endemic to Australia with thousands
living in large groups in the central and northern arid areas. They breed prolifically, a
technique that allows them to survive challenging conditions.
Probably due to the fact that the nest is overcrowded as the birds, near mature chicks often
leave the nest before they can fly and exist on the ground, where they learn to seek out their
own food assisted by the parents. One can only imagine how many are lost to predators
before they even learn to fly!
Budgerigars are nomadic, moving about to seek areas where food is available. They are not
seasonal breeders ( in the sense that some birds are) that breed regularly for example in
spring. They are triggered into breeding when the rains come, as this is an indication that
seeds will germinate and there will soon be an abundance of food.
The bird is a colony breeder, breeding in hollows in trees, laying their eggs on the soft
sawdust like material in the dead wood. The hen will scratch out rubbish to make herself a
place to lay. They do not bring in “nesting material”. If they cannot find any tree hollows
they will find another suitable place, some resorting to digging burrows in the damp earth of
river banks.
The wild budgie is known to breed large clutches of eggs, often laying up to ten eggs to
produce ten live chicks. Unlike some other wild birds they do not lay their entire clutch
before starting to incubate and, like our own birds, often start to sit on the eggs from the time
the first or second egg has been laid.
They eat wild seeding grasses, native vegetation and strip the bark from the plants on which
they perch on. Water is often scarce and they will drink from mud puddles if no other water
is available. Instinctively they will seek antidotes to problems they encounter, for example
gnawing on charcoal to counteract the effect of drinking polluted water. Eucalyptus leaves
act as an anthelmintic (worm treatment!) with long narrow leaves being chosen over broad,
more strongly flavoured leaves.
If conditions are favourable the birds will continue to breed indefinitely with the hen
beginning to lay again as soon as the initial nest of chicks has fledged.
Although the wild budgerigar is light green in colour the chicks have a bluish tinge and do
not achieve their adult colour until they are about a year old.
In captivity they breed successfully if kept in aviaries that mimic natural conditions
and will live compatibly with other small birds as long as they are not overcrowded.
Condensed from Budgerigars in Focus.
Rob Hugo At the time of going to press we await an update on Rob’s condition. Two weeks ago we
were notified that he was in hospital and not expected to last until the end of the week.
Somehow he has managed to hang on to life, our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
16.
MEMBERSHIP LIST FOR 2012
NAME RING CODE Wayne Bender WB
Neil and Laura Bitmead ACE
Margaret Brown
Wilma Bunter 1BW
Anne-Marie Calder-Anick
Colin Chapman KC1
George Clarke GC
Rose and Jordan Dunn
Andy and Wendy Fenn
Barry and Melanie Fletcher BGF
Christine Gardiner
Janet Gardiner
Cec. and Brenda Gearing C&B
Michael Gearing MG
John Green JAG AG
Malcolm and Linda Hinde HQ
Gina House G&G
Sharon House
Rob Hugo HR
Mary Iveson
David Kaljuste DK
Attila Kiss AK
William MacAulay
Jan McMahon MC/DPS
Bryan Pearce BP
Carole Pearce
Anthony Piercy
Betty Rea BMR
Don’t throw out your used postage stamps! BRASEA is just part of
a group collecting these and handing them on to be sold for
fundraising that benefits many worthy causes. Donations may be
passed on to Betty Rea, the Gearings or Rob Hugo or posted to
Warren at BRASEA, P.O. Box 141 Croydon N.S.W. 2132.
For more information on rare varieties see the website www.rarebudgerigars.co.uk
Budgie Tales - Strange but True
A breeder noticed that one of the breeding cocks was absolutely obsessed with wrecking the
newspaper on the floor of his breeding cabinet. Often hens do this as a preliminary to nest making
and starting to lay. Having chided the bird and telling him that he should be concentrating on his
mate and chicks the breeder observed that the bird was actually pecking along the edges of the writing
on the newspaper, in effect cutting out some of the words in a colourful advertisement.
After replacing the newspaper with plain butcher’s paper the bird completely ignored the paper and
devoted himself to caring for his family.
17.
BRASEA Coming Auctions
Over 350 quality Budgerigars each auction Next Auction
MARCH 25th 2012 Inspections 8 a.m. Auction commences 9 a.m.
YMCA Hall 184 The River Road, REVESBY
For more details [email protected] phone 02 9747 6642
BUDGERIGARS
BEST FRIEND OR NATIONAL CHAMPION
The book contains sections on: Budgerigar Care and Management
The Pet Budgerigar Genetics
The Rare Varieties and Breeding them
Available from Betty Rea for $50 plus p&h if applicable
BRASEA and
THE RARE BUDGERIGAR CLUB OF W.A.
Working together to promote the RARES
18.