Budgerigar.co.uk has received the following request from Dr Marc A. Noakes. Marc is an experienced geneticist who is researching the yellowfaced factor – and would like your help!

Here is his appeal – please help him if you can.

Dear All,

I am a friend of Ron Hunt (Australian national budgerigar judge) in Sydney, and an honorary member of the Australian Pied Budgerigar Society. I am also a molecular geneticist turned school teacher with a PhD in genetics. I have resumed breding budgerigars and zebra finches after several years absence in America (Washington State University) doing postdoctoral research on multiallelic, immunological and sex genes in salmon and trout.

I grew up in the Macarthur budgerigar club with Ron and have been involved in budgerigar breeding for about 30 years now. I breed birds to satisfy personal and research interests in the conservation of antique mutations and varieties, as well as to help my fellow breeders of budgerigars and zebra finches better understand the mechanisms of inheritance and small population management, including conservation.

The Budgerigar Society of NSW (BSNSW) has approached me to help clarify the present confusion in yellowface inheritance. I understand Peter Bergman’s 5 allele model and I am very familiar with multidomain proteins including heterodimers. However, Peter’s description of that model is incomplete and thus confusing. I am trying to simplify/clarify the model with the aim of making it more accessible to the general enthusiast who has a basic understanding of inheritance. This includes clarifying the relationship between the lemon/cream face mutation and the yellow/golden face mutation.

I am seeking clubs or individuals who are willing to provide information in the form of photographs, descriptions, annotations and breeding results.

If you are able to help, please download and read the “How to Help” PDF document. Then, e-mail me at the address below, or consider joining my Yahoo! group as this will make communication easier. Also, if you know someone (or another club/society) who would be interested in helping out can you please forward this message to them. In return I am happy to provide participants with copies of the survey findings.

I look forward your reply.

Sincerely

Dr Marc A. Noakes
Science Department
John Therry Catholic High School

If you can help, please read the “How To Help” document and contact Marc as follows:

• The Littleborough Coach House
  The Heritage Centre
  Victoria St – Lodge St
  Littleborough
  Lancashire
  OL15 9E

Please note: Due to unforseen curcumstances, the venue has been changed (from the Rochdale Transport Club) to the above.

The judges for this event are Mr & Mrs Terry Jukes. Judging commences at 10.30 hours.

The Five Ways Exhibition takes place annually to further the hobby and encourage even more friendly fellowship in the North West of England.

The Five participating Societies are:

• Clitheroe
• Dewsbury
• Oldham
• Rochdale
• Southport

All of the above rotate as hosts, Rochdale BS being the 2010 Invitation Society.

Why waste a Sunday watching TV? Go and see some quality exhibits and have a great day out and consider entering your team.

Further information:

• Contact Ken Rose: ken.rose2 @ btopenworld.com
• Website: Rochdale & District Budgerigar Society

Whether you were there or not, we are offering the same format and can guarantee that almost all these elements will again be present, at the same superb hotel, in 2010! (We are keeping our fingers crossed that the “full hand” will be completed by the return of an equally enthusiastic sun!).

We have already, of course, given advance notice of this event and its provisional programmed. Sadly, one disappointment, in that sadly Reinhard Molkentin is not well enough to attend and we send our good wishes for his future health.

So what do we still have on offer? All the ingredients recalled from 2006, although offered by different folk – except that Kevin Eatwell returns by popular demand to tell us more that we should know about budgerigar health and welfare – a prime subject. In addition, we have what should be a very entertaining evening with our own “Quiz Inquisitor”, Grant Findlay, hosting an Inter-Society/Group Quiz. Have you organised a team for this?

Whether you decide to take the full package on offer, at what is a very modest tariff for such excellent service and fare, or make alternative arrangements (there are many alternatives on offer at Southport) we hope that you will “Come & Join Us”.

The full programme and further information is available on the BS website:

• 2010 Convention page on BS website

So, thinking cap on and the first step was to consider what changes had occurred in recent times? It came down to a suspicion about the sawdust bedding on the breeding cage floors, which I had been forced to change to following the cessation of business by my previous suppliers.

I changed to “Easibed” which is perfect for stables, but in speaking to fanciers like Trevor Clarkson, Geoff Tuplin and Les Martin, it is alleged that such bedding comes from all sources of woods including old pallets and is certainly not sterilised. Apparently, the Snowflake Easibed packs are cleaner, but I was also concerned that I had seen, when a cage was cleaned out thoroughly and new bedding replaced, that the birds went down immediately and started picking up all sizes of particles. The question was, were any of these being caught in the airways and death was instantaneous? My policy is that if there is any doubt, act and change the situation.

I made a lot of enquiries and finally decided to pass all my stock of Easibed over to my granddaughter, who has horses, and research a safer source. I accept that my suspicions about that particular product have yet to be proved. I can only surmise that ground down pallets may contain all manner of treated and untreated wood chippings – the question is, treated with what? Our Budgerigars are highly sensitive as we all know.

I have been helped considerably by Les Martin, who did so well at the 2009 Budgerigar Society World Championship. He had earlier directed me to “Gold Chips Bedding” sawdust, from a company called Lillico, for nest box use. It is perfect for that purpose and I have used it for about three years. The company provide all manner of samples that can be sent for, but the big advantage is that they supply all their products from clean wood sources, some of which are heat treated to 550 degrees centigrade and supplied, if required, with a batch-numbered certificate of analysis.

Having talked to Trevor, Les and Geoff, I started by contacting Lillico for a heavy based sawdust for the cages so that it would not scatter everywhere. A set of samples were sent and two seemed suitable. However, I spoke again to Les Martin and he said “Gold Chips” was perfect for flights, cages and boxes. It was also pointed out – and this is important – that “Gold Chips” in the boxes can be too deep, so that the eggs cannot be turned by the hens and are consequently addled! So only a thin layer is required. I tend to put a big handful in myself – so I continue to learn.

Geoff Tuplin mentioned another Lillico sawdust product that he uses for the nest boxes. I got a sample sent to me and it looks great – so I am thinking about that and will make a decision after a test run with some pairs that are yet to start breeding. It is called “Gold Flake Bedding Material”.

In conclusion, the last time I was in South Africa (at Reinhard and Holger Molkentin’s home), I noticed they were using a thin layer of silver sand in all boxes. That is also worth thinking about, as young chicks, as they start searching around, will get sand grains down into their gizzards much earlier than usual – which I would guess could be an advantage. Secondly, one could add silver sand in with the “Gold Chip” which would cover both the absorbing factor and sand grain effects together?

Before somebody writes to me, I am well aware that a contradiction to deep sawdust being a problem in a nest box, is that Ray Steele in Yorkshire has really deep boxes, almost full to the top and yet seems to breed well. So it is a matter of choice and a bit of deep thinking. Anyway I am going over to the Lillico products immediately and I will have a happy granddaughter getting a few freebies of “Easibed” for her horses!

• Gold Chips Bedding website:
  • www.goldchipsbedding.com
• Lillico Biotech website (requires registration):
  • www.lillicobiotech.co.uk

The results from this new poll will help Budgerigar.co.uk to publish more of what YOU want – so please make sure your voice is heard – vote now!

Many thanks to all of you who took part in our second poll (Which 3 types of article would you most like to read on Budgerigar.co.uk?). This has now closed. You can view the final results here.

If there is a survey or poll topic that you would like Budgerigar.co.uk to run, please contact us via our feedback form.

Site Usage Statistics

Whenever this site is used, Google Analytics logs the activity. This gives me a wealth of data – some of which I thought I would share with you.

So, here are just a few of the statistics concerning your website since launch (as at 4th March 2010):

• 45,000+ Pages – viewed by site visitors
• 7,400+ Visits – An average of 210 per day!
• 3,000+ Individuals – have visited the site
• 100+ Fanciers – view the site every single day
• 79 Countries – have sent visitors to the site
• 7 Minutes – is the average time spent per visit to the site

Did You Know?

There are some 79 countries / territories we now know of, who are keeping budgerigars, or who are keen to be involved in our hobby. Most we know, but this list of extra countries may surprise you, as indeed it did myself:

To all those fanciers who have visited this international website, may I extend a big WELCOME to you all.

The established hobby will surely help you in all manner of ways in the future!

Many of you are likely to use fluorescent tube lights in your aviary….

Following the European ban of certain types of incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent tube lights have now come under the microscope. Standard T8 Halophosphor fluorescent tubes are being phased out, with production being halted and the importation of them being banned.

With these fluorescent lights being phased out, many people who use them are either unaware of the legislation or unaware of the best and most cost effective method of replacing them.

Below are some FAQ’s with answers to help T8 users avoid confusion and unnecessary expense.

• Why are these fluorescents bulbs being “phased out”?

  In the effort to reduce energy consumption, carbon emissions and to improve the performance and the efficiency of lighting, the European Union have agreed with European lighting manufacturers to cease the production and importation of standard Halophosphor T8 tubes (normal day to day fluorescent tubes).

• How does this affect you?

  As the European stock of these standard type fluorescent bulbs is exhausted, users of T8’s will be required to make a simple change to Triphosphor fluorescent tubes. Triphosphor tubes are a direct replacement for Halophosphor and negate the need to rewire, replace or in any way make modifications to your current light fitting.

• What’s the difference?

  Triphosphor T8 fluorescent is a direct replacement for Halophosphor T8 with no need to adaptor any part of your fitting. Triphosphor tubes are an upgraded version of Halophosphor tubes with longer life and better quality of light, using less energy and reducing carbon emissions.

• Why do they cost more?

  At first glance Halophosphor tubes look far cheaper than Triphosphor tubes, due to their relatively low purchase price. However, the Triphosphor tubes are much longer lasting than standard Halophosphor fluorescents and therefore they can end up costing as little as or even less than the bulbs they are replacing.

• Is there a difference in the quality of light?

  Colour rendering index (CRI) is the percentage of colour that would reflect from the light source to a object then to your eye. Standard Halophosphor tubes are around 50%, Triphosphor tubes are rated around 80% giving you much greater wealth of colour.

The Freakley and Ainley partnership, based in Leicester and Rochdale in England, was formed in 2002 and has enjoyed a highly sucessful record at the Budgerigar Society Club Show, including back to back Best In Show awards in 2007 and 2008.

The DVD, entitled “FA1 -- The Freakley & Ainley Partnership”, is a full colour professionally produced 90 minute film.

Packed with tips from the partnership, the DVD provides a rare insight into champion budgerigar breeders and exhibitors.

Features include:

• Bird room design
• Feeding
• Pairing
• Show preparation
• Interviews with leading fanciers

The DVD also features exclusive footage of the 2009 World Show.

The DVD can be purchased online via the Freakley and Ainley website: www.fa1-stud.co.uk

A preview of the film can be viewed here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhvJi4QNsL4

The VGC says:

The VGC have, for some time now, planned to organise an annual contact day.

One day on which all breeders can subscribe to various topics -- such as innovations and other issues related to our hobby. It is also a day to optimise relationships in an atmosphere of conviviality during lunch or in the café.

Our parent club, the Dutch Budgerigar Society (NGC), held a major budgerigar symposium in October 2008 and in imitation of this great initiative we have now introduced it in Belgium. So our first annual contact day will be a budgerigar symposium.

Full details of the symposium can be found onthe VGC website, here: VGC Budgie Symposium

Applications to attend the symposium close on Sunday, February 21st, 2010.

A View To The Future

One of the many highlights at the symposium, is the premiere of “Jac Cuyten & Co, A View To The Future”.

This is a new film, by leading Dutch film maker Harry van Doorne, of Jac Cuyten, the Dutch champion breeder, author of “All About Feathers” and someone with a great vision of the modern bird.

A preview of the film can be viewed here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI3ISJq58Cs