• You are a young school person who has little money, but your parents are fully supportive in all that you do.
• You are in full employment with a family, but need a sound hobby to relieve the pressures of the workplace – something different in fact.
• You are in full employment, but can see that retirement approaches or redundancy might loom at any stage.
• You have just retired and want a hobby that both you and your partner could enjoy together.

What is the first stage?

Firstly, the advice so that you do not waste hard earned money from whatever source.

This is to not do anything in the way of erecting a birdroom or buying budgerigars in the first year – you have much to learn and you learn from two sound, must have, up-to-date books and you have a lot of visits to make to aviaries owned by very well experienced fanciers.

This website advertises many breeders and the links, appropriate to your country, will open such doors to gain massive quantities of ideas and designs for your aviary that suit the birds first and then you – in that order!

The essential books are published on this website.

Stage #2

In most countries, but not all, there are National Societies – plus what are termed State or Area Societies and then the Local Societies near to you.

Your contacts with other breeders will have opened such doors. My advice is that you join the National Society immediately.

In addition to paper magazines that are supplied as part of your annual subscription, it is through these major societies that you get your budgerigar rings – which are called closed rings. These have your personal code number inscribed on each ring for the rest of the time you are in the hobby.

Stage #3

You are now a member!

In addition to the books mentioned, you may find there is a National Mixed Variety Publication – contact your paper shop as they will have details. A few mixed variety magazines are superb covering Budgerigars, Parrots, Foreign Finches and Canaries.

One such is the Australian publication “Australian Birdkeeper Magazine”. High quality, beautiful photography and whichever variety is your preference, there is something to learn within the pages on the other species.

As you gain experience, ask questions all the time. Many beginners feel they are being silly at a meeting of their chosen club, asking basic questions. Do not hold back – nobody minds especially any lecturers who feed off such questions and thrive on them.

Also never put anybody, who you might think is a top champion, on a pedestal. We are all in the same hobby, all involved and our doors are open to beginners and champions at all times. Just call up out of courtesy and make a time to visit and above all – enjoy the experience.

Stage #4

By the end of your first apprentice year, you will be bursting to erect an aviary and get going – but the wait will have been worth it, believe me.

Remember, it is no use spending on basic sheds unless you anticipate you will have to move home at some stage. Even then it is better to make a sectional birdroom that can be moved. Next, remember, however big you decide you will have your aviary, eventually you will want a bigger one. So allow for expansion.

We now come to Local Authority permission to build! However, before you do that, I strongly advise you to approach all your neighbours that border your property and ask their permission, or their approval, to erect your aviary. Ninety nine percent will give that if you explain clearly what the design is and that you are not putting up a chicken run affair. Once they have been approached and know what you are doing and have said “Go ahead”, they are then happy and thereafter will have great difficulty if they have a complaint. Noise can be controlled by a design that does not necessitate outside flights, but in hot countries this may be desirable.

You now approach the “Local Authority”. Be aware that staff in such organisations are not always sure of their own rules and will insist that you have to have Planning Permission and conform to Building Regulations. This author found out the hard way on one occasion.

What you need to realise is that if your aviary is not attached to your property you (probably) do not need Planning Permission, as it is “external to the uses of the dwelling house on freehold property”. Local Authority property is another matter.

You do however have to conform to the Building Regulations which are an easy matter to deal with. At your Local Authority Offices ask for sight of the document applicable to a structure for a hobby (in the UK it is called “The Town and Country Planning Act”). They will oblige with copies of that information for you to study and give you forms to complete. If you have a problem, go to another Local Authority and ask them for help – on the understanding that you are moving into the area they are responsible for. Then armed, go back to your Local Authority and submit what you now know beyond doubt. Obviously such rules will vary from country to country – but the basic principles apply.

Stage #5

With full approval and design decided, you can start building.

There are basic pitfalls – such as having too much light with oversize windows, so that in hot weather the birds suffer and do not breed well.

Aviaries should be about ten feet / three metres wide, minimum, all through. This allows for external nest boxes and seed store benches and yet allows space for you and visitors to be comfortable.

Make sure your aviary is on a very sound concrete base with a solid foundation underneath. Are you having water laid on as well as electricity? It is cheaper in the long run to do this at the start.

Consider skylights above the internal flight areas, but not in the breeding area as other indigenous birds can cause disturbance at the wrong times, plus budgerigars like to breed in shade.

If you can afford it, double glazing is also greatly beneficial and avoids the dreaded painting and rot replacement as with wooden frames. You might trace some second hand double glazing to save money. It is certianly worth the effort.

Stage #6

Fitting out is a pleasure. Keep your eyes open for anybody stopping their hobby, if money is tight. Their cages may suit you and you can get them at a low price. If cost is not a problem, this website has a list of reliable suppliers and these should be approached first.

Your initial early visits to aviaries will have told you what you require. Once complete and you have obtained all the seed and foodstuffs that you require, not forgetting a heated platform and antibiotics for the odd sick bird – you are ready to start buying your birds.

Just one last word. When buying what will be your Foundation Group to build your stud, use your eye for quality to the full that you have learned along the way. There are all sorts of great people in the hobby who treat you fairly but there are a few “rogues” (as there are in all walks of life) who will sell you poor or problem birds that have little or no use.

The test for any fancier is to travel, say, 250 miles or more and have the courage to walk away and go back home if they have any doubts at all. Then you are a true fancier. Treat everyone, in time, who comes to you when you are a champion, totally fairly and then you will have great credibility and respect from everyone.

Enjoy your new found hobby and remember your friends are more important than the birds – not the other way round!

He is arguably the finest and most experienced veterinary surgeon in the world currently highly active in the field of avian diseases.

An Australian, he has his own small veterinary practice in Carlingford, Australia. His knowledge, supported by his extensive Curriculum Vitae, plus papers and books on avian health, is unequalled.

His latest publication “The Budgerigar” was published in 2009 and took 12 years to produce. There has never been a more extensive volume to help our birds survive when ill. It is a perfect volume to have to hand. (For further details see “The Budgerigar”)

As part of his relationship with this website, Dr Marshall has provided an emergency first aid treatment process, so that any fancier can perform a step-by-step diagnosis of any sick bird, to see exactly the right course to follow and drug(s) to give.

Any prescription drugs that are required have to be obtained from your local veterinarian but can be supported by information that will be on this site for any fancier to download.

Full details will appear on this website (see “Health“).

Dr Rob’s Products

Dr Marshall has also arranged for supplies of the relevant approved drugs to be available.

His book and drugs may be obtained as follows:

• For UK & Europe customers:
   
  • Order from Riversway Aviculture: www.riverswayonline.co.uk

 

• For Australia & Asia customers:
   
  • Order from Bird Health: www.birdhealth.com.au

 

• For The Rest of the World:
   
  • Order from Lady Gouldian: www.ladygouldianfinch.com OR www.ladygouldian.com

Streptococcus Faecalis

Fanciers will have seen a bird(s) with the nostrils within the cere exuding a fluid. This is often associated with darkened feathers immediately above the cere. The fluid can also possess a foul smell. At the same time, the nostrils can be seen to be closing as the fluid slowly hardens around the nasal apertures.

These symptoms are classic signs of a streptococcus infection, specifically streptococcus faecalis. It is a natural inhabitant of the gut which keeps the inborn bacteria that a budgerigar possesses at a level to prevent intestinal disease. Bring in stress however and the balance is upset. Travelling can cause it, especially birds being transported between European and UK breeders over long distances.

Also, birds with megabacteria can be linked with streptococcus infection.

Ideally, such birds should receive a 7 day long course of Amoxicillin Trihydrate. This will clear the infection in association with nutritional suplements, but in the case of birds with other underlying problems may not be effective. A swab taken via your veterinary practice will confirm, or otherwise, if this is the problem.

The above is an extracted precis from Dr Robert Marshall’s superb 2009 publication “The Budgerigar”. The book comes in hardback, contains some 415 pages and over 2000 colour photographs and charts.

Gerald Binks says of the book:

Taking 12 years to produce, there has never been a more extensive volume to help our birds survive when ill. It is a perfect volume to have to hand.

To order your copy, please use the links on the Dr Robert Marshall page.