I have, for many years now, been exporting birds to Japan. Principally these have been to Mr Ozeki, and, despite never having met Mr Ozeki in person, I have developed what could be described as a long distance friendship with him and his wife, Eiko.

As always, I select birds to match the budget figure stated by the buyer. They trust me to choose the best available birds for the amount involved, whatever that may be. This approach has always served both me and my customers well.

Care Has To Be Taken

Step by step, Tatsuhiro Ozeki has bred some beautiful birds and his photography of his stock speaks for itself.

He is now, like all breeders, wanting birds with the “buffalo effect”, but that can, as I have seen in a few cases, ruin the appearance of our birds unless carefully watched.

Make no mistake. We want to widen the feather across the face, but I have seen an example where it has been taken to extremes and the beauty of the budgerigar has gone and appeared ugly.

I cannot imagine a skilful breeder like Mr Ozeki doing this at all, but he has great experience behind him. It is the fellow with little experience that has to be watched.

The Japanese Scene

There are four societies in Japan comprising two hundred breeders and Ozeki himself began breeding budgerigars in 1972.

Each show has around 300 birds benched and many of the birds go back to the days when the late Harry Bryan exported to that country.

It is alleged that a lot of inbreeding has taken place by pairing Harry Bryan blood inwardly for years and years, so consequently the quality has dropped without careful use of outcrosses being dropped in periodically.

Not so Ozeki, but I personally believe after buying solely from myself (not the crests) for many years, that he needs related new blood that has outcross blood within it. I know he realises this.

The Eiko and Tatsuhiro Careers

Tatsuhiro Ozeki worked in the textile industry for more than 44 years, before, at the grand age of 60, starting his own business! This was also with textiles, printing and selling what the Japanese call “Art Water-Moss”.

Tatsuhiro also works in the Aichi Prefecture and Tsuchiya Corporation research and development centre (www.tsuchiya-group.co.jp).

His wife, Eiko is a highly skilled lady who teaches the astounding practice of creating Japanese dolls with a standard of workmanship that has to be seen to be believed. Exquisite, would be the word I would use and my wife and I have three of them here at Virginia Water which we treasure. Her skills also extend to creative “Water Moss Exhibits”, again her skills are very evident.

The Birds and The Aviary

The bird photographs speak for themselves (see below).

The aviary is a state of the art establishment and has 32 breeding cages breeding some 150 birds per annum. There are 14 stock cages and 2 flights.

On the feeding side, Ozeki gives 12 forms of grain sources plus cod liver oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, a mineral source, salt, seaweed, and soluble multivitamin.

In all he has a running total of some 300 birds at any one time and, the normal varieties apart, he is the number one breeder of crests throughout Japan.

He is a judge of course but has not yet had the pleasure of being invited to judge outside of his country. Big National Societies – please note!

The favourite colours are spangles and the dark factors (especially the violets), but all his colours possess quality across the board.

Add in “buffalo effect” and it is very possible Ozeki could be one of the world’s best and most skilful breeders ever! Time will tell.

Here is a small selection of Tatsuhiro’s birds.

Second Birdroom Fails To Perform

The story was highly significant as the reader will quickly understand. It concerned a completely baffled fancier who had built a second birdroom alongside his highly successful existing structure.

The earlier birdroom had 16 cages and was breeding winners which were in high demand – hence the need to expand. The breeder decided to duplicate matters. The new structure also faced in the same direction. Some birds, upon completion of aviary number two, were transferred to the new room with a great deal of optimism.

After a few weeks it became obvious that breeding was poor and the question was “Why?”. The old birdroom was breeding at the same time and producing good numbers of chicks as usual. In the new room, infertility abounded and what chicks there were, were not being fed properly. Dead tiny chicks appeared regularly.

Possible Solutions

The situation was baffling. Heaps of thought went into determining the cause of the problem. Feeding was identical as were the night lights, heating and so on. There was also plenty of budgerigar noise so attention turned to the fitness of the stock in both birdrooms, but could a virus be affecting matters? Thoughts turned to a discussion with an Avian Veterinary Surgeon.

The vet pointed out that a new room would possess a colony of bacteria and viruses that would build up naturally after the “new” stock was transferred. However, it was feasible that a group of “bugs” had intervened and it was this factor that was the underlying cause of infertility and hatchability.

“Perhaps the aviary needs fumigating?”, was his suggestion.

It was at this point that I was approached. Our intrepid fancier called me. He went through the whole matter in great depth, with me, as I always do, making notes throughout.

He was thinking in terms of using a sulphur fumigation process, but I know this turns everything in sight a dirty yellow, as well as killing off most bacteria and fungi. (You cannot kill a virus!!)

I knew also, from experience, that because you are so committed to your problem, there will be blind spots that you miss, so you need to come at the problem from a different angle.

I rang down and thought about it for a few days. Everything was duplicated and I could not work it out which annoyed me.

We Saw The Light!

I rang him back.

We went through it all again, with me looking for a new clue in his chat with me. I then asked about his night lighting. His answer was fine – it wasn’t the night lighting.

Then he said, “the new birdroom main lights are on from 07.45 hours until 22.00 hours, non stop”. Suddenly I saw it. “Why are they on so long?” I asked. “Oh, it’s because the new room is in a darker area under some trees” was the reply. “And the old aviary lighting hours, what are they?”, I asked. “They are different because that aviary is unaffected by trees, so the lights come on at at 07.45 hours, off again at 10.30 hours until 16.00 hours, when they come on again until 22.00 hours and off for the night.”

There was his problem. His birds in the new birdroom were not getting any rest at all in daylight hours. They were hyperactive, but this did not mean that they were sufficiently rested to effect good breeding results.

All breeders of experience know that approaching midday, any aviary in standard timed lighting conditions as this breeder’s old aviary was timed, have a good two to four hours rest.

The aviary goes quiet for this period. Then once rested and the 16.00 hours lighting returns, the birds are active again. The hens come out of the boxes and excrete and are mated immediately.

Lessons Learned

There was the problem and in about 8 weeks both aviaries were churning out chicks as a result of this fancier’s good husbandry which was only spoilt by a small error.

Both of us had learned something in the process. It just illustrates how something small and innocent affects good breeding results.

Obviously I cannot guarantee this applies to sunnier climates – compared to those that we have in the UK, but the fact that birds have a requirement for rest periods should not be lost.