Apart from the unexplained and instinctive attraction we feel for their brilliant colours and delightfully biddable ways, there are probably as many different contributory factors that motivate the hobbyist as there are hobbyists.

For some, getting the knowledge is almost the next logical step after learning first to walk, then to talk.

Others take their greatest satisfaction from the sense of community they get from local groups, almost like the camaraderie shared on the terraces by lads in matching scarves.

Observing the outcomes of selective breeding is what might motivate others, while seeing the hardware stack up after the wins at major shows may be the driving force in some cases.

An Accidental Fancier

For me, what became a lifelong fascination and source of great pleasure began almost accidentally.

More than fifty years ago as an animal-lover with what was left of his first meagre pay-package burning another hole in his holey trousers pocket, I was desperate to own a pet.

There would have been no question of being allowed to keep anything that took up house room, and it was love at first sight when I came upon the pair of red eared waxbills in a local pet shop.

But despite what the songs say, love is not always enough. Ignorant and unable to find any resource that would inform me on their needs, I learned the hard way that some things are not hardy enough to withstand the Cumbrian climate and a well-intentioned amateur touch.

After a decent period, I decided to do things a little differently and my next venture began from a different starting place.

New Found Knowledge

The local library, a conveniently free source of knowledge, had a tiny section that included information on budgerigars, and I read every word.

If I had learned my subjects as keenly at school I could have been the Chief Executive of a blue chip company by the time I was twenty one!

As it was, I was supplementing my income by doing a paper round for the local newsagent, upon whose shelves I came upon a publication called “Cage Birds”, which became my mentor’s voice.

Equipped with my new knowledge and a cobbled-together shed, my life as a breeder and exhibitor of budgerigars began. And the learning process is a life’s work. Like many, I had neither benefit of an experienced mentor nor virtually unlimited resources to encourage and enable me to breed world class birds.

Having started from that place, I have a particular passion to develop support networks that will enable this season’s pet owner to become next year’s top-class breeder.

Identifying Good Information

Information has never been more widely available and the Internet is an extremely important source.

It does not need to be said, however, that identifying reliable, informed advice and opinion is a skill by itself.

There is good stuff out there, based on learning, experience and quantifiable evidence and there is less trustworthy stuff that ranges from the purely anecdotal to the downright bad.

Of course, we have to guard against reading opinion as fact, for those two things can be very different.

Potentially, the various on-line forums are capable of being a valuable source of information and support, because they enable us to “meet” and share information with breeders from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.

One example is “Budgerigars.co.uk” – with a history that dates back to April 1999, this well-established site is the source of a vast amount of information and its interactive forum, established in July 2006, currently gets over 60,000 visitors per month from over 100 different countries. The budgerigar breeder community is now truly global.

Changing Times

We have seen massive changes in the hobby as it evolved and adapted to enable survival in the 21st century.

Yet despite the eugenics and bird-room technologies, and the high-end competitiveness that has attracted interest from businessmen and entrepreneurs (who would seek to make a profit or even a livelihood out of the hobby), budgerigars are still budgerigars – and for most breeders the interest, the joys, the rewards are the birds themselves.

Some things have never changed. The fact that we all start somewhere is self-evident but for a young person with his pocket-money budgies, the world of the top breeders and the world-class show can look a pretty daunting place.

It is also self-evident that without new blood the hobby will eventually die out and that, in my opinion, would be very sad.

Keeping the Hobby Alive

How do we attract new people into the hobby? How do we support their start up? How do we encourage beginners to stick at it and enjoy what they do? How do we encourage and enable them to move, if that is their ambition, from pet-owner to champion breeder?

Promoting the hobby is not something that necessarily requires a degree in marketing techniques.

Promotion begins with word-of-mouth communication – come on, you must remember it? Old fashioned talking about it!

Either as an individual to your mates and neighbours, or in association with your local club, you can help spread the word, generate interest and share your enthusiasm by taking presentations to community forums who are always looking for guest speakers; examples might include schools and colleges, elderly care residences, women’s, church or hobby groups. (Don’t be offended if they ask you to provide your personal details as we all have a duty to protect the vulnerable in our society.)

Talk to the local press. Let them know when your meetings are and invite them to your shows. They may ask for features to provide a background, which provide extra publicity.

Have an open day. Run a free course at the local college – it could be just a one-off couple of hours, or something that can be developed to run over a few weeks.

See if you can have a stand at any local events and arrange to staff it with your most approachable members.

Arrange visits to clubs outside your area and invite them back to yours.

Most importantly, make sure that any new faces are made to feel properly welcome.

There are lots of ways of spreading the word. Ask your club colleagues for their ideas. Of course, if you do happen to have a degree in marketing, it couldn’t hurt!

Breeders Benefit

There is an important spin-off here for existing breeders, by the way, and that has to do with how we generate and maintain a market for our surplus birds, which may not be good enough to exhibit but may be the accessible, affordable starting point for new owners.

Similarly, you can forge links with local pet shops and veterinary surgeries that may hold a list of local breeders, both of which can point potential buyers in your direction.

Supplying birds and equipment to new starters either at low or no cost is a win / win situation, as you increase the size of your network and the beginner does not have to invest his life savings in something that he may find is not for him after all.

Mentoring

At the General Council Budgerigar Society meeting in February 2011, the Budgerigar Society approved a proposal I had submitted for an idea that would establish a list of those members who would be interested in becoming mentors to support beginners.

The list would be made available through the Budgerigar Society web site.

Mentoring can include aspects of guidance, help, advice and teaching, dependent upon the resources of the mentor and the needs of the mentee. It might be one-to-one in person or based on friendly chats over the phone or internet.

For the beginner the mentoring system is a genuine opportunity to feel supported and a part of something.

For the mentor there is the chance to share your knowledge and experience and to know that you are genuinely helping.

Any BS member who is interested can contact the society secretary including your details.

As a member, you can encourage all Area Societies to adopt the mentoring scheme by following the example set by The Northern Budgerigar Society, who brought the proposal to its members and agreed to take it up through the democratic voting system at their meeting.

If the idea were taken up by the World Budgerigar Organisation, people elsewhere in the world could access accurate information that had not become distorted through translation.

Spread the Word

If you care about the future of the hobby, you have a part to play in securing it; as an individual, at local club level and through the Budgerigar Society.

Share your ideas instead of jealously guarding your acquired wisdom.

If you are one of the lucky ones who is time and resource-rich, think back to your first days and have some compassion for the tentative first steps of the new starter, as one disparaging remark can cause his/her interest to be stillborn.

Spread the word – on the street, on the forums and on the social networks.

Below are a few of Barrie’s birds – click on an image to enlarge it.

This is to catch them on the rise when they should be paired and when there is still good natural light to induce getting them started. So European rings are now issued on 1st October each year – the third time this has changed!

As the very experienced fanciers know, weather patterns have changed and it is the responsibility of all societies to take notice and act accordingly to help their members breed as many birds as possible.

Furthermore, they will sell more rings in the process. Two consecutive bad seasons and you are virtually “dead” in the hobby apart from highly being dis-sprited and so many leave the hobby for other interests as a result.

Those countries (in the Northern Hemisphere) that persist in retaining a ring issue date of 1st January, need seriously to re-visit and act accordingly. It is their responsibility to help their members and encourage every one of them to breed plenty of birds. The old excuse that “the breeder can breed any time he wants” does not apply, as most will pair just prior to the ring date involved in the dark days of winter when it is so hard to get the birds started.

Information supplied by Dieter Keller, Germany, Editor, “Wellensittich Magazine”

Note: A reminder – if needed. There was always the big October moult in years gone by. For the past 15-20 years, at least, that does not occur. Proof enough that our budgerigar world has changed where breeding is concerned.

Hence, there is now a section entitled “Photo Galleries” on the site, where all budgerigar photographs are located. The link to this section is situated on the second line of horizontal navigation at the top of every page.

The photographs shown in the galleries are clickable – once clicked they will expand in size and show in an easy-to-navigate slide show format. Once the slide show is shown, the page background will be darkened to enable better viewing of the image.

To navigate to the next image in the sequence, please click on the “>>” or “<<” arrows that appear undet the slide show image.

To end the slide show, just click on the image itself. This can be done on any image – it does not have to be the last one in the sequence!

Additional photographs will be added regularly and news of such additions will be published under the “Noticeboard” section on this site.

His name? That will appear later! It makes a change from the alleged “gluing in of tails” incident a few years ago.

Our story starts in 1984. An aviary fire at the rear of the fancier’s property killed all but 3 birds out of 300! He left the hobby for a while to deal with the damage – both to his home and his hobby – and only three years ago, returned to building his new aviary with determination, and in his own words, “to do it properly”. Only this time he decided to install an automatic watering system.

The construction of this piped watering system required PVC pipes which had to be primed and glued – the former being a red priming fluid that apparently is highly toxic and required the pipes, after jointing, to be thoroughly flushed.

However, our unlucky fancier did not flush them thoroughly enough!

After full installation, in the following morning, he found 60 dead budgerigars on the cage floors and another 12 died in the days following.

Luckily, the rest survived, but it took another 6 months of dedicated care before breeding resumed. The outcome and success – or otherwise – of these breeding birds will be interesting to know at a later stage.

Our fancier has now returned to manual watering, although he has installed a one inch poly pipe that has compression fittings in one area – that, of course, does not use glue of any description!

This fancier has been kind enough to tell the hobby worldwide of the hazards associated with such piped watering systems. He and his family live in Roger River in the North of Tasmania. He wishes to pay tribute to his fellow fanciers and club members who have been totally supportive throughout. That has to be great and commendable or another good fancier would have been lost.

Comment from Gerald Binks

I have regrettably been around long enough to recall when these piped systems first arrived on the scene internationally. My personal opinion is unchanged on their use for the following reasons:

1. They are real dust traps and make maintaining cleanliness a nightmare
2. They have to be flushed ,but you cannot be sure that bacteria are still living in the system
3. It is easy to get lazy, or forgetting when you last flushed out the system
4. In a warm climate, bacteria will multiply rapidly, unseen of course by the fancier
5. You cannot administer vitamins in solution, particularly a vitamin that has syrup base within which bacteria can grow alarmingly without you realising it

In my opinion the disadvantages far outweigh any advantages and the risks to our sensitive birds makes the piping system an absolute non starter.

The name of our kind fancier who still “attacks” his hobby so admirably is somewhat bizarre.

His name is Christopher Slaughter and I admire his tenacity tremendously.

Thank you for telling the hobby at large Chris. Well done and every good wish for the future. Nevertheless, I am still concerned about the one inch compression system for the reasons just explained. My advice is to remove it immediately.

It just might avoid “third” time unlucky!

• Introduction: What, Why When?
• Correct Use of Medicines
• Wise Use of Medicines
• Choosing a Medicine
• Preventative Medicines
• Curative Medicines
• Medicine Cocktails

Introduction: What, Why When?

• Medicines: What are they?

  Medicines are chemicals that are used to treat or prevent diseases.

  Some are given routinely to treat, control and prevent parasites including worms, coccidiosis, lice, and mites. These medicines are necessary to keep budgerigars healthy and have no undue side-effects or harmful effects on enduring immunity.

  There are other medicines – such as antibiotics and anti-canker treatments – that must be used cautiously and not on a regular basis as their incorrect or repetitive use may harm the natural immunity of budgerigars especially when they are used incorrectly. When used wisely, however, antibiotics and anti-canker medicines may be used to enhance health whilst having no harmful effect on immunity.

• Medicines: Why use them?

  Budgerigars are particularly susceptible to environmental diseases that may cause catastrophic losses and illnesses that affect their wellness and ability to breed.

  Medicines are needed to cure and prevent these diseases such as coccidiosis, worms, lice and mites.

  Sometimes long courses of antibiotic medicines are necessary to improve breeding results when Psittacosis is the cause of this problem. Antibiotic medicines may also be necessary to save the lives during outbreaks of disease or when environmental conditions favour an outbreak or illness.

• Medicines: When to use them?

  In order for budgerigars to remain healthy some kind of health plan is necessary.

  The simplest plan includes routine treatments against worms, lice, mites and coccidiosis.

  Some studs prefer to avoid medicines at all costs and use a system of health management that lets nature take its course and over time only the “strongest” birds survive by the end of each year. They breed from these birds to produce offspring that they feel will be naturally resistant to diseases. Over a period of time these breeders hope to develop highly resistant families of birds without using medicines.

  Unfortunately, this system has flaws because of the sudden and catastrophic effects that some diseases have on budgerigars. As well, because there is a continual flow of new breeding stock into studs, there is a constant fear that a dangerous new disease will enter to which it has no previous immunity.

  In order to manage diseases, budgerigar breeders should give routine treatments against worms, lice, mites, coccidiosis but avoid antibiotics or anti-canker treatments unless these diseases have been previously diagnosed in the stud.

Correct Use of Medicines

• It is commonly accepted that medicines will become necessary at some time.

  The type and amount of medicine used varies from stud to stud and a correct choice is essential if the overall health and vitality of the various budgerigar families are to be retained.

  A veterinarian with bird skills must first choose an appropriate medicine and programme. The observation skills of the budgerigar breeder are then needed to determine the best time to administer medicines.

  The golden rule of medicines is to use them only when required, as inappropriate use will break down good levels of acquired immunity within the stud.

  At times, it is difficult to know when the birds really do need medicines because the symptoms of illness are often hidden. The correct identification of an illness is the only way to select the correct medicine to administer to the flock.

  Veterinary testing or the response of a sick bird to a treatment trial, are the best ways to identify the illness and a need for medicines.

Wise Use of Medicines

• The wise use of medicines plays a most important part in developing a strong natural resistance against disease in young birds by protecting the immune systems of susceptible birds from potentially irreversible damage.

  For example, the effective control of Streptococcus or Megabacteria infections requires a plan of action involving the correct use of medicines, good stud management and an informed breeding strategy. However, the use of medicines alone, without good management or breeding strategy, will fail to eliminate either of these diseases from the stud.

  Medications should be used as little as possible in a healthy budgerigar flock.

  The common aim should be the production of healthy and robust budgerigars by natural means and without compromising immunity. In this way, budgerigars are able to become naturally resistant against infection as young birds and require less medicine treatments in later life during periods of stress.

  It is difficult to maintain continuing health in the young bird flights without using some form of medication even in flocks with strong immunity. It is widely accepted that medicines must be used to protect young birds from environmental diseases and the common parasitic diseases such as Coccidiosis, worms, lice and mites.

  Products such as “Quik-Gel” may also be used to promote and strengthen natural immunity.

  Medicines used for budgerigars have been well researched, and although it is possible to improve breeding performance by the strategic administration of medicines when disease problems exist in a stud, it must be remembered that they are of no help and are in fact dangerous for a stud that is healthy.

  When there are breeding problems, the correct choice of medicine is vital if breeding performance is to be improved.

  First and foremost, the exact disease process must be identified.

  Secondly, early recognition is essential if treatment is to eliminate an infection before a loss of health occurs.

Choosing a Medicine

• Microscopic examination of the droppings is the best method of determining if and when medicines should be used.

  Droppings may be submitted to specialist veterinarians for examination or breeders may wish to learn the technique themselves.

  Once an illness has been correctly identified, a treatment plan can be developed to effectively overcome the disease. This may or may not involve the use of medicines and breeders should consult an avian veterinarian for assistance in selecting the most appropriate medicine and treatment strategy.

Preventative Medicines

• Healthy budgerigars are at considerable health risk when breeding, during weaning and in the young bird flights and may be protected from stress and environmental diseases by the prudent use of medicines.

  Medicines used in this manner are referred to as preventative medicines.

  Administration of a preventative medicine protects immunity and natural resistance.

  Consult an avian veterinarian for assistance in selecting the most appropriate medicine and prevention strategy.

Curative Medicines

• Curative medicines are required to treat a disease outbreak.

  Repeatedly poor breeding results may indicate a need for a curative medicine with the choice of medicine being determined by the nature of the illness.

  Curative medicines, by their very name, imply a dose of medicament strong enough to destroy the disease involved.

  Curative medicines are administered outside critical times of breeding and often as part of a pre-breeding season health programme.

  The treatment interval (duration of treatment) is longer than for preventative medicines. Preventative medicines are administered in an ongoing or intermittent fashion. Curative medicines are administered continuously from 3 days to 45 days, depending on the diseases and types of medicine involved.

Medicine Cocktails

• Combinations of medicines mixed together into a cocktail may be needed during disease outbreaks, as secondary infections are common in budgerigar illnesses.

  For example, “Megamix” is mixed with many antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. “Baytril” and “Carlox” may be mixed together with “Megamix” during a coccidiosis outbreak as secondary Ecoli and other bacterial infections become particularly troublesome for the survival of infected birds.

  An understanding of those medicines that can be safely mixed together is paramount to correctly treating and protecting budgerigars against disease.

  As a general rule, if a mixture of medicines remains clear in drinking water, then the medicines are compatible. This rule however, should be followed with some hesitation, and whenever unsure about the compatibility of different medicines, it is best to contact an avian veterinarian.

Dr Rob’s Products

To order the products mentioned in this article, please use the links on the Dr Robert Marshall page.

• 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!

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!

Every opportunity will be taken by Budgerigar.co.uk to market the existance of the exhibition budgerigar and its followers to the public at large. This international website for the exhibition budgerigar is unique and from January 2010 will gradually expand to become THE focal point for enthusiasts to become involved within its pages.

So, here is an opportunity, free of charge, to publicise your budgerigar society through which new prospective members of our hobby may find information.

From your society they will be able to obtain recommendations for any additional local societies to join.

Link to your Website

Links to societies worldwide are published on our Groups page – to ensure that your society is listed please send us your details via our Link Exchange form.

Best in Show & Best Young Bird

We are keen to feature oustanding quality budgerigars, specifically photographs of your Best In Show and Best Young Bird exhibits.

Such birds appearing on this site will be seen worldwide!

If you would like to participate, click here to find out how.

Introduced for the first time in the hobby, here is a budgerigar website for all to partake in and be involved with.

Budgerigar.co.uk encourages individuals, societies and companies worldwide to be part of what will be an ever changing publication. This site will develop into a focal point for everyone involved in the delight of breeding quality budgerigars.

Best of all – it’s FREE.

Budgerigar.co.uk brings you:

• Articles by top writers
• Superb advertising opportunities
• Photos of world-class budgerigars
• Top quality profiles of experienced fanciers
• Breeding and feeding techniques
• World-leading budgerigar health information
• Breeders’ directory and links
• Your letters
• …and much, much more!

Budgerigar.co.uk is brought to you by Gerald Binks. Gerald began breeding budgerigars when he was 12 years old and is now arguably the most knowledgeable budgerigar fancier in the world. He has bred his fair share of Best in Show birds, judged in no less than 20 countries, founded the World Budgerigar Association, and has published two of the three classic books on the hobby. His stud in the UK attracts fanciers from near and far and is always high on the list for those wishing to purchase BA23 quality budgerigars.

Enjoy and participate!

Readers

In addition to providing our readers with great information, we positively encourage them to participate!

The easiest way to contribute, is to comment on the published articles. At the end of each article you will see a simple “Leave a Reply” form. If you have ANY comment to make about the article (be it praise or agreement, criticism or objection), please use the form to send us your comments. Your experience or comment may help another fancier – and vice versa!

Please bear in mind that all submitted comments are moderated by Budgerigar.co.uk in order to maintain the top quality content of the website.

Once moderated, all comments are then published beneath the associated article – giving readers fresh content on an almost constant basis.

Fanciers can also submit an entry for inclusion in our Breeders’ Directory and those with budgerigar-related websites can submit an entry for our Links pages.

For more information, please view the section – “Comment on Articles – on the “Be Part of It” page” .

Contributors

Budgerigar articles are the lifeblood of the Budgerigar.co.uk website, generating discussion among fanciers and helping to develop the hobby worldwide.

Budgerigar.co.uk therefore warmly welcomes articles from those in the hobby to be published on the site.

If you would like to contribute either a single article, or perhaps be a regular contributor, you can find out how on our “Submit an Article” page.

Advertisers

Budgerigar.co.uk offers advertisers unparalleled access to budgerigar fanciers worldwide.

Not only are our advertising rates highly competitive – but we will even create the advert for you if you wish (for FREE!).

For more information, please view the “Advertising” page.

Be Part of It

There are many ways for you to participate on Budgerigar.co.uk – to see how YOU can Be Part of It – click here.

Quik Gel is a high energy emergency gel also containing vitamins and disinfecting agents. It is used to accelerate recovery from illness and temporarily prevent an infection from worsening while waiting for the results of culture tests. Very sick birds may need crop needle feeding.

Quik Gel is is also used during critical times when an immediate and sustained source of energy is required to maintain a healthy flock. Critical times when the entire flock would benefit from the administration of Quik Gel in the drinking water include: Cold, Hot or Wet Spells, Airsac mites, Egg Binding, Nestling Rejections, Air in the Crop, Outbreak of Disease, Weaning Youngsters and following a course of antibiotics.

Ingredients

Complex polysaccharides, vitamins A,D,E,B complex & organic acid

Actions

By providing an immediate and sustained energy source, Quik Gel:

• Rejuvenates tired adult birds during the breeding season
• Protects weak youngsters during the weaning period and when entering the young bird flights
• Prevents diseases associated with the stress of cold, hot or wet weather
• Accelerates recovery following illness by providing easily digested high-energy nutrients swiftly and efficiently to damaged organs and other body tissues
• Enhances the overall health of an energy-depleted flock during and following disease outbreaks (e.g. mite infestations, coccidiosis etc.)
• Improves male mating success and egg fertility during the critical stages of the breeding cycle
• Reduces egg binding when cold spells and other stress factors cause tired breeding hens
• Used as part of an Emergency First Aid Treatment for sick individual birds
• Quik Gel is palatable and readily accepted by budgerigars

Dose

• Mix 2mls (ask for 2ml spoon) into 500ml of drinking water
• 1 drop mixed into 2-10ml of heated ER formula via crop needle

Indications

• In The Flights

• For Breeding Cabinets

• For Weaning Cage

• In Drinking Water

• Emergency First Aid Treatment

• Via Crop Needle

• Preparations Of Quik Gel & ER Formula

In The Flights

Quik Gel is mixed at a dose of 1ml into 500ml of drinking water for three consecutive days during a stress period, outbreak of disease and following a course of antibiotics.

Critical times when the entire flock would benefit from the administration of Quik Gel in the drinking water include:

• Cold & Heat Stress

  Administer Quik Gel for 2 days to maintain energy levels when temperatures fall below 10°C or rise above 35C

• Wet Spells

  Quik Gel is mixed with Megamix (10mls per litre) to help maintain health by establishing acidic conditions in the crop that help prevent stress and environment-related infections such as E.coli and coccidiosis from becoming established

• Megabacteria Infections

  Quik Gel is mixed with Megamix (10mls per litre) for 5 days when Megabacteria has been diagnosed in a flock to help maintain body heat and appetite of in-contact birds. Sick birds should receive a crop needle treatment

• Quill mites or itching birds

  Quik Gel is administered for 2 days following lice/mite treatment to rejuvenate an infested flock

• Quietness

  A drop in noise levels may be related to inclement weather or the onset of illness. A 2 day trial with Quik Gel may be used to determine whether the lack of noise is related to energy depletion or a disease process

• Recovery from illness

  Quik Gel administered for 2-5 days is used to promote a rapid recovery following antibiotic treatment

• Emergency First Aid Formula

  Quik Gel may also be administered by crop needle as part of an Emergency First Aid Formula or added to the drinking water to aid the recovery of individual birds or breeding pairs that are sick, tired, injured or following antibiotic treatments

For Breeding Cabinets

Dose: 2ml Quik Gel thoroughly into 500ml of drinking water, 500gm dry seed or soft food mix. Or 1 drop into 100mls of drinking water.

• As an immediate and sustained source of Energy

  Quik Gel is helpful in improving breeding outcomes during the breeding season, as energy requirements are nine times more than during a non-breeding period.

  To ensure your breeding birds receive a plentiful supply of energy, it is recommended that Quik Gel be incorporated into the breeding programme as follows: Quik Gel is added to seed, soft food mix or drinking water for 7 days after pairing occurs. Quik Gel remains fresh for two days after which time a fresh batch must be provided. The water containers must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected of sludge at this time.

  Energy is the most important nutritional factor in allowing exhibition budgerigars to feed their young and the best means to express the true genetic potential of their offspring. Critical times when breeding pairs would benefit from the administration of Quik Gel in the drinking water include:

• During the first week in the breeding cabinet

  Male budgerigars become easily tired following their energetic courtship activities. Quik Gel can be given each second day during this stressful courtship period to improve mating success and increase fertility. When provided at this time it also supports the energy needs of a hen during egg production and helps prevent sudden death syndrome and egg binding in breeding hens.

• Throughout Breeding

  Energy requirements are significantly higher during the breeding season when parents are feeding their young. Quik Gel provides breeding pairs with a plentiful supply of energy so that they remain vital throughout the entire breeding season. This ensures the babies are fed well and do no experience any physical setbacks.

• At the beginning of each breeding cycle

  Quik Gel aids the cock during courtship and prepares the hen for the energy consuming process of egg-laying. It is again provided when the first youngster becomes fully feathered when the hen is preparing to lay her next clutch of eggs.

• For later Breeding Rounds

  Quik Gel is also particularly useful for one day a week during the second and third round when energy levels of parents begin to wane.

• At Conclusion of Breeding

  Quik Gel should be administered for 3 days as breeding pairs are moved from the breeding cabinet to the holding cage (prior to their return to the aviary) in order to prevent their deaths when entering the flights.

• During Cold Spells

  Quik Gel is used as a rich source of energy and vitamins when cold temperatures may interrupt breeding and result in a high degree off infertile and dead in shell eggs.

• For Air in the Crop

  Quik Gel should be provided when air is observed in a baby’s crop. This finding indicates the energy levels of the parents are depleted.

For Weaning Cage

• Quik Gel should be given in the drinking water to support the weaning process for 2-5 days when the youngsters are moved from their parents across into the weaning cage. The high-energy content of Quik Gel stimulates appetite, which promotes a rapid weaning process. Its stress relieving and disinfectant properties protect the youngsters from disease.

In Drinking Water

• Rejuvenates tired breeding pairs and birds recovering from illness. An increased activity will be visible by the afternoon following Quik Gel treatment.
• Restores energy levels and normal gut flora following a course of antibiotics. Quik Gel mixed into the drinking water with Megamix (10mls/litre) for 2 days restores energy levels and promotes a more rapid return to activity following an illness and antibiotic treatment.
• Stimulates appetite and initiates recovery following any physical stress. For example, with cold stress, Quik Gel mixed into the drinking water with Megamix (10mls/litre) is used to maintain health when temperatures fall below 10°C. Under these circumstances, Quik Gel / Megamix cocktail is given fresh for the first day in the drinking water then topped up the following day.

Emergency First Aid Treatment

• In emergency situations, providing heat and administering Quik Gel directly by mouth or via crop needle mixed with ER formula should save most birds. An emergency is recognised when a budgerigar remains listless or is found fluffed up on the floor.

   
  Quik Gel can be administered in a number of ways. When birds are critically ill, it is best given with ER Formula via a crop needle (see below). Feeding using a crop needle is a process that must be learnt. Once this skill has been developed and when administered at the first signs of illness many sick birds can be saved. If a crop needle is unavailable, Quik Gel may also be given by mouth directly from a syringe.

Via Crop Needle

• Quik Gel is given by crop needle (gauge 16; 2inch long crop needle is best) together with ER formula and any medicines as part of an emergency treatment for individual budgerigars for the following conditions: Serious life threatening diseases caused by coccidiosis, round worm infestations, Megabacteria, streptococcal infections, dehydration, sour crop or blocked gizzards.

  As very sick birds are unable to produce their own body heat, an additional source of heat such as a hot water bottle or heat lamp must also be provided.

  As the bird recovers and is no longer in a critical state, it is important to determine the exact cause of illness and begin with an appropriate treatment.

  Once the sick bird is eating and drinking by itself, Quik Gel should continue to be given in the drinking water for 5 days to complete a full recovery.

Preparations Of Quik-gel & ER Formula

• Place a teaspoon of ER Powder in a cup then whilst adding 10ml of hot water (35C) in small amounts mix it continuously until a smooth cream-like solution is created. Maintain the heat of this liquid formula by using a hot water bath.

   
  Then mix one drop of Quik Gel into the formula and immediately draw up 3mls into a crop needle and warmed syringe then administer to the sick bird. This 10ml solution is enough to treat 3 birds.

  Repeat this process 2-3 x each day until the sick birds are active and again eating.

  For crop and gizzard blockages continue this treatment twice daily for 3 days.

  For egg binding add 1ml Hical to this mixture and continue this treatment twice daily for 3 days.

Dr Rob’s Products

To order the products mentioned in this article, please use the links on the Dr Robert Marshall page.