I would estimate the interview to be some ten to twelve thousand words in length and I thought it would be such a waste to let it sit gathering dust.

So with this in mind I have collated the interview into segments.

This is part two – part one may be read here.

I hope you enjoy it.

Feeding, Cod Liver Oil and Showing

By Fred Sherman (deceased)

The next thing I would like to talk about is feeding, and this is really relative to my coming to the UK in 1986, I want to talk about cod liver oil.

I have a very good friend in Johannesburg, Peter Needham. I used to visit Peter often in the early days when I was a novice, really because we were novices together and I have never seen so many French Moulters in my life.

He had cages and cages of French Moulters and when Gerald Binks came out to Rhodesia and South Africa for the first time in 1979 he put Peter on to a feed containing cod liver oil. The ratio was half a teaspoon per 12 pounds of seed and most of Peter’s troubles went away. He bred very few French Moulters and I did the same thing and I didn’t breed many French Moulters either.

I went along with Gerald’s suggestion and fed, exactly that ratio. Then I went on leave, and I never used to go on leave, especially during the breeding season, but my daughter graduated from the University in South Africa so I had to go down leaving the birds with my chap who looked after the birds when I was away.

This guy was totally illiterate, he could not read nor write, but he was a hell of a good worker, so he could never do anything with the birds except feed them. He could change the seed but unfortunately I left him to mix the cod liver oil. When I came back from a week down in South Africa, I noticed that the levels of cod liver oil in the bottle had gone right down, and I have never seen so much French Moult in my life. So that was overdosing and I have never used it since.

I tried to save the youngsters, pulled their flights out, and put them in Dettol, but eventually I got rid of about 56 youngsters.

As an interesting little aside to that, there was a very good breeder in Harare. He bred some very good birds, and there is a lake up there known as Lake Kariba. It is a big man-made lake and they stock it with little sardines (which are similar to the whitebait you get in the UK) created as a protein filler for the black people in the country. This chap fed fish meal to his birds and he never got French Moult.

So what does it tell us? He is filling his birds full of fish meal and we give them cod liver oil and get French Moult. I think it is just a personal thing but it gave me such a fright I stopped using it.

The other thing about feeding in southern Africa is it is not easy to get hold of bird seed. We used to grow canary seed in Rhodesia but they don’t any more, they grow it in South Africa. Seed is not easy to get hold of, so when you hear about seed you buy it and sometimes you have to buy a whole lot of seed you don’t really need.

Basically, we feed a mixture of millet and canary seed, usually two thirds canary seed and one third millet. Some chaps go 50-50 but it is a matter of individual preference. The nice thing about living in the UK is that you can get whatever seed you want. You just phone up somebody and they deliver it.

Nest Box Talk

I had an experience in Rhodesia many years ago. I sold some birds to a chap who could never get the hens to breed, so there was a story going round that: “I sold him hens that wouldn’t breed and when I catch them up I do something to them.”

What that was supposed to be I do not know! He just couldn’t breed with the hens and then one day he was visiting and I had just bought some new breeding boxes and the old ones were lying on the floor. He was busy building a new aviary and said do you want these? I said if you want them take them – I think there were about ten.

He took them to Bulawayo put them up and my hens bred in those boxes. He had had the hens for two years and I believe it is something to do with the environment and I think if you are buying hens from somebody and they won’t breed, try using the same type of nest box. It certainly worked for this chap. The nest boxes I use are the double boxes, a box within a box about 8″ by 5″ (20 by 13cm) about 8″ (20cm) high.

A little bit about the Fancy in South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is not strong in terms of members but I think people are quite dedicated there. They work very hard and all put their shoulders to the wheel when there is a show.

We have meetings on Sunday mornings rather than the evening and these are at various fanciers’ houses where we have sandwiches and snacks and a bit of a get together. They bring their wives and we have a guest speaker or a lecture and also little table shows. We have the opportunity of seeing the chap’s aviary and looking at his birds.

I think the spirit that is created is good, and of course we have different weather there, but often we have a barbeque and make a day of it. Maybe we have lectures in the morning and a barbeque, then a small table show in the afternoon. We also use that as an opportunity to train judges, and put up classes of birds and get the young chaps in and get them to judge. Even the beginners and novice – we get them judging and get them going right from the beginning. It comes in very useful.

Shows

The shows here are not frequent. There are about four a year in Zimbabwe, six or eight in South Africa.

I tend to go to the South African shows, but we can’t show in Zimbabwe because of the political situation. It is unfortunate because I think it would be good for both countries if we were to show. There are some very good birds in South Africa and there are also some very good ones in Zimbabwe.

We have four sections of exhibitor in South Africa – Junior, Novice, Intermediate and Champion.

The junior section is for under 16′s. If you are over 16 you go into the Novice and then have to score points with your breeder birds in exhibition for promotion through the sections. You have to score 400 points to move from Novice to Intermediate – and remember, only breeder birds score points for you.

The points are 5 for a first, 3 for the second, 2 for the third in class plus so many for a colour award and others for best breeder in section.

It is reckoned it takes four years, although some guys do it in two. So you have to score 400 points even if it takes you forever. Then you become an Intermediate and you have to score 200 points in these classes for promotion to champion.

I think it is quite a good system because it means fanciers have to show and show breeder birds. Records of each fancier’s points are made and are published in every monthly newsletter and after each show so everybody’s points are there to be seen.

In terms of maintaining status, you only go down if you stop showing; you don’t go out because you don’t win, you stay a Champion. However, if you don’t show for two years, you go back to Intermediate and have to score the points again.

Dr Alf Robertson

When overseas, I am often asked about my experiences with Dr. Robertson.

Dr. Robertson became a bit of a legend and was a very good person. What I liked most about Alf Robertson, apart from his birds, was talking to him because he had the ability of applying his medical knowledge to budgerigars – and that to me was very fascinating.

As far as his birds were concerned, he was another man who inbred extensively and almost exclusively. His light greens and grey-greens were really superb. At one time I thought they were a little bit short in the body, but he got hold of some long flights and these were true long flights. I saw one cock, I didn’t see the other one. It had three long tail feathers, nine primary flights, and was overall about 10-inches (25cm) and tremendously long feathers. I saw an opaline grey that he bred out of this and really it was quite an outstanding bird, one of the nicest birds I had ever seen.

These long flights sorted out the shortness of the body. Alf Robertson was clever because some guy didn’t know what he had when he had these long flights, Alf saw them and used them.

I told Alf that I thought he ought to go to England, and I told him to go and the see other birds. However he was very parochial, very much the king in South Africa, in fact, he was undisputed budgerigar king.

I don’t think he was quite as fanatical as Harry Bryan was, but almost. He did not have the drive to win, he just waited to breed good birds and did not care about showing – he got switched off by shows.

Breeding budgerigars this year reminded me of the racy days of the 1960s, when you put down a pair of birds and got 5 or 6 fertile eggs from each nest, and reared 6 or 8 from each cage over the two rounds.

In those days heads were the most important feature as it still is today.

For many years, our advertisement in the year book claimed the bold statement:

“Bred for Head, Winning with Type”

Type was important and you were advised not to breed buff to buff.

Fanciers of that era would be blown away by what is the norm on the show bench today.

2010

This last season, we started pairing birds the earliest ever, because there was so much scrapping in the flights particularly amongst the hens.

Five hens were chosen primarily for their fitness and in 2 cases their poor breeding results in 2009.

They were put in the breeding cages on the 20th July with open nest boxes. 3 days later the cocks were introduced. Four of these 5 hens went to nest and laid.

The Earthquake

On the 26th August, we paired up another 6 pairs and the first of these laid on the 4th September, the day of the earthquake.

On the night of the big “rock and roll”, my wife got up at 4 a.m. and woke me to look at the sky.

It was a brilliant clear blue with a bright quarter moon lighting our back lawn.

Half an hour later all hell broke loose as we leapt out of bed. The noise of breaking glass and falling crockery was horrendous.

When that subsided, we could hear the birds in a frenzy of uncontrolled flying just crashing madly about in the breeding cages and flights.

I turned to Fay and said:

“That is the end of our budgie hobby”

We had 6 show cages in a line at the back of a shelf 50 mm wider than the cages and at shoulder height.

They fell to the ground, but only received minor damage to the cages although the fronts were badly damaged and needed straightening.

The mess in our lounge and kitchen was a mix of liquids, glass, vases, china, and pantry solids.

No power for 24 hours.

The street corner was cordoned off as a power pole was down. We checked on our neighbours and went back to bed.

Daylight Breaks

Come daylight we were up and taking stock.

4 retail shopping areas within a radius of 2-3 km, had severe damage and in one case the whole complex has been bulldozed.

At about 8 a.m. I went out to the birds.

The first 4 pair had young and the hens were in the nest.

The results were:

• 23 eggs
• 14 fertile
• 12 young
• 1 dead in shell
• …and a feather-duster

There was very little chirping.

I turned the radio on, gave them their daily silver beet and the birds soon returned to song. I think they were glad to see me!

Post Earthquake

Between the 4th and 12th of September the second six pairings started to lay.

The results were:

• 35 eggs
• 32 fertile
• 16 young
• 10 dead in shell
• 6 died

By early October the first 4 pairs were laying their second round, one cock with a new mate.

The results were:

• 26 eggs
• 24 fertile
• 14 young
• 5 dead in shell
• 1 died
• …and a nest of 4 scuttled

Then early in November the six pair of August pairings started laying again and other replacement pairs for cages that produced nothing and a replacement for a lovely large sky hen that must be barren.

The results were:

• 33 eggs
• 32 fertile
• 18 young
• 14 dead in shell

A high percentage of dead in shell we attribute to the December aftershocks culminating in the big one on Boxing Day (26th December). During December we had another 4 pairs laying.

The results were:

• 28 eggs
• 24 fertile
• 18 young
• 6 dead in shell

2010

Total results for 2010:

• 145 eggs
• 126 fertile
• 78 young
• 36 dead in shell
• …and 12 deaths

5 nests have had 7 or 8 eggs each and 2 other nests 9.

We have had extremely good fertility this season.

The high percentage of dead in shell we attribute to the aftershocks – 36 dead in shell and another 12 young dying is a very high percentage (33%).

On one occasion I was out in the garden beyond the flights, facing the aviary and actually saw the aviary house area lift as the quake rolled through and under me, quite spectacular!

I went into the breeding room immediately. Not a sound from them. The hens with chicks were out of the nests, but those with eggs were still in the nest boxes.

How Did This Happen?

So, what was happening at night when some of the worst aftershocks took place?

What has contributed to the high percentage (87%) of fertile eggs?

What have we done differently?

Some Possible Theories…

• Firstly

  Our matings also coincided with the majority of hatchings occurring just on or after full moon (i.e. pairing about 3 days before full moon).

  This is what pigeon breeders, who, after extensive studies, found gave the best results.

  In the case of pigeons, it was a question of speed and reduced their losses with their racing stock.

• Secondly

  Although we had used the Massey Pigeon Complementary Feeding Oil spasmodically last breeding season, this season we started using it early in July.

  Although directions were given on the bottle for rearing young pigeons through to racing pigeons, I decided that, as pigeons eat whole grain, putting oil on seed was sufficient for them to get the oil – but not so for budgerigars.

  We decided to allow the oil to soak through the husk to the kernel where it would be more likely eaten by our birds.

  With this in mind I already had an aluminium container 250 mm high and 150 mm diameter with a lid. It holds approximately 3.5 litres of seed when full – ideal for the flight birds and sufficient for the 15 pairs in the breeding cages.

  We poured in 40 mm of plain canary seed and adding a teaspoon of oil on top in a circle and repeated until we had 4 layers of oil plus a cover of seed over the last one.

  Approximately 3 litres of canary seed in total.

  We left this for 24 hours to get high concentration of oil into some of the seed.

  We then stirred it with a flat paddle to mix it thoroughly and left it for another 2 days.

  This treated seed was darker than untreated seed and could be seen to have absorbed the oil. To use this oiled seed we mixed 1 part treated to 4 parts untreated seed mixture. This meant that theoretically 1 in every 5 seeds the birds eat is rich in oil.

  Those of you who have used it will know it is not tacky like most oils and penetrates readily if allowed to stand. We keep a lid on it and it does not appear to deteriorate over the time it takes to be used. The manufacturers say to keep the bottle refrigerated.

• Thirdly

  It is widely accepted that trees and bushes coming to the end of their life will often produce an abundance of flower or fruit in a last ditch effort for the species to survive.

  Could this be the case with our budgies with over 4,000 aftershocks?

  We don’t think so, because other Christchurch breeders would also be having a good season.

  Unfortunately that is not the case and I have not heard of anyone having anything like the fertility we have experienced this year.

Perhaps none of these three reasons have anything to do with the pleasing results we had this breeding season and it is the result of a number of coincidences just chipping in to give us a season to be thankful for.

Postscript

On 22nd February 2011 at one in the afternoon, a third earthquake (of 6.3 magnitude) hits Christchurch, New Zealand.

The depth is a “shallow” 5 km and it is centred near Lyttelton.

The surrounding rock structure of the hills sends shock waves equivalent to an estimated 1.25 times the strength of the September 4th quake – hence the destruction of the entire city centre!

Q1: Please explain your feeding regime – including any extras you may give for the breeding season, and do you stop these extras at the end of the breeding season?

GSB:

Keep a variety of seeds so that the birds can select what they want, but keep the canary seed content high as it contains the highest protein.

Extras are a multivitamin (Abidec here in the UK) and vitamin B12 (Cytacon here in the UK), plus the seed mixture is given a low dose of cod liver oil (vitamins A & D) all year, to ensure that the birds’ metabolism is high and they then breed well, rather than sit there and do nothing.

I also give Hormova and essential minerals.

Routine is year round. Budgerigars object to changes in diet.

Q2: Please explain the importance of giving grit in our birds’ diet

GSB:

Whatever else you may have read about grit not being needed, forget it.

Nature provides an organ in the digestive system called a gizzard. It is a very strong muscular organ with a tough lining. Its purpose is to muscularly move and – provided there are two types of grit being provided (soluble and insoluble) – it will work perfectly to grind down the seed intake so that it is easily digested.

No grit – no proper digestion.

Grit must be replaced weekly – no longer than that.

No grit — no teeth!

Q3: What single product do you consider the best you have used throughout your breeding career? Also do you think it is still a strong contender among the other maybe more modern, products?

GSB:

Undoubtedly Hormova – not Hormoform.

It is sold by Harkers in the UK and used by some European breeders.

It recently changed its base powder from a red appearance to white. Some breeders find the birds reject this and I have passed that back to Harkers and they are looking to change it back again.

I thought it would make no difference and said so – but I was wrong.

Fed in finger drawers, the overall vitamin content is perfect and I first saw it 55 years ago in Joe Collyer’s aviary. Fertility and chicks were there in bucket loads.

Many modern products are made by well meaning manufacturers – but they are in the main, not budgerigar breeders.

As both UK and European breeders will know, this tax is applied by all seed distributors to seeds that are mixed by them – e.g. a 50 / 50 blend of canary seed and millet, as well as many other examples. Such a tax is applied to anything that is regarded by the tax authorities as involving a service.

David Turner, a recent applicant for a position on the UK Budgerigar Society Council, has pointed out that a considerable saving on the total seed invoices we receive, can be made.

David says:

When ordering your next batch of seed etc., avoid (as far as possible) buying mixtures – and instead, mix your own on delivery.

This is an extra chore, but well worth the effort if you want to save hard earned money, which can then go to other areas of sharp financial increases – such as fuel, gas and electricity.

It appears that the problem is our “old friend” Trichomoniasis (See page 233 in The Challenge), which has been carried by pigeons for years, but has now crossed into some species of our wild population.

The total number of different species involved has yet to be determined.

Budgerigars

It is well recorded throughout the hobby we enjoy, that for years we had no trouble from this protozoan disease which gives all the symptoms of “going light”, but additionally causes secondary fungal deposits in the oesophagus so that the budgerigar cannot swallow seed grains.

The sure symptomatic sign is birds crowded round the seed pots and the pots filling rapidly with “dust”. This is because the birds are grinding up the seed into tiny particles in order to get a few tiny grains down into their systems.

There will also be signs of wet areas around the beak and face in general.

Alleged Problem

A few years ago the European Union (EU) banned the use of Emtryl Powder which was used by the grouse breeders so that the gun “sport” has plenty of targets.

That caused an outcry at the time in that industry and of course in our “world”.

Pure Emtryl is unobtainable now, but there are various products containing Emtryl sold under various product names.

One wonders if the banning of such an effective product has caused an increase in trichomonas across other species, but that is guesswork.

What To Do?

By chance, Les Martin and I were invited by Tom and Andrew Luke to their excellent aviaries near Preston in Lancashire.

As we entered, Tom asked us to step on a very large 2 inch deep absorbent mat containing disinfectant – probably Virkon-S or similar.

This meant anything carried on our feet from other aviaries was immediately neutralised.

However trichomonas was not the main object in mind, but a sound practice of practising biological disinfection from entering the birdroom.

Our hands were similarly sprayed – as one does in a hospital today. Hands are the greatest form of cross infection of any kind so be aware of that after handling birds between aviaries.

Tom and Andrew were quick to respond to a request from myself where to obtain such a mat and I now have one outside the aviary filled with disinfectant – and I use it all the time!

Why? Because we are surrounded by pigeons at home and droppings are all over the place and the pigeons excrete into the bird baths every day. Step into any droppings and walk into the aviary and the flights in particular – and off you go with trichomonas in the stud.

Uncovered outside flights are a big hazard – so be warned.

Related Links

• BBC News (video)
  • Disease causes greenfinch population to fall
• Zoological Society of London
  • Parasite threatens many of Britain’s best-loved birds
• Full British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Research Article
  • Emerging Infectious Disease Leads to Rapid Population Declines of Common British Birds

This original version, now edited for international appreciation, was written by Jean Horrobin and Marilyn Harrington and is reproduced with their kind permission and acknowledgement to the BS of New South Wales and The Budgerigar. My appreciation also goes to Keith Gough for the accompanying photographs.

GSB

Introduction

Henry George lives with his wife, Diane in a stunning area just north of Brisbane in Queensland. He is arguably one of Australia’s pre-eminent budgerigar breeders and his results at national level are second to none. For the record, Henry was the driving force to get 4500 birds into Australia from the UK so many years ago and the leader of the first syndicate. Incidentally, Henry was not Australian born – he comes from Yorkshire, UK!

Henry George – In His Own Words

My wife Diane and I live on a property situated in a picturesque valley with a mountainous backdrop. The aviary is large and is situated towards the middle of the property and is surrounded by horse paddocks along with 40 horses – which are my wife’s passion. We have a German Warmblood stud of horses with arguably the best bloodline in the country. Germany has the best dressage horses in the world. Our horses are headed by our stallion Donnatraum (Donny for short) who is unbeaten in the show arena.

My Budgerigar History

I started with budgerigars in 1975 when my daughters expressed an interest, but, like others experiences, they eventually took a different route – but I continued. I discovered the Queensland Budgerigar Society (QBS) and went to meetings and obtained advice on aviary construction. We learned a lot about budgerigars at the same time.

I moved through the ranks to Open Status in the minimum time after successes on the show bench and then took the judges course to become a Queensland judge in May,1979. By 1991, I became a National Judge and have subsequently judged at the nationals on four separate occasions.

My major achievements included winning, at first, Champion of Show with a cinnamon grey cock at the QBS Annual Show – when still a beginner! However, the achievement that ranks highest in my mind was winning my first national with an opaline light green cock in 1982. Since then, my achievements include 27 firsts at national Level and include greens, blues, yellowfaces, dominant pieds, lutinos, opalines, spangles, lacewings and clearwings, all of which varieties I still keep.

My Stud

My aviary is 25 metres long by 9 metres wide (82 by 30 feet). It has four major flights, 75 breeding cages and a walkway from where to enter the flights easily. The aviary contains a store, an office, a 5 metres wide (16 feet) birdroom fitted with food storage bins, a bank of 16 show cage training cages and a further 12 more cages for newly weaned youngsters and birds being prepared for shows. There is also a quarantine room for new purchases and any sick birds that arise with a heated hospital cage to hand. The room also contains two glass-fronted trophy display cabinets.

Since our water comes from a borehole, all water has to be boiled and filtered before it is pumped around the property. In the aviary, various vitamins are added for half the week, and a water cleanser for one day a week – mostly KD powder. (A product from Dr Rob Marshall – click here for more details.)

The birds receive a softfood mixture daily. This comprises soaked wheat and oats, an animal protein called Hi-Pro supplied by the veterinarian Ron Woodhead; grated carrots or silverbeet and a square of multigrain bread which is dampened with milk, over which I sprinkle canary egg biscuit and Budgie Starter. Seed is soaked for 24 hours and rinsed, put back and KD powder added to kill off any bacteria. It is drained and then fed.

Breeding

Nest boxes are checked daily and my system is to have record cards on the boxes after which the vital details are recorded in the year’s main record system. Breeding time for me is spring and summer, not winter as winter gives bad results. I check that every bird that is possibly fit to breed is exactly that, starting with a hen and then finding the right cock that is related and looks visually suitable. My favourite pairings are aunt to nephew; uncle to niece, first or second cousins and half brother to half sister, providing that the cock or hen that I am breeding back to, was not closely related to the birds that produced the half brother or half sister involved. I never closely inbreed as it never seems to work for me.

With my selection process, it is rare to have a hen refuse to nest but if this is the case then I allow her three weeks to lay. If no results, then the pair is broken up and returned to the flights. I normally allow for two rounds, but if a pair produces real quality in their first round, I foster out their second round eggs and let the pair rear their third round.

I check all eggs for fertility using a laser torch. In hot weather, I get a bowl of warm water and place all eggs that are within two days of hatching into the bowl for 10 seconds. This is enough to soften the inner membrane and it increases the hatchability. Other fanciers seeing this have remarked how much this has helped them as well. Feather plucking can be reduced by putting a lump of rock salt in the breeding cage concerned – it sometimes works. If not, remove the offender and leave the partner to finish the rearing process.

• First Aid Kit
• Sick Bird: Step by Step
• Emergency First Aid
• Crop Needle Technique
• ER & Qwik Gel Formula
• ER & Qwik Gel Preparation

First Aid Kit

Your budgerigar first aid kit should ideally contain:

• Crop Needle: 2.5cm long straight 16 G
• Syringes: 3mls
• Stainless steel bowl
• Kettle
• Emergency rescue Formula (e.g. ER formula)
• Quik Gel
• Amoxicillin antibiotic
• Sulfa-trimethoprim antibiotic
• Heated Hospital Cage – Thermostatically controlled 25-30 degrees Celsius, perch, food and water containers, millet spray, paper on floor
• Dr. Marshall’s Contact numbers: Tel: Sydney Australia 0298716036 – Email: www.robmarshall@birdhealthcom.au

Sick Bird: Step by Step

• Step One

  Isolate the sick bird(s) to a heated cage, collect droppings for veterinary testing and treat with a crop needle with ER/Quik Gel.

• Step Two

  “Guestimate” medicine based upon symptoms.

• Step Three

  Give Quik Gel into the drinking water of the rest of the flock and clean the cages/flights with an appropriate disinfectant whilst the problem is being diagnosed.

• Step Four

  Submit droppings collected prior to giving medicines for testing and seek advice from a bird veterinarian.

• Step Five

  View the illness as a “family weakness” when sick or dead birds are related. It may be necessary to remove such families from a breeding plan. Identify the illness as an environmental issue when sick birds are unrelated.

• Step Six

  Introduce a disease prevention plan following a final diagnosis to protect the rest of the flock from future infections.

Emergency First Aid

• The first response to failing health should be to isolate any sick bird(s) to a hospital cage. The hospital cage should be pre-heated to 25-30 degrees Celsius, possess a perch, fresh seed and have Quik Gel in the drinking water. The floor should be lined with clean paper so that the droppings can be clearly viewed.

   
  Any bird that fails to perch in the hospital cage must immediately receive heated ER/Quik Gel – a specially prepared heated liquefied formula administered – by a crop needle.

  This treatment is the starting point for recovery irrespective of the disease involved, as in many cases, a full recovery occurs simply by crop needle feeding a sick bird and keeping it warm.

  For further information, please reference: Chapter 19 pages 240-247: “The Budgerigar” (by Dr Rob Marshall)

Crop Needle Technique

• Crop needle feeding ER formula and Quik Gel – an emergency rescue mixture – has multiple life saving actions. It re-establishes normal body temperature, elevates blood glucose concentrations and reverses any dehydration, all of which stimulate kidney function, circulation and appetite. Its action is to re-establish vital functions so that appetite returns, allowing the body to self heal. With a return of appetite, recovery becomes far more likely.

   
  For non-infectious conditions and birds with low-grade secondary infections, the administration of ER formula, Quik Gel and hospital care often brings about a cure within 3 days.

  For further information, please reference: Chapter 19 pages 242-243: “The Budgerigar” (figure 19a).

ER & Qwik Gel Formula

• A heated emergency rescue food administered by crop needle represents the single most important act for saving the lives of sick budgerigars.

   
  Most sick birds can be saved if they receive ER/Qwik Gel formula before they have completely stopped eating.

  ER stands for Emergency Rescue formula and in combination with Qwik Gel saves the lives of sick birds whilst a diagnosis is being confirmed.

  This heated concoction provides an ailing bird with a rapidly absorbed source of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals that restores core body temperature, fluid balance and energy levels.

ER & Qwik Gel Preparation

• 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 Qwik Gel into the formula and immediately draw up 3mls into a warmed syringe and remove any air bubbles. Connect the syringe to a 5cm 16 guage crop needle and test formula passes freely through the crop needle – then administer to the sick bird.

   
  Antibiotics are added into the hand rearing mix according to veterinary instructions – See Chapter 19 pages 242-243: “The Budgerigar” (figure 19b). A 10ml solution is enough to treat 3 birds. Repeat this process 2-3 times each day until the sick birds are active and eating again.

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

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

  For further information, please reference: Chapter 19 pages 242-243: “The Budgerigar” (figure 19b).

Dr Rob’s Products

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

All livestock producers worldwide, including avian fanciers, are therefore advised to “test” their grain for Mycotoxins (poisonous microfungi substances) for possible seed contamination.

The safest way to protect your budgerigars against this threat, is to add a propionic acid powder (such as Monoprop) when loading your seed bins.

After application, the bins should be left closed for 48 hours during which time any fungi present will be destroyed.

Microfungi occur when seed is, or has been, damp. Unfortunately, they generally cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Monoprop can be obtained from:

“Pharmaq”
Unit 15,
Sandleheath Industrial Estate,
Fordingbridge,
Hampshire,
SP6 1PA
England

Tel: +44 (0) 1425 656081
www.pharmaq.co.uk

GSB: Firstly, it is vital that you keep an accurate record of any bird that is paired that possesses flecking of any density whatsoever. Grade it as a percentage of density, in your opinion. In this way you will create details of any flecking present in the pedigree of each bird for future reference.

So, you have a flecked quality cock that obviously you want to pair to a visually clean headed hen – otherwise the problem will be deepened. You now refer to the background of the hen. Has she any flecking hidden there in her history?

No – then pair her to the flecked cock.

Yes – then find another partner.

The results will be say in a nest of five chicks, one clean headed bird ,one or more slightly flecked and perhaps one dense in flecking. Discard what is not usable and note all details on your records.

Would you recommend installing an ioniser in the aviary?

GSB: Frankly no. Its purpose is to make dust particles coagulate so they drop to the floor quickly and keep the air cleaner.

With aviaries, the problem is that our birds are kept behind wire cage fronts or flights with retaining wires, or mesh. This fact prohibits the action of your ioniser taking effect, as the wires act as an impenetrable field.

The result is that the birds’ air cannot be cleaned, and putting an ioniser in, say, the flights, could be a serious hazard to the birds should they chew the device.

What should I do if I have some hens with white ceres which never change to brown?

GSB: If the hens are feather fit and active, pair them up.

The problem is connected to an imbalance in the endocrine system with the ductless glands. These include the thyroid, the pituitary, the gonads and the adrenals among others.

The same cause can result in a cock bird with a perfectly blue cere that turns dark brown – an imbalance of the ductless glands of which the pituitary is “the conductor of the endocrine orchestra”.

Pairing may stimulate this system and good results can be obtained in many cases.

Why is cod liver oil often recommended, as the birds do not ingest the husks?

GSB: Cod liver oil has three main constituents – vitamins A & D plus iodine.

Tests were done many years ago on seeds coated with relatively small amounts of cod liver oil and it was proven that in allowing the seed to absorb the oil for 12-24 hours, the kernels had absorbed the oil through the husks.

Also oil is swallowed as the husk is sucked by the birds.

Cod liver oil is seriously valuable for its vitamin contents as these give health and great energy to the stock, as well as the iodine content for the thyroid – without which budgerigars do not reproduce easily.

Lütolf has that special eye that sees far ahead of the current ideal representations of the day. He sees what is beyond what is currently being bred and winning on the show bench. Harry Bryan in the UK had that ability, as does Jo Mannes in Germany and Henry George in Australia, to name a few.

Lütolf is 42 years of age and has been breeding birds since he was 11. A great deal of time and money was spent with little success until he purchased birds from Heinrich Ott, a top Swiss breeder. Heinrich Ott treated him very well, selling him stock, which bred superbly and produced his early winners. The pedigree background to Heinrich’s stock was based on Omerod and Sadler blood.

Lütolf’s career is as a teacher, he teaches senior pupils in maths, geography and history. He travels extensively, going overseas to far off places so that he can pass on his experiences to his pupils, but he never forgets his birds at home and the friends whom he trusts to look after his birds safely, and he gives a big thank you to them.

The Lütolf aviary is split into three levels because of the steep gradient of his home. It is modest in presentation, but the birds are exceptional in quality…but difficult to buy if you strive for the best.

Lütolf realised early, that he needed to design a bird to be ahead of others. This came from his ability to carve and paint.

DL: “I like big birds in proportion to their length. I knew that the 8 1/2 INS, small Budgerigar, in today’s exhibition world (216mm) was useless.

All top birds of today require a longer 9 1/2 ins (241mm) length to get the bird in balance, coupled with the shoulder substance that is required.

The shorter length results in a bird with no substance and is completely out of date if you wish to win on the show bench, irrespective of your chosen variety.

It is your choice, as a beginner, into which direction you go as you breed and as you create YOUR designer bird. You have to focus on that and set higher standards every season. I have always selected birds with big feet, but am careful in my choice of breeding hens.

I select birds with very big bone structure that are thick in the neck area. Interestingly, such birds create a problem that many of us are familiar with. This is the problem of today’s rings being too small for the bigger birds of today, and such rings have to be cut off before serious damage is done! Every year I was forced to cut off rings. I now get rings allocated officially that are larger in diameter at 4.4mm. They are perfect and there are no further problems for the birds and are accepted on the show bench.”

The Colours

The colour range that Lütolf has is broad. There are Spangles, all the Normals and some wonderful Violets, Olives, Lutinos, Texas Clearbodies, Yellows, Dilutes and Recessives.

All have mouth watering quality.

He is now starting to attack the Clearwing variety.

DL: “To improve any variety, you have to pair them at the start to your very best birds. This is what Reinhard Molkentin did, followed by Jo Mannes with the very small Spangles that arrived in Germany years ago.

To improve the recessive varieties, Clearbodies and Lutinos, I pair them to Spangles. The Spangle variety will improve such varieties considerably.

Always remember that if you want to improve a rare variety you have to pair them to the best you have and if necessary go out and find a super bird no matter what its colour happens to be.”

Pairing

Unlike the majority of breeders today, Lütolf breaks away from the conventional way of pairing Normals together.

He mixes many colour factors together continuously. Buying a pure bred is therefore difficult, but if the quality is in front of you, you take a different view. He never breeds two super birds together, or inbreeds, to avoid any feather problems or cysts. Nature does not select pairings as we do as fanciers.

Lütolf also watches the mixed sexes and ages of the birds in the flights. The practice of having the sexes separate in different flights, he feels, encourages homosexuality and the following effect of cocks being afraid of certain hens that are perhaps aggressive by nature. Hence infertile eggs. If he sees a pair making up, then the chances are they will go straight into a breeding cage – and they breed.

Lütolf is also critical of the standard practice we follow of pairing our Greens together and our Skyblues together and so on. He believes in mixing the colours, but in addition he uses the grey factor frequently, across the colours, a view held by Harry Bryan but not Dr. Alfred Robertson of South Africa, the well-known breeders of their period.

To support his views, Lütolf will buy an outcross, breed with it and very often sell it immediately. It has left its blood behind and served its purpose.

Lighting Periods

The breeding room has a very powerful extraction system and recently a superb timed spray system developed by Sigbert Pestringer, to remove dust. The aviary always feels fresh.

The lighting routine is interesting. Lights come on at 07.00 hours. The birds emerge to excrete and mate. They go off again at 13.30 hours and come on again at 15.45 hours. This follows a resting period that the observant will see easily in their own studs. At 15.45 hours they again mate with the light coming on until 23.30 hours.

Feeding

Avoiding discussion about the normal feeding procedures, Lütolf prefers to feed natural products as well as seed etc. Hormova is the only manufactured product used, together with various natural vitamin sources.

Water is often changed twice daily to which is added a small dash of vinegar and lemon.

DL: “This lowers the possible rise in bacterial infections.”

When breeding, the canary seed is increased. When not breeding, the millets have the upper hand. He feels that small sunflower gets the stock too fat.

We now come to vegetables. The range is very extensive and remarkable. Everything comes from the local market. Lütolf checks that none have been sprayed with pesticides and he uses natural food only.
Fennel, peppers, carrots, blackberries, broccoli, cauliflower, uncooked beetroot, grape leaves, tinned maize, and parsley to name most of them. All are chopped and desiccated, and when finished, some 10mls of olive oil is added and mixed in. Apple slices are dropped onto the flight floor.

I wondered what else olive oil could be used for?

DL: “When chicks turn white for no reason I give one drop to the beak and they return to normal colour.

However I do not know why!

The credit for this belongs to Reinhard Molkentin, not myself”

Soaked wheat and oats are fed on alternate days. Tree branches are always in the flights and changed regularly.

Conclusion

Lütolf birds are very big and my concluding comment is that Lütolf’s “quality of birds in depth”, in the top range, is one of the best I have seen anywhere in recent years.