The Scottish Budgerigar Society 

BREEDING WINNERS

The title is slightly misleading, it should read trying to breed winners.

It sounds easy enough and not too complicated. You have checked the flight for a couple of decent looking birds, paired them together and hey presto, look at the quality of the chicks. They should do very well on the show bench.

Another winner from Joe Blogs stud of wonderful Budgies!!!!!!!!!!!

If only it was that simple and easy. Perhaps it can be, if our preparation is planned and our husbandry within the birdroom is of the highest standard.

Where do we start? Choosing the breeding team for me never ends, I am always looking for quality birds that have a certain feature that will enhance the overall appearance and move the birds to a higher standard.

From the moment chicks are weaned and placed into stock cages, the process of looking out for stock birds and obviously show birds is now a matter of course.

Building up towards the breeding season, what is the best manner in trying to get the birds into condition?

Some fanciers separate cocks from hens and swear by it. My preparation is fairly logical and simple. For my first twelve pairs I will gather what I believe to be the best fifteen hens and place them in stock cages, at least three weeks prior to being paired. Soft food is given daily with added nutrients that I believe assist with fertility. As time passes a decision needs to be taken if this first choice of birds are indeed fit and eager enough to breed. If so the challenge begins to find the right partner for each hen.

One point to ponder over, if we have purchased an outcross, how best to use it. Personally, I would have two sisters of similar quality that I would use. Pairing one of them and hopefully getting two rounds of fertile eggs and fostering them, before I move the cock on to the other sister. At this time patience is required and not to be in too much of a hurry.

This year I have been lucky enough to obtain two related cocks and I will use them, to, two related hens. This ensures that the desired features will be hopefully available in more depth. Looking ahead to the following year the choices available (assuming the required features are evident) will be even better towards breeding a quality line of birds.

However let’s assume that we have chosen several birds of both sexes for scrutiny from our existing stock and placed them in show cages. We are now looking for complimentary features between birds and hopefully minimise choosing a pair that carry the same fault.

What dictates our choice of partner, pedigree most certainly, a certain feature such as width of skull, capping across and over the eye, depth of mask and spot size, or width of shoulder?

Most of these will come into our analysis of what makes the best possible pairings. Once you decided what’s best, complete your nest cards prepare the breeding cage and nest box and pray that all goes according to plan.

Robert N