As a teenager, and like all teenagers I went through a period of trying to settle in a hobby. Strangely I was coming home every few weeks with mongrel puppies, and my mother sent me straight back with them. My brother and I, while at secondary school heard the sound of birds coming from the house next to the school, we were intrigued to find out what, and how many birds could make such a sound of excitement of which we heard. We called at the house and were taken to see the birds, our first time in a birdroom. The colours were so attractive. We enquired as to buying a bird, I remember being told at the time to make a list of what we needed and to call back when we had the items, and we would be welcome to purchase a bird. To us it didn't matter much whether we would show it or keep it as a pet, as I assume this is where everyone starts in the hobby.
Going back to our breeder with such excitement after getting a double breeding cage made by a joiner friend of the family, the excitement was great. We had the choice of a triple breeding cage of these brightly coloured birds. A lutino hen was our choice, and thus we started the birds, having cages stacked on top of each other like a shanty town. As time went on due to our interest in the finer sex the birds idea didn't seem so appealing just then. Funny how things go full circle, as then in 1987 I started to get interested in dogs, namely the Rough Collie, or to those not familiar with the name Lassie dogs. I had alot of success with the dogs and developed a line which even today is still behind some very good show kennels and producing champions. I was a Judge, breeder and exhibitor at top level but due to personal reasons gave the dogs up. My heart was not there anymore.
My brother had started to get some birds together and I did feel I could go back and try now to establish a line which I would be proud of. With the internet I started to look at sites with budgerigars I was amazed at the head types and structure of these birds, I always had a preference for Dom/Pieds but when I visited the site of Graham Adams of A1 Budgerigars, I contacted Graham but he had nothing for sale but gave me the number of Trevor McKeag from Comber who was using his line. I made arrangements to visit Trevor's birdroom and acquired stock from him.
The birdroom was then purchased, measuring 12x10 this was then lined with ply on walls and floor. The next task was to complete the birdroom and once the punch bar cage fronts came from Brian Hyland, Don my mate got to work on making the cages. They were made of melamine and the fronts could be removed for cleaning. We had two flights then and safety doors to make sure that none of the birds got out to that big bad world!!
We use Versa Laga coral grit, Jo Mannes Euro Champ mix, Millet and Oats, Just Supplements Thrive n Gloss, Seaweed and Carrot, Calciject for calcium requirements and Orlux soft food. We dont believe the birds should be fed second best as it would only prove to be a false economy.
From our initial set up we have now completed our third birdroom, we have spent alot of time putting this together and its been well worth every minute. The room is filtered by an air filtration system as we find that hygiene paramount. "Who would live in squalor? Not us nor our birds".
This year we have incorporated all-wire system with full spectrum lighting and a f ew alterations to upgrade our birdroom.
Many thanks to my good friend Don Coyle, Trevor McKeag, Robert Nawaurakas, Les Lockey, Barry Lloydd and George Jenkins for all the genuine and sincere help.
I've learned early in the hobby its good to be a bit cautious as the beginner can be seen as an open cheque book (Just an opinion). I got to my first show in August 2006, naturally to try and get my bearings and to see what was required to forward my stock. This was the N.I.B.Z.F&F.B.S, I took 8 firsts.
It was while looking through magazines on the hobby and cage & aviary I noticed a name which was associated with most of the photographs. The name of Les Lockey. So I thought, well if anyone would know a good budgerigar this man surely would. So on that, I wrote of to Les and within a short time received his reply this being an invite to visit his birdroom in Swettenham Cheshire, as he still had some sales birds that he had kept back. I went over to Les and have been back a few times since always treated with the upmost respect and given advice as I go along, we've become good friends and I have acquired some very good stock anytime I visited and always without obligation, a point he always stresses when buying stock from him.
A colour coded pedigree is given with all stock, so lines can be checked when pairing prior to the breeding season.
The new birdroom measures 14x10 and and has an outside flight which measures 14x5 a few changes have been made especially changing to an all wire cage system for easy cleaning. We still use nest boxes made by Jack Singleton in Preston.
Special thanks to Katrina for constructing the site and for taking all the pictures contained within, for listening to me talking about the birds, what I'm planning, what I wont do, what I need to buy and the bird thats going to do wonders etc. Its enough to drive anyone insane!!
I'm sorry to say that during my few years in the hobby, I've met the sales men as opposed to the real hobbyist. I've no intention of becoming active in the politics of the hobby, as enemies are quickly made as some see it as a business and others for what it is. I call a spade a spade and some find this is not an easy tablet to swallow. Many thanks for all the help given this year by my good friends Sammy Adams and Lesley Harkin. The hobby has two good stalwarts with the evolvement of these 2 champion breeders, beginnners are treated courtiously and without patronism.
This year we have moved up to Novice, and now our own personalised ring number..TRIN4.We decided to bring in some birds, and would like this oppurtunity to thank Trevor Terheege,Dave Harazny.Andy Hind,Colin Devey & Colin Wright & Barry Lloydd for giving us the chance to purchase birds to move us to the new level, and of course, a trip to my good friends Les & Sue.We also had some birds earlier in year from Mark & Frank Ramshaw and Michael Stringer