This month I am devoting my column to some of the telephone calls and messages I have been receiving. Some need help and readers maybe, can be of assistance.
Greg. O’Connell, 18, Tower Drive, Greensborough, Vic. 3088 Australia is a collector of Budgie Club Badges. There are many with a similar interest throughout the world but Greg is keen on exchanging or purchasing surplus badges, and would like to contact fanciers with similar interests.
Greg has been breeding budgerigars for over forty years and bought some of the imports from U.K. breeders. Unfortunately, those did not do very well for him, but he kept on trying! Eventually he became successful. There you have it - if you have any badges you wish to swap or are just lying around, Greg would like to hear from you.
A Midlands reader needs information on Budgie Incubators. I believe some were manufactured years ago but I have not seen any in recent years. If a reader knows of a manufacturer or has been successful using one, please contact me and I will pass the information on.
M. Delclaus Jacques of Vannes in France tells me he has been an amateur stockbreeder of ‘large budgerigars’ for 35 years and would like to contact stock breeders of Collars of the India, transfers cobalt; Collars of the India, transfers purple; Collars of the India, transfers shandies; and Collars of the India, green sinks, carrying blue. Unless I am mistaken, these are some types of parrot (I am subject to correction) and information will be forwarded if a reader can help.
His request for a copy of an American magazine has been dealt with.
A. Beutell, Lot 3, Oldtoowoomba Rd., Placid Hills, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia seeks a book specialising in bird diseases. Can any reader help.
Olav Halvorsen, of Norway tells me he paired up a Dominant Pied dark green to a rich coloured Violet Hen and has produced Grey Greens. He is puzzled. The parents of both birds come from England (one line from the North East and the other the South East).
Olav has unfortunately misplaced the breeders names and addresses but if any of the breeders remember having sold the birds to Norway maybe they would like to contact me when they will be put in contact with Olav.
Several fanciers have suggested during the year that they could be interested in having exchange visits with fanciers in other countries. Contact me if the idea appeals with a reference to the country where you wish to have a contact and this can be printed.
A budgerigar breeder who had emigrated to Australia some years ago from the North East of England phoned me the other day having paid a nostalgic visit to his home town.
The old industries he remembered during his childhood had disappeared and the factories pulled down. The city centre could boast of only a couple of shops the names, which he was so familiar with when he left. In fact it was not his home town any more, but he had to go and see where he had been born and brought up in.
He found the street without any trouble, but his house did not look the same. When he was a child the entire street looked the same, but now the doors were different and the windows were bright aluminium (double-glazed). He continued by saying he took the courage to knock on his home and when the young lady answered he explained who he was and was invited in. It was so different to what he had left behind. A wall had been demolished and the parlour was now part of a bigger living room. The old settee had gone and so had the white table where he ate so many meals. There was a huge TV and the back kitchen was an extension with all modern appliances.
He asked if he could see his old birdroom at the bottom of the garden. It had gone years ago with the outside toilet, so he was told.
It had been replaced by a pool and the vegetable garden had been paved over.
When he asked what they did with their spare time since he spent hours with his friends in the birdroom talking about the birds and the shows. He was told they had the telly and went to the pub or club for a meal. The husband also watched football and attended matches with his pals and had no time or interest in other activities.
So why repeat this story. It was, as the fancier told me, an example why hobbies of all types are losing ground. It is simply that times have changed. People today have changed with the times. Their lifestyle has changed, their attitude to life has changed as could be seen with what had happened to his old home. They were not interested in livestock. It appeared to be too much like work. Once their work day was over they wanted to sit down doing nothing.
And that, probably is the hurdle we, as livestock breeders have to overcome to attract the younger generation into our hobby.
© Gwyn Evans 1999
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