THE HOBBY IN DECLINE
A subject of recent discussion is that of the apparent declining numbers of people who partake in the Budgerigar hobby. A number of causes have been attributed to this, amongst which are the high costs involved in keeping and breeding Budgerigars and the proliferation of other ‘high tech’ pursuits that are available for people to follow during their leisure hours. The question is, what can be done to attract new fanciers into the fold and what can be done to retain those that we already have?
Expense is certainly a consideration and includes both set up and maintenance costs. There is little that can be done to help offset the initial costs other than to ensure that details of the recommended approach to aviary construction and design is available. Running costs tend to be in line with size of building and the number of birds kept and so is clearly in the control of the fancier. The cost of ‘belonging’ is a major consideration with Budgerigar Society subscription together with rings and other specialist society fees accounting for perhaps up to £100 per year for the average fancier. Many of us entered the hobby via the pet route and I am sure that others will continue to do so but when faced with such fees it’s bound to be off putting.
The sale of surplus stock always used to provide a reasonable income that went a good way in off setting running costs but today the pet market is very limited and unless you are a successful exhibitor, disposing of aviary culls becomes a real problem.
DEATH TOLL
Having reread what I have just written, it sounds as if I am tolling the death bell but in reality I am attempting to stimulate others to give this problem real consideration. How can we attract newcomers to the hobby? Maybe the BS should offer free membership for the first year to newcomers on condition that they paid in advance for the second year. This may help. Perhaps the joining fee should be dropped. Consideration could be given to tiered fees in line with exhibition status.
I spoke with the ABS President and from his comments it is clear that the American hobby is actively pursuing every opportunity there is to recruit new members into their ranks. A National Promotion campaign is underway and is being co-ordinated through their various regions. Something similar could be considered in the UK using the Areas Societies. One of the areas in which we perhaps do not maximise enough is the social aspects of the hobby. I believe that the BS Club Show typifies all that is good in the hobby and the comradeship that is evident is a credit to all who are involved in staging this magnificent event.
I would be interested to hear the views of fanciers on how they think
we can make the hobby grow and flourish.
SEXING EGGS
A past discussion New Zealand fancier the late, Brian Cram interested me greatly when he said, "As I held an egg up to the sunlight to check for fertility, (no high tech laser torches in NZ), I noted with some satisfaction that the 5 day old egg from a Lutino cock and a Grey Green hen, carried a developing hen chick." My immediate reaction was to check to make sure I had heard what he had said and sure enough my hearing had not failed me. Here are details of his theory which can be checked out with your BW Laser Torches during the current breeding season.
If, as the yolk begins to colour at four to five days, the developing embryo lies vertically in the egg, up one side or other of the shell, the chick will be a cock. If it lies horizontally in one end of the shell, you have a hen. A small percentage of the developing embryo do not take up a definite position but seem to lie diagonally in the shell at about the 04.10 position. These will either be 'hen like cocks' or hens with 'cock like heads'. The success rate for this prediction is far too high to be just coincidence.
Let me know your results as the months pass.