These were the words of Mick Mapston at a London and Southern Counties Beginners Day and the context in which he was saying this was in regard to Beginners asking questions to gain knowledge.
There are three main reasons why people in all walks of life remain silent. The first is that they have very little that is useful to say, unfortunately this does not always run true because these people often make the most of saying nothing, (a few Politicians spring to mind, both inside and outside of the hobby). The second and I believe the largest group, are those individuals who are too embarrassed to speak their minds because they believe that others will perhaps perceive them as being foolish. Finally, there are those who are happy with things as they are and need say nothing.
Unfortunately, what tends to happen is that the silent majority all get trussed up in the category of "Silence is approval" which is generally the wrong message. An example of this is that from time to time both Gwyn Evans and myself attempt to stimulate readers letters and comment by selecting a somewhat controversial subject to write about. The response to these is generally very poor and does not, I believe, reflect the true opinion of the fancier at large.
Without wanting to go over old ground, the UK ring issue date is a typical debate where we really only know the opinions of the few who voice their claims publicly. The response from the general fancier as to their wants and needs is virtually non-existent. This silence treatment is also accorded to items such as Postal Ballets for committee positions and Annual General Meetings. All in all, this situation could be read as total apathy but I do not believe it this to be true.
It is clearly the responsibility of all members of the hobby to voice their opinions in a constructive manner. Whether the subject be ring issue dates, committee decisions or the cost of seed, it is always worth writing your thoughts down and submitting them for consideration. To have good ideas and know the correct way in which the hobby should be managed is not the exclusive right of a committee. Because without feedback, it is assumed that "Silence is Approval".
While carrying our research for articles it is surprising what apparent trivia can be discovered. Apparently, some years ago a great deal of research was carried out on the palatability of eggs in which the hedgehog, rat, ferret and cat were used as tasters and a long series of unfinished papers were published by the Zoological Society of London. Later work was then recorded where the observations of a highly experienced tasting panels opinions on eggs of 212 species were collated.
The routine was to prepare a scramble, cooked over a steam bath with no further fat or condiment added. A palatability score was recorded against each species on a range of 10 - ideal, 9 - very good, 8 - good egg flavour, 7 - barely perceptible foreign flavour, 5 - unpleasant, 4 - increasingly off. 2 - repulsive and inedible. The highest score of 8.7 was that of the domestic fowl and the lowest was the Black Tit, which scored just 2. As for the Budgerigar eggs, they were awarded 7.1 points; the same as domestic ducks and geese. It is therefore interesting to note that the Budgerigar egg is quite edible with its taste being described as "nutty" and "very sweet".
So, how many Budgerigar eggs does it take to make a decent omelette? Answers to me please.
For those Budgerigar fanciers who prefer to use nature as the trigger for the breeding cycle of their birds, it will soon be time for getting ready to pair up. Clearly it makes sense that the Spring time should be the easiest time to get our stock to reproduce, as it happens naturally in terms of the lengthening day and the warmer weather and there is no need to force it. One important thing to remember is that a good Budgerigar is a good Budgerigar no matter when it was hatched and which years ring it is wearing.