It was only recently that I was reminded that a certain individual had commented that people were laughing at me when I first mentioned the Internet and its potential as far as our hobby was concerned some 3 years ago. It's fortunate that I am not the type of person to say I told you so, but indeed the Internet has opened up a complete new facet to the hobby for those fortunate enough to own a computer, a modem and have an Internet Service Provider (ISN).
To give readers an idea of the breadth of the possibilities, an extension to email is what is termed an Internet chat line. This is not vocal chat but the ability to be able to type instant messages between two people. The person on the receiving end can see the words being typed in the bottom window of the screen and then reply by typing in the top window, which is then seen by the person at the other end. Obviously the speed of the conversation is determined by your typing speed. Anyway, I was chatting to Sharon House who lives in Australia and in particular we were looking at and talking about some pictures of her birds that had been posted onto their Web-site in America. In parallel to this I was also in conversation with a fancier who lives in Moscow and another one in Alaska. All this for the cost of a local phone call less 10%, as I have my Internet number on my Family & Friends list.
Another recent addition to the Budgerigar Internet is ExhibitionBudgieList@listbot.com. This is an email network where questions and answers are passed around the registered community. The good news is that there are no time wasters here and it is a good place to share information. The Web-site of Dolores Noonan, Budgerigars Galore continues to grow and this provides a most extensive offering of budgerigar articles. Other sites worth checking out are the Budgerigar World Site (but of course you're already there) and the Budgerigar Society site. Looking around the world we have the American Budgerigar Society and BudgieMania. Here at BudgieMania you will discover a free download of The Budgerigar Programme, an excellent record and pedigree programme that is, incidentally, used by myself. The list of society sites goes on and on and then there are the sites that have been set up by individuals to promote themselves and their interests. The Internet is certainly one area of the hobby that is growing rapidly and one that should certainly be taken seriously.
For the early breeders the fate of the 1999 breeding season is now well and truly sealed. We commenced pairing up at the end of November last year and by Christmas Eve had 32 pairs in the breeding cages. It seemed to me that the condition of the birds came and went very quickly. You almost had to pair up at the time you noticed suitable partners that were ready to go. Leave it a couple of days and it was all too late. We were very fortunate and of the pairings made, only two did not perform. One was a pair of Clearbodys that finally laid two rounds of clear eggs and the other was a young, newly acquired hen that did not lay at all.
We did have a couple of nests with only one or two chicks in and a handful of tinies died along the way. And then there were the three chicks that were slaughtered by their parents shortly after leaving the nest box. However, by the middle of February we had some 70 plus chicks with rings on and with the eldest twenty or so, away on their own. The second round is now commencing to hatch and there are plenty of fertile eggs in most nest boxes. Yvonne's old Double Factor Spangle cock that won at the Specialist and Rares Show four years in succession had seven chicks in his first round and the second round also looks to be ok. Not bad when you think he is 1994 rung.