Post by Marianne Marlow on Dec 28, 2011 9:57:33 GMT
Alan Bundy a Breeder & Exhibitor of Budgerigars who lives in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
And a " spot on" photographer I must add.
Q. When did you first start to become interested in budgies and what sparked it off?
A. Back around 1969 I was in Rhodesia, Africa living in a boarding school that had budgies in an outside and inside flight. A few years later my parents bought budgies for my brother. He had three breeding cages in a box which was in our room. That was my first introduction to budgies.
Q. What did your first Aviary/Breeding room look like?
A. My first bird room was in 1990, and it really was only a box about 5 feet long that I built out of wood and wire.
Todays Birdroom
Q. Where and when did you acquire your first birds?
A. My first bird was from a pet store, it was an Albino called Lilly. Later I joined the national bird club here in the US the American Budgerigar Society. I drove from Pennsylvania down to Maryland to a champion breeder Ron Rebham. Ron sold me three pair priced at $75 per bird and he let me pay off the last two birds because I didn’t have enough money on me.
Q. Do you still have birds from these bloodlines?
A. I sold up my birds in 1993 because of a move and so I don’t have birds directly from Ron Rebham but I do have the line he had so they are in a small way connected. We often say all East coast birds are related in one way or another.
Q. Which Bloodlines have given you the most impact on your stud?
A. Since I started back in birds back in 2007 I was able to get some indirect birds from Luetolf which have given me the quality at my level.
Q. Do you have a specific way of preparing your birds for the breeding season?
A. Because I have only sixteen breeding cages I have been breeding all year round. Since our birds come into condition at all times of the year I pair up when they are in condition. So to answer your question there is nothing I do to bring my birds into condition. I will say that my bird room is cooled in the summer by air conditioning and heated in the winter which helps in the breeding season.
Q. Do you pair your birds by Visual appearance/Bloodline or both?
A. I pair up my birds by feature. I am currently focusing on blow and back skull. I have two lines that I maintain and a third that I combine. Since I don’t have many birds and not many generations to go back to I’m just getting underway with the features. I would say however that I would first pair visually then check the pedigree.
Q. What are your views on pairing up related birds? Have you had any success with this?
A. I’m still learning but at this point my goal is aunts and uncles first then half-brother to half-sister. If I have the chance grandfather to granddaughter and vice versa if the grandfather is a superior bird then I want to carry the majority of his traits.
Q. How many chicks and clutches are your birds allowed?
A. I have always been told two or three clutches but my feeling is that if a pair only have two babies in the first round and three in the next they can continue to go again. Some people say that they will breed until they are ready to stop. I have had a cock in the breeding cage for almost two years because he is producing good birds and is in top condition, I run different hens to him looking to carry his traits. I like to have no more than four babies to a nest, any more than four are fostered.
Q. What would you change about your set up if you had the chance (and infinite money to do so?)
A. If I had the money I would set up my bird room sort of like Jo Mannes. I like the idea of a centre large flight with an area that can be open to the light and air and closed if necessary. I would have all the washing necessities and maybe a room for an office with a computer.
Q. Do you believe in preventative medication? If so what do you use?
A. You know I have been very lucky and have not had problems to date that have affected my birds outside of the odd bird here and there. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to bring a bird back to health outside of hand feeding and energy nutrition when they are sick. I feel that a clean aviary and paying attention is the best prevention. That isn’t to say that I don’t need to do this and won’t in the future.
Q. How do you deal with birds with feather disorders?
A. I’ve tried to incise the feather cyst but as general rule I don’t breed a bird like that unless it is exceptional. Thankfully to date I haven’t had much problems with this.
Q. Do you have a favourite mutation or variety?
A. That is a good question and the obvious answer would be a good bird no matter what the variety but truthfully since I breed birds because I love them I have been inspired to breed Texas Clear bodies. I started with two brothers with one doing well at the shows for me. I do have Golden faces and Lutino’s outside of my normals.
Q. Who do you admire most in the hobby?
A. Wow! Such a hard question to answer because there are so many people that I admire. I have to say it Barrie and maybe you won’t post this but I admire you. Your dedication patience and hard work show in your birds. Not only that but the countless people you have helped at any level. Your promotion of the hobby is second to none in my view. That is how I want to be.
Q. What was the best bird you ever bred?
A. The best bird I would say was the one that I won a best in show with as a Novice in Winsconsin in 2009. It was a cobalt hen with the head features and deportment so desired in today’s budgerigars and it was the bird that the judge liked. I have never been so excited as to see my bird placed where it was, I never would have dreamed it.
Q. What was the best bird that you have seen from someone else's stud?
A. Another hard question to answer because I have been to some of the top aviaries in England. I would say Brian Sweetings birds are my favourite because of the elegance of the birds, but when I was at Alan Marchants his birds looked like they were in another league. I saw a grey at Alan Adams that was four bars wide, and I have never seen feather direction like I have seen at Paul Stannards place. So this is a hard question for me to answer.
One of Alan's favourite budgerigars from the Sweeting stud
Q. What is the most important piece of advice you could give a beginner just starting out in the hobby?
A. The most important advice I could give a beginner is to take your time and enjoy the hobby. Make friends listen and try and practice what you have heard. As one of my friends says “It’s all about the birds”. This is a hobby.
All friends together
Q. What more do you believe we can do to promote the hobby?
A. I think you have to be proactive. Find a skill and use it for the hobby. If it is picture taking take lots of pictures. If it is web design, help someone get set up. If it is advertising help get the word out, if it is construction help build something. In other words find what you are good at and use it for the benefit of our hobby. It will make you feel good and you will be rewarded in the long run. What goes around usually comes around.
Become a mentor
Q. What do you enjoy most about the hobby? Are you still as enthusiastic as when you first started?
A. The birds and the people are the most rewarding part for me in the hobby, then I would say my photography and web work are next. People motivate me and seeing others succeed makes me feel good. It inspires me to reach higher.
Thank you for taking part Alan.
Do have a look at Alan's Blog awbbudgies.blogspot.com/
I did leave it Alan as i enjoy helping genuine budgerigar fanciers the World over.
I remember writting these few words " today's pet breeder could be tomorrows exhibitor " many have copied these words but sadly not many have adopted them and offered the hand of friendship.
©2006 barrieshuttbudgerigars S3872.
And a " spot on" photographer I must add.
Q. When did you first start to become interested in budgies and what sparked it off?
A. Back around 1969 I was in Rhodesia, Africa living in a boarding school that had budgies in an outside and inside flight. A few years later my parents bought budgies for my brother. He had three breeding cages in a box which was in our room. That was my first introduction to budgies.
Q. What did your first Aviary/Breeding room look like?
A. My first bird room was in 1990, and it really was only a box about 5 feet long that I built out of wood and wire.
Todays Birdroom
Q. Where and when did you acquire your first birds?
A. My first bird was from a pet store, it was an Albino called Lilly. Later I joined the national bird club here in the US the American Budgerigar Society. I drove from Pennsylvania down to Maryland to a champion breeder Ron Rebham. Ron sold me three pair priced at $75 per bird and he let me pay off the last two birds because I didn’t have enough money on me.
Q. Do you still have birds from these bloodlines?
A. I sold up my birds in 1993 because of a move and so I don’t have birds directly from Ron Rebham but I do have the line he had so they are in a small way connected. We often say all East coast birds are related in one way or another.
Q. Which Bloodlines have given you the most impact on your stud?
A. Since I started back in birds back in 2007 I was able to get some indirect birds from Luetolf which have given me the quality at my level.
Q. Do you have a specific way of preparing your birds for the breeding season?
A. Because I have only sixteen breeding cages I have been breeding all year round. Since our birds come into condition at all times of the year I pair up when they are in condition. So to answer your question there is nothing I do to bring my birds into condition. I will say that my bird room is cooled in the summer by air conditioning and heated in the winter which helps in the breeding season.
Q. Do you pair your birds by Visual appearance/Bloodline or both?
A. I pair up my birds by feature. I am currently focusing on blow and back skull. I have two lines that I maintain and a third that I combine. Since I don’t have many birds and not many generations to go back to I’m just getting underway with the features. I would say however that I would first pair visually then check the pedigree.
Q. What are your views on pairing up related birds? Have you had any success with this?
A. I’m still learning but at this point my goal is aunts and uncles first then half-brother to half-sister. If I have the chance grandfather to granddaughter and vice versa if the grandfather is a superior bird then I want to carry the majority of his traits.
Q. How many chicks and clutches are your birds allowed?
A. I have always been told two or three clutches but my feeling is that if a pair only have two babies in the first round and three in the next they can continue to go again. Some people say that they will breed until they are ready to stop. I have had a cock in the breeding cage for almost two years because he is producing good birds and is in top condition, I run different hens to him looking to carry his traits. I like to have no more than four babies to a nest, any more than four are fostered.
Q. What would you change about your set up if you had the chance (and infinite money to do so?)
A. If I had the money I would set up my bird room sort of like Jo Mannes. I like the idea of a centre large flight with an area that can be open to the light and air and closed if necessary. I would have all the washing necessities and maybe a room for an office with a computer.
Q. Do you believe in preventative medication? If so what do you use?
A. You know I have been very lucky and have not had problems to date that have affected my birds outside of the odd bird here and there. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to bring a bird back to health outside of hand feeding and energy nutrition when they are sick. I feel that a clean aviary and paying attention is the best prevention. That isn’t to say that I don’t need to do this and won’t in the future.
Q. How do you deal with birds with feather disorders?
A. I’ve tried to incise the feather cyst but as general rule I don’t breed a bird like that unless it is exceptional. Thankfully to date I haven’t had much problems with this.
Q. Do you have a favourite mutation or variety?
A. That is a good question and the obvious answer would be a good bird no matter what the variety but truthfully since I breed birds because I love them I have been inspired to breed Texas Clear bodies. I started with two brothers with one doing well at the shows for me. I do have Golden faces and Lutino’s outside of my normals.
Q. Who do you admire most in the hobby?
A. Wow! Such a hard question to answer because there are so many people that I admire. I have to say it Barrie and maybe you won’t post this but I admire you. Your dedication patience and hard work show in your birds. Not only that but the countless people you have helped at any level. Your promotion of the hobby is second to none in my view. That is how I want to be.
Q. What was the best bird you ever bred?
A. The best bird I would say was the one that I won a best in show with as a Novice in Winsconsin in 2009. It was a cobalt hen with the head features and deportment so desired in today’s budgerigars and it was the bird that the judge liked. I have never been so excited as to see my bird placed where it was, I never would have dreamed it.
Q. What was the best bird that you have seen from someone else's stud?
A. Another hard question to answer because I have been to some of the top aviaries in England. I would say Brian Sweetings birds are my favourite because of the elegance of the birds, but when I was at Alan Marchants his birds looked like they were in another league. I saw a grey at Alan Adams that was four bars wide, and I have never seen feather direction like I have seen at Paul Stannards place. So this is a hard question for me to answer.
One of Alan's favourite budgerigars from the Sweeting stud
Q. What is the most important piece of advice you could give a beginner just starting out in the hobby?
A. The most important advice I could give a beginner is to take your time and enjoy the hobby. Make friends listen and try and practice what you have heard. As one of my friends says “It’s all about the birds”. This is a hobby.
All friends together
Q. What more do you believe we can do to promote the hobby?
A. I think you have to be proactive. Find a skill and use it for the hobby. If it is picture taking take lots of pictures. If it is web design, help someone get set up. If it is advertising help get the word out, if it is construction help build something. In other words find what you are good at and use it for the benefit of our hobby. It will make you feel good and you will be rewarded in the long run. What goes around usually comes around.
Become a mentor
Q. What do you enjoy most about the hobby? Are you still as enthusiastic as when you first started?
A. The birds and the people are the most rewarding part for me in the hobby, then I would say my photography and web work are next. People motivate me and seeing others succeed makes me feel good. It inspires me to reach higher.
Thank you for taking part Alan.
Do have a look at Alan's Blog awbbudgies.blogspot.com/
I did leave it Alan as i enjoy helping genuine budgerigar fanciers the World over.
I remember writting these few words " today's pet breeder could be tomorrows exhibitor " many have copied these words but sadly not many have adopted them and offered the hand of friendship.
©2006 barrieshuttbudgerigars S3872.