BA23 Birds – What you get

This appraisal is directed at all fanciers who might be considering buying a complete group of foundation birds upon which to build a stud of their own, to the very experienced breeders who are looking for the odd bird as an outcross to a specific line that necessitates an injection of new qualities that their line needs. Usually a couple of cocks of high quality may be requested.

Directional Feathering

To date, in 2013, I have had 67 years experience of hands on breeding exhibition budgerigars – much of it published worldwide and in books. In that time I have seen massive changes from the early Ideal depictions of a perfect budgerigar to the very best, just beyond reach as it should be, the artistic work of Roy Aplin (UK) in 2012.

Since the turn of the century there has been a radical shift to achieving “Directional Feathering” above the cere giving the exhibit an aristocratic look to the overall face. It requires a high degree of skill to reproduce it and from personal experience a lot of investment, as without it a stud has virtually little chance of winning at top level.

This feature is called now by all fanciers as “The Buffalo Effect” – a term I gave it in 2004 in “The Challenge” book.

In 2000, I realised my stud had to change direction – but how to effect that across a big stud? Not easy and bound to be expensive when going abroad, but it has been worth it to say the least.

Budgerigar.co.uk

On this website, you will see regular changes in the photographs as time progresses.

These will mainly be of quality birds bred here at “Tanglewood”.

You will see chicks from 5 weeks of age to adults that form some of the forthcoming breeding team.

It is from these adults that birds will be offered to you and of course they contain the very best bloodlines from a few of the cream of breeders that exist anywhere.

Work With Birds

I export birds worldwide, but I refer to just one or two countries where they like to buy instant winners for a modest amount, from breeders who have invested a lot of money and years of dedication in achieving birds of top quality.

Breed winners – don’t always buy them

This is not the way to breed livestock of exhibition quality.

A good analogy is the Racing Driver. They know from experience that fast but very smooth driving gets them to the chequered flag in first place. Sudden bursts with the throttle pedal (i.e. buying a winner) does not achieve a winning formula.

So it is with birds that we breed. How do you do it?

You work with the features that your birds possess looking at every millimetre of their structures and keep marrying up pairs until suddenly your own bred winners appear but only bringing in outcrosses or related superior birds to quicken the process.

My Credibility

So, what do you get by buying in a BA23 bird from myself?

Please understand that I set great store on my credibility, fairness and complete honesty to all my fellow fanciers. I was brought up that way.

You will see by clicking on purchasing and importing that I help you not only when you have bought your birds, but also after that – if needed.

My objectives are four fold:

1. To build your confidence in me
2. To please you and get you back again within 2 years
3. To underpin you with my feeding programme (if wanted)
4. To know that I can answer your queries when required

Importing

Should you be an intending importer you must absorb these important points and observations:

International approved travelling boxes
are entirely safe for air transport

1. The airlines are first class at handling livestock to stringent rules for all exporters, so our budgerigars arrive safely in their specially designed new crates.
    
2. Birds are under mild stress but travel with seed, millet sprays and grit and the facilities to be watered should they be held over en route, but from experience this has never happened (so far).
    
3. On arrival, even the very best birds are tight feathered and tend to lose weight in transit, as well as arriving in new quarters to different seed mixes, change in water and temperature.
   
   It usually takes 20 days for them to fully settle down and only then can you begin to see what the breeder has sold you. Never make an instant judgement — it requires patience by you.
    
4. You should realise, that once you have placed an order, that sets in motion a great deal of work by the breeder at this end. He has to select very carefully the birds you will be pleased with for the price level you have stated and perhaps take a few photos so you know what to expect.
   
   That can take a great deal of time before your ordered birds are reserved by caging them in stock cages. This is the followed by contacting immediately the UK Ministries involved and checking what is needed from your end, which will include an Import Licence obtained from your Government Ministry which has to be sent to the breeder.
   
   A sudden cancellation of your order, without sound reason, immediately causes the complete waste of time spent helping you and also having refused other buyers being offered birds that you had reserved. As a well known Breeder in UK said to me, “I wish buyers abroad realised that when they place an order we are not just sitting around doing nothing after that.” We all try to help you given a bit of consideration and help in the process, so you are pleased.
5. http://www.budgerigar.co.uk/about-gerald-binks/ba23-birds-what-you-get/