NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE

This starts with soft food, to cages, and inspection of the flights and nest boxes, checking chicks and breeding pairs, also breeding hens, replenish water drinkers, and inspect youngsters in baby cages and flights, the floor is then hovered and washed if needed. Windows opened to allow access to outside flights , (normally around 8 am, c consideration to surrounding houses) , evening inspection ,check seed hoppers and drinkers, soft food is given ,boxes checked, and chicks ringing, again all birds are health checked , any chicks need removing are done in the evening to allow youngsters to adjust to the nursery cage, a careful eye is cast before lights out, millet sprays are given in abundance to encourage feeding, fresh pairings are usually done to allow birds to settle in over night, mating takes place more at first light , all breeding records are updated, and time spent studying stock. Well being, and further pairings & show team selection.

 

MY FEEDING REGIME

  

The feeding system used is the same all year round with a few titbits added through the build up to the main breeding season.

As I have already mentioned the seed used over the last 4 years is the range of seeds prepared especially for and blended by Bucktons for the Budgerigar Society. The quality of the seed, as far as I am concerned, is great value for money. To achieve and maintain a healthy successful stud of any livestock I ensure a full and consistent basic diet, cleanliness needs to be second to none. The seed has to smell sweet fresh and above all dry. Germination is undertaken by soaking seed in a little water then added to the soft food.

The Bucktons range used is the plain canary coated in oil containing vitamins and minerals and their mixed millets used together as a 50/50 mixture. This is fed in breeding cages via hoppers, and in flights using 2 large deep trays. Bucktons tonic seed is offered in smaller dishes, topped up at least 3 times a week. The flights receive theirs spread lightly over their open trays. Millet sprays are fed to the stock cages, baby cages, and flights twice a week, except when chicks are first removed from their parents. The millet sprays are given twice a day to ensure the new babies can find them and watch older chicks feeding. The breeding cages received 1/2 a millet spray daily, soaked in Vanodine overnight and allowed to drain. They demolish these with speed and I feel the soaking in Vanodine, apart from the keeping the pairs free from sour crop, also ensures they feed themselves at least once a day.

Good quality fine pigeon grit and cuttle bone is always provided and soft food is fed in finger drawers 2 to 3 times daily. The soft food used is Vydex Growrite, which comes in 2 flavours almond and aniseed - my birds eat both. I have used Vydex Growrite since 1996. Over the years all other brands have been tried, the birds proved the one they like best - they clear the lot. About 5 days before chicks are due to hatch, hard-boiled eggs are added to the soft food, this is a great form of protein and helps to improve the crop milk value from day one. As numbers of chicks hatch the hard-boiled egg is increased, sometimes using up to10 eggs a day. I also add Quicko dehydrated carrot to the soft food that is first added to water for 30 minutes so that it swells up. No soaked oats or green food is offered to the birds at any time. This system is just a pure and simple feeding programme that can be covered by anyone at anytime and makes things easy so that more time can be spent enjoying the birds, also the birds are fed and nest boxes checked at around the same times daily. This way the birds get to know the routine and wait to see what's on the menu. Whilst they are enjoying the soft food etc the nest boxes are checked without having to force sitting hens out of the nest unnecessarily.

Finally, finger drawers and soft food dishes are removed, washed and soaked in Aviary Scrub, then rinsed and allowed to dry, every other day. Plain tap water is used; boiled water has been tried with no noticeable improvements. Once a week, apple cider vinegar is added at 5mls per litre. This gives the birds a flush through. Not many hens are seen sick or having wet clogged vents. All flights, stock and breeding cages are fed and watered in the same way so that any fresh pairings can be made knowing all the birds are familiar with the feeding regime.