RARE VARIETY & COLOUR BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY
ANNUAL MEMBERS’ SHOW & AGM 2008
reported by Marstin & Emma Nee, Publicity Officers

The Rare Variety & Colour B.S. held their Annual Members’ Show, Seminar and A.G.M. in Loddington, Northants and it was well supported by members and guests.

There were 73 birds for Maurice Roberts, the society’s outgoing president to judge from 14 exhibitors which was a welcome increase from last year’s entry of 52 from 9 exhibitors. The best in show went to a nice and well-presented Greywing Light Green cock bred by Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser. The young bird award went to Mick Anzara’s Lacewing Yellow cock while John Grubb benched a Greywing Cobalt cock to win the best barhead award. Other best of variety awards went to Mick Anzara for Rainbow; Cy Thorne for Lacewing & Texas Clearbody; Bob Allen for English & German Fallow; Sue & Rod Clarke for Easley Clearbody & Slate and Sheila Cook for Saddleback.

After lunch Maurice Roberts was the guest speaker and he spoke about his beginning in the hobby and how he went into budgies and joining the B.S. in 1973. He informed the audience that he made many friends over the years travelling many miles to meet other fanciers before eventually joining the fire brigade.


Ghalib Al-Nasser with his BIS and Maurice Roberts

He started with a small birdroom made of hardboard and wire but his present one is 42ft long by 7ft wide. He recommended that if designing a new birdroom it should be south facing with good ventilation and airflow across the birdroom. He uses Jeyes fluid at the entrance to keep rodents away and said that it is an advantage to have a sink and water installed. He uses a lot of recycled items in his birdroom like food dishes and also uses the appropriate disinfectants such as F10, V18 or bleach. Maurice believes that nest box hygiene is very important and finds plastic nest boxes very easy to clean.

Maurice turned his attention to the exhibition side of our hobby and said that fanciers should have a clear picture in their minds as to what they wish to achieve without losing their objectives. He advised fanciers to have confidence to work with their birds and bring out the best in them. He advised the audience to use the best feeding methods including protein in the food. He currently uses a 50% canary & 50% other seeds for his birds’ diet adding oil, garlic, yeast or kelp. He uses large seed dishes and stainless steel water dishes; sometimes adding cider vinegar to the water to cleanse the gut. He also informed members that the use of iodine and Co-op limejuice was ideal for e-coli conditions and elderberry syrup was also good, and that the water should be kept clean by changing it often.

Maurice also highlighted the importance of keeping good records and writing down everything that occurs in the birdroom. He also recommended keeping photos of birds as a record. It is also an asset to have knowledge of genetics and if one keeps studying it will eventually become routine knowledge.


Mick Anzara, Maurice Roberts & Cy Thorne

 Inbreeding and line breeding can double up on faults so one should be very selective, but one can outcross as well to bring certain features. Some fanciers want to win straightaway without doing the normal apprenticeship and soon will be out of the hobby when they cannot achieve their aims quickly enough. He also informed the members that there are two feather types in budgerigars; yellow and buff and it pays to study the feather type of your birds and when pairing to mix the two feather types together. With regard to judging Maurice advised members to visit as many shows as possible, studying the winning birds and developing an eye for judging and gaining experience as you go along.

At the AGM the society chairman, Ghalib Al-Nasser, congratulated all the winners, thanked members for bringing birds and highlighted the fact that it is at this show that the first Anthracites were exhibited in this country by Judy Mitchell and Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser. Maurice Roberts, the outgoing president, presented the 2007 winners Mick Anzara and Cy Thorne with their Silver & Gold Sovereign Salvers respectively.
Bob Allen was inaugurated as the new president and Gren Norris was elected to the post of president elect. Other officers remained the same and were re-elected as follows: Ghalib Al-Nasser, chairman; Rod Clarke, vice chairman & joint patronage secretary with wife Sue; Philip Dye (81 Drayton High Road, Drayton, Norwich, Norfolk NR8 6AJ. Tel: 01603 860469), secretary; Bob Allen, membership secretary & editor; Janice Al-Nasser, treasurer; Marstin & Emma Nee, publicity officers; Cy Thorne, trophy steward. Sheila Cook, Gren & Pat Norris and David Rafis, committee members. The society has its own website (www.rarebudgerigars.co.uk) to view.


New President Bob Allen with the outgoing
President Maurice Roberts at the AGM

It was decided by the committee that the next Annual Members Show/Seminar/AGM will be held on 17th May 2009 (week 20) and it will be staged again at Loddington, Kettering, Northants.

ANNUAL MEMBERS’ SHOW 2008

Birds Benched: 73                  No. of Exhibitors: 14               Judge: Maurice Roberts

Best Rainbow
Best Lacewing
Best German Fallow

Special

Exhibitor & Description of Exhibit
Best Rare in Show Ghalib & Janice Al-Nasser      Greywing Light Green cock
Best Young Bird Mick Anzara                             Lacewing Yellow cock
Best Barhead John Grubb                              Greywing Cobalt cock
Most Points in Show Cy Thorne
Most Points Champ./Int Cy Thorne
Most Points Novice/Beg John Harvey

Best English Fallow
Best Texas Clearbody
Best Easley Clearbody
Variety Best Any Age Best Young Bird
Rainbow M. Anzara * J. Harvey
Greywing G. & J. Al-Nasser * M. Anzara
Lacewing C. Thorne * M. Anzara
English Fallow R. J. Allen * N/E
German Fallow R. J. Allen * N/E
Easley Clearbody S. & R. Clarke * N/E
Texas Clearbody C. Thorne * C. Thorne
Slate S. & R. Clarke * J. Harvey
Saddleback Mrs. S. Cook * M. Anzara

*  indicates Best of each variety overall


Best Slate
Best Saddleback
Best Greywing

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