| Sixteen Years of Novice Status. by Dave Auld. |
| One might wonder why I have been in the hobby for so long and still be at Novice Status. I started breeding Pet Shop type Budgies in colony aviaries when I stayed in Tsumeb, S.W.Africa between 1974/78. Due to personal circumstances I returned to Scotland and stayed there for three years before returning to South Africa in 1981. While living in a company house in East London I decided to build an aviary and breed various types of finches.My love of Budgies soon convinced me to change my ways. I found the phone number of the B.S.S.A. and they informed me that there was a club in East London and gave me its phone number. I phoned the E.L.B.S. and talked to a Mr. K Johnson who invited me to come to his house to look at his birds. I must say after breeding pet shop budgies I was in for an eye opener when I saw Ken�s birds.I made up my mind to join the club. Ken advised me to stay away from colony breeding so the first thing to work out was where to keep them. I wasn�t well off financially so I hastily built eight breeding cages as cheaply as I could and set them up in the garage. The next step was where with my limited monetary resources do I purchase these beautiful show budgies.Ken again asked me to visit him and presented me with five pairs of birds. From then onwards Ken took me under his wing, giving me advice and friendship. With Ken and his wife Tickey we are the only original members of that era left in the club. As for showing budgies I only really started showing seriously at the 8th E.C.Provincial 1994 when I won Best novice opposite sex & Best novice any age opposite sex. It wasn�t great but it was a start. At this time we had a new member called Andre Kruger who has assisted me enormously in the last few years to attend shows. I have now built a birdroom with attached flight and a large external flight. My birds are improving all the time and hopefully I will reach intermediate status this year. For the beginner, if you don�t have the quality of birds that you see on the show benches don�t be disheartened. There is nothing more rewarding than watching your stock improving each year as you gain experience in breeding. To put the correct pairings together and have chicks in the nest that are superior to the parents is worth all the hard work. It is easy to spend hundreds of rands on someone else's far superior budgies, but to breed your own through a process of elimination or culling of poor specimens makes that personal achievement that you gain all that more worthwhile.As one gains experience after a few years then is the time to buy in a few superior birds to improve your stock. To see your stock getting bigger & better every season keeps your interest in the hobby an ongoing pleasure. Notice the word hobby. Most people nowadays look on Budgie breeding as a business which could be the reason for the diminishing membership of the B.S.S.A. Showing show budgies is the highlight of the season but can also have a negative effect on the exhibitor if they allow a poor showing to upset them. I have exhibited at shows without success but find the experience of showing,stewarding & meeting new breeders and exhibitors counter any disappointment on the bench. I am as keen on my hobby as I was when I started and hope that everyone in our club continues to breed and show their budgies. |
| Dave has now been promoted to Intermediate. |
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