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Our May meeting saw a change of venue, with the society invited to the home of Alan and Sandra Oxby at Rainworth, Notts for a bar-b-q. Alan is Notts & Derby BA Treasurer, although I'm sure that had nothing to do with it. As usual mine host had killed the "fatted calf" or on this occasion lamb, and there were all manner of scrumptious goodies on offer.
<--- Bill Bancroft & Alan Kidger
Bill Walker &
Clive Sutton --->
Some people stayed with the barbie . . .
Some people stayed with the booze . . .
In a well ordered birdroom Alan keeps a variety of the main stream colours, his stud has been built around birds he has obtained from John Heald.
Members had free access to the gardens and birdroom and the combination of budgies and burgers seemed to go down well.
Can we book for next year Alan?
Tony Haywood
Tony brought Grandson Daniel along for company but it seems there was an even bigger attraction in the birdroom.
Some people had an even better idea . . .
Alan used to be a butcher you know, no I am not joking.
The weather stayed fine for us too, usually you only have to mention having a barbie and the heavens open but everyone agreed that it had been a most enjoyable evening.
The 50 Club was drawn for the first time at the Bar-b-q and the winner was Clive Sutton.
Look out, Alan wealding the carving knife!
Sunday 25th May 2008
AVIARY VISIT TO CHRIS SNELL'S
On a blustery Sunday morning three cars headed towards the east coast. Now anyone who has been before, knows that you can't visit Cleethorpes without making a pilgrimage to Steels Restaurant. Once there, the order of the day just has to be fish, chips & peas with bread and butter and a pot of tea. It gives a whole new meaning to the expression small, medium and large! On the way in we picked up Mary Snell who joined us for lunch.
Watch those gallstones Lyn!
It suddenly went very quiet as everyone tucked in.
According to their advertisement in The Budgerigar the Snells have been consistent winners of special awards at the B.S. Club Show for the past 40 years. Certainly Chris Snell who lives at Grimsby, South Humberside has been a member of the Budgerigar Society since 1966. In partnership with his father Arthur the pair established a reputation for breeding excellent Light Greens. Sadly, Arthur passed away some 14 years ago and Chris now shows in partnership with mum Mary. Although they still have a fair number of Light Greens there are now many more colours within the stud.
The birdroom itself measures 35' x 15'. There are both indoor and outdoor flights, the outside flight measures 42' long x 6' wide and wraps around the birdoom in an L shape. It is a traditional set up in as much as there are 52 breeding cages on the back wall, although Chris only uses 48 of the cages. What strikes you immediately is the size of the breeding cages, much longer and deeper than normal which certainly seems to have a steadying influence on the occupants. Within the birdroom there are also a couple of nursery cages on castors.
At the time of our visit Chris still had a number of pairs down breeding with youngsters and the season seemed to have been going well. He told us that this year he must have bred at least 10 feather dusters.
One of several feather dusters bred by our host.
It is no surprise to learn that Chris gets all his seed from Haith's. During the summer Haith's are due to move from their old base in Park Street, Cleethorpes to a new Factory on the Europarc, Grimsby. Their new address will be Genesis Way, Grimsby, N.E. Lincolnshire DN37 9TU www.haiths.com
CHRIS'S TIP, FEED A BALANCED DIET!
Chris mixes his own seed, 1 part plain canary, 1 part tonic seed, 1 part bravo, 1 part white millet and a 1/2 part pannicum millet. This is fed in large dishes all year round. The birds always have clean fresh drinking water to which no additives are added. Any additives are usually added to the softfood.
Softfood is fed morning and evening in finger drawers and there are two different mixes. The first mix is made up of 3 hardboiled eggs including the shells, 4 - 5 carrots, half a fennel bulb, and an apple. Sometimes broccoli or spinach is added too. To this is added brown bread (home made!) and olive oil. Occasionally cous cous is added.
The second mix is basically wholemeal bread and milk. The milk however is lactose free baby milk which is mixed to a solution with boiling water and again sometimes honey or calcivet is added too.
Greenfood is also provided in the form of chickweed and spinach which is home grown.
For the last 8 - 9 years Chris has been obtaining outcrosses, like the Cinnamon Skyblue Cock on the left from his good friend Jac Cuyten in Holland.
All too soon it was time for the obligatory team photo outside the Snell birdroom before the party thanked Chris very much for his hospitality and wended its merry way back to Nottinghamshire.
On sunday may we had a aviary visit to HUXLEY &
MARCHANT we went to Chris first, the birds were 1st class, good size and very good wide heards .We talked about all different seed mixes we stayed there all morning.We went for a meal before going to Alans. There we also saw good birds like at Chris' so the birds of this
partnership are very good, one of best. and they made us very welcome..
