Birdworld have received the latest newsletter from the Dartford Kent BS. You have to agree this club is one up and coming clubs who have embraced technology to prompt DKBS and the hobby. Well done Dartford Kent BS.

Newsletter No.6

The Committee hopes this Newsletter finds all our members safe and well during these extraordinary times.

 

As is customary, we would like to welcome our new club members who have joined us in April:- Healey Trott, Laura Jackson, Nick Cox, Glenn Hawthorn, Gareth Jones, Noah Smith, Vishal Saindane, Kevin Eatwell, Darren Smith, Mark Turner and David Williams.

We would also like to thank Norman Long and Wayne Thorne for renewing their membership for 2020.

Our Club Membership now stands at 47 members. We wish to continue to build on this number, with particular focus on budgie enthusiasts living within reasonable driving distance of our club and therefore able to attend club meetings when we eventually return to our hall.

The Committee welcome any further suggestions that would support our endeavours in this regard.

Perhaps we can encourage our members to talk to fellow enthusiasts within the hobby, telling them what is going on at our club and gently suggesting to them, they are missing out by not being involved.

 

Although the Coronavirus has brought many pastimes to a temporary halt, unlike most people, we are fortunate to be able to continue to enjoy our hobby, which for many of us, is conveniently situated at the end of our gardens.

As a Committee we are delighted to support and hopefully enhance your experience within the hobby, by continuing to run our club meetings on the third Thursday of every month, from 19:30 to 21:30, using “Zoom Live Video Link” to offer our members the opportunity to enjoy our meetings, from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

 

Our new member Kevin Eatwell (BS Vet), has kindly offered to deliver a series of Budgie health related “Zoom” presentations, on behalf of our club and for the benefit of our members, dispelling some of the myths surrounding budgie health management, for which the next “Zoom” presentation, discussing “Parasites and how to manage them,” is scheduled for Tuesday 5th May, which is definitely something to look forward to and not to be missed, so please write the date in your diaries.

We will be sending out the invites to Kevin’s presentation over the next few days and confirming once this has been actioned, via our Facebook Page.
If you haven’t received your invite by Monday evening, having checked your Junk Mailbox, please message Tony Pringle.

We will also inform you of subsequent scheduled presentations as part of the Budgie Health Series, as and when Kevin is free to deliver them.
Notification of the meetings will be posted on our Facebook Page.

 

 

 

 

 

PHIL REANEY PRESENTATION 16TH APRIL 2020
“A LIFETIME IN BUDGIES”

Our latest “Zoom Meeting” offering, was a presentation by the illustrious Phil Reaney (BS President Elect)

In the spirit of club collaboration, our Committee extended the hand of friendship to two local clubs, Hastings BS and Mid Essex BS members, inviting them to our Zoom Meeting presentation by Phil Reaney. This generated a further five non members increasing the number of attendees to thirty.
(Our Committee are actively trying to engage with clubs who we share members with, in order to work together for the benefit of those members.)  

Phil Reaney delivered an engaging talk, as he reminisced on his “Lifetime in Budgies.”
Fifty Two years of knowledge and experience in the hobby enabled Phil to recount anecdotes, offer advise and answer the questions our members presented.

Phil began by telling us, when he first started in the hobby, he received a piece of advice which has benefited him throughout his time in the hobby. Harry Mackeson told Phil to purchase and keep birds with width of head, “generally, if your birds have a wide head they are likely to have wide shoulders and a good sweep to the mask.”

Phil reminisced about a European Aviary trip he embarked upon with 25 other Budgerigar enthusiasts in 1996, visiting Jo Mannes, which he recalled was great fun!
Phil thought the quality of Jo’s birds was exceptional.
Phil benefited from the amount of information he was able to absorb, just by observing Jo with his birds. For instance, Jo measured his birds head feather using his fingers in order to determine whether a bird had short, medium or long feathers on its head in order to pair to improve the length and width of his birds heads.
Jo used the same technique to improve the length of body on his birds, which he managed to improve by one inch over three season, just by using his hands to measure the birds breast bone and pairing birds together which he identified as having the desired length of body he was striving to develop throughout his stud.

Phil has Judged the BS Club Show at least 7 times, indeed Judging has taken Phil all round the World, America, Norway, Sweden, Holland and Ireland, which he has really enjoyed.

Phil believes there are too many Show Classes and will put forward a proposal to change the way things work currently, when Phil takes up his post as President of the BS next year.

Phil told us he Line Breeds, In Breeds and brings in quality Outcrosses each year and believes a combination of all three breeding techniques is the reason he has been so successful.
Phil explained the benefits of each breeding method as follows…

LINE BREEDING: Phil tries to get a family likeness but with a slight variation in type, exploring the potential of the bird.

IN BREEDING: Phil uses “In Breeding” to fix certain types on both Chromosomes.

OUT CROSS: Phil brings in an outcross with a specific feature he wishes to introduce or enhance within his stud.

Studs Phil would like to procure Budgies from include, Daniel Lutolf, Mike Ball, The Miller Stud and one or two top European Breeders.

Phil discussed so much over his 2 hour presentation, all of which was thoroughly enthralling.
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Our Chaiman John Bird recorded Phil Reney’s presentation and is able to download it onto a Memory Stick for anyone who wishes to purchase it.
Just contact John Bird for details.

 

 

KEVIN EATWELL’S – TIP OF THE MONTH

“Trichomonas Is a hidden killer of birds of all ages”

Trichomonas is an endemic parasite in the crop of your birds.

Although Ronidazole is often used in water as a preventative, any birds showing signs of vomiting or reflux should be treated with Metronidazole by crop tube.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO WRITE AN ARTICLE FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, PLEASE EMAIL TONY PRINGLE             tp.1971@outlook.com

 Revised – Monthly Club Evening Program 2020

21st May
Talk by BS Panel Judge, Adrian Terheege. – “A Week in the Life of Adrian Terheege.”

18th June
Presentation & Discussion by 2016 BS World Champion David Woan – “Pairing for Improvement” 

16th July
Talk by current World Champions the McGovern Partnership – “How It All Started.”

Dartford Club Events 2020
Dartford Planned Trips 2020