When I was invited by Steve Thomas to pen a few words about breeding Blues with success, I thought that all I had to do was sit down with pen and paper, and the rest would come naturally, but it was not quite as easy as that, on reflection, it proved rather difficult. So I thought I would put down my beginning in the hobby, and my subsequent thoughts and ideas, and hope that readers will benefit accordingly.

I purchased my first budgerigars way back in 1958 at the age of 14, and paid two shillings and sixpence (12 ½p) for one, and two shillings (10p) for the other. Even in those far off days I was very much attracted to the colour I now know as Sky blue. To the original pair I added several more pairs and bred on the colony system, I did not know of any other way.

I kept on like this for about 4 years, then volunteered for flying duties in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, all of the birds were given away, with some difficulty I may add, because seed was very scarce and expensive, and people did not want to add to their stock.

On leaving the Royal Air Force, my thoughts again turned to budgies this was in 1946, but I could not afford the asking price of £5, £10 a pair, also wood for an aviary was not available because it was on ration. I had recently married and purchased a house and this had to take priority.

As things improved, I purchased a second hand shed for £9 to convert into a breeding room, and adapted some old beer crates into cages, and I was once again a budgie fancier.

Around 1950/51 I saw in our local paper that a bird show was being held in the Burton on Trent Town Hall, and I went along to see what it was all about. My! Didn’t I have my eyes opened, when I saw some of the birds on show and thoughts of my 'gems' back in my shed, I knew I was way off the beaten track.

Anyway from then on, my interest in exhibiting and breeding much better stock grew, and after meeting and talking to local fanciers at the town hall, I became a member of the local society, I also found out about the Budgerigar Society and Cage Birds. You can say it was from that show that my bird education began.

My first love was still for the sky blues, and after finding out about sex link and genetics and such like a realised why most of my birds which were green, were not producing blues.

It took an active part in my local club and became secretary treasurer and also show secretary, through these officers I became familiar with some well known fanciers, Harry Bryan, Fred Lane, Will Addey, P.S.W Smith, W.K.Cox, E.C.Brearley etc. and it was from these that I asked many questions about breeding blues. Views differed in many aspects, and I was advised to use Opalines to keep spot, light green to keep colour, grey green and cinnamon to keep size, make sure that the greens were split for blue, do not pair blue to blue as this would reduce my size and also the colour would be wishy washy. My ambition was to have stud of blues, not just half a dozen or so. About this time I had several reasonable blues, but I did not have what I called a stud, so I started to re-think my plans, and been told on many occasions at meetings, by expert panel nights to pair best to best, so I thought why shouldn't this be successful with blues, thus my strategy changed.

I made arrangements to meet Mr Bryan at Sutton Coldfield, and having a saved up a lot of money went along to purchase a top class sky blue, as I had a couple of useful blue hens, and wanted to pair him to both of them. During our conversation, Mr Bryan asked if I had a family, and I replied I had two small children, I shall always remember his next comment, which was your wife and kids need that money more than I do. He then offered me two young blue cocks for a small sum for the two; I had a look at them, and was not impressed and told him so. He then said, "well you speak your mind, but be ruled by me, they will do some good". He was quite right and I bred some very useful birds from them.

From that time on, I gradually cut down on all the other colours to concentrate on blues, and today, I have what I think is a good stud of blues. I put down 36 pairs each year, and about 30 of these are blue to blue. I am very selective in the stock I keep, each bird must have something that I like about it, and I do not keep a bird just for sentiment.

By careful selection and paring, I have proved, to myself that any rate, you do not have to keep on using greens and Opalines.

Just make sure that the birds you keep are of the required standard and do not be tempted to sell your best birds, that is fatal, many times in the past, I had been offered some fabulous prices for my best birds, many to be quite honest, that at times I could ill afford to turn down, but I have been well rewarded on the show bench by my refusal.

I am often asked how to breed a good blue; my usual answer is good selective pairing, and a hell of a lot of luck. Some of my winners have come from selected top pairings, some from out of the blue, pardon the metaphor. I am fortunate in some respect as my son Geoff is also a champion exhibitor and a panel judge, he has a very good eye for a bird, and always helps me to pair up. In 1980 I had a useful sky blue cock, which only bred me rubbish, and he was paired to a good hen. I had a decided to let him go, but Geoff suggested putting him to a smaller type hen for 1981, I was against this but he is 6' 4" so I let him have his way. This pair bred very well, and produced five hens, three of which were outstanding and one at different shows, one went to the 1981 B.S. Club Show, was second best breeder and second best champion breeder, also on breeder CC winner and best opposite sex in show, this is where the luck comes in. Of course I took a lot at stick from Geoff, who went around telling everyone he had to pair my birds up for me. Specialising in one colour especially blues, has two drawbacks as far as I'm concerned, one is a difficulty of obtaining an outcross of the required standard the other is the limitation of classes in which one can exhibit and the chance of the best in show award.

I think the one will appreciate that the majority of best in show awards go to the normal light greens, grey greens, Opalines and cinnamons, to get best in show with a blue it has to be something special. Obtaining an outcross for me is very difficult, as the birds I want fanciers are naturally not keen to part with. I have done an exchange on several occasions with a well-known fancier, but the birds have not seemed to blend, and I think we are both have been disappointed. On the other hand, I saw a team of birds at one B.S. Club Show, and greatly admired them, one in particular, I did not get the one I wanted, but managed to do exchange for one of its relatives, with excellent results. I was delighted, as this young in turn produced winners at the club show, alas the other fancier did not fare at all well with my bird, the fortunes of war so to speak.

Again and fortunate in that Geoff occasionally!! Breeds a good blue and I pull rank on him. One year he bred a very good young sky blue cock, which won its class at the B.S. Club Show and eventually came up against my young cobalt cock for the breeder CC award. Father and Son battling out so to speak.

My cobalt just edged in front and won the day, the judge beat a hasty retreat, as I think Geoff was about to toss him up into the rafters.

Geoff is keen on greens, pieds and cinnamons, and as I had bred one of my few decent greens, we did a swap for the breeding season only, and I had three nice chicks from the first round, (Geoff had nothing from the green) the old man can still show him a thing or two.

Show results at the B.S. Club Show convince me that my methods have been well worthwhile, as during the past few years, I have won best in show, fourth-best champion any age, second best breeder in show, second best champion breeder and third best champion breeder (twice), best opposite sex in show (twice) best opposite breeder in show (twice) as well as best any age blue and best young blue on several occasions with the addition of any age and breeder C.C's

I think I am right, although will stand corrected when I say that one my sky-blue cocks is the only blue to won the blue C.C. three years in succession at the Club Show.

To build a successful stud of blues I cannot overstress the importance of setting yourself a standard, and DO NOT keep anything below that standard. It is fatal to keep a bird on sentiment alone if the bird does not reach your standard, get rid of it.

Finally do not think it is easy to breed a stud of normals, it is not. I have been trying for years, and still not managed it. I have never used an Opaline cock for many years, and any split Opaline cock and it's sons are very soon disposed of, yet I have still not got a stud of pure normals, the hidden split factor lies dormant for many years, and then turns up again quite unexpectedly.

Several years ago, a split turned up in a nest, and had to trace the family back 20 years or so to find the bird that was carrying the split gene.

This year I had one Opaline in my first 50 chicks, so I have still not got a stud of normals, but I shall persevere, and one day I shall succeed.

May I take this opportunity to wish all fanciers, enjoyment and success in this wonderful hobby of ours.