EVERY BREEDER
NEEDS TO BE A JUDGE
Courtesy Budgie News.
March/April 1963
ABILITY TO
ASSESS INVALUABLE WHEN BUYING NEW STOCK
To a large extent every breeder must
be a judge of birds in order to know what to buy, which birds to pair together
and the best stock to retain. Like everything else, the ability to judge birds
comes with experience. Gradually, and imperceptibly a beginner will find the
image of the ideal bird being imprinted in his mind and forming a yardstick
against which any bird can be compared.
But to achieve this faculty he must, like
a cricketer, "get his eye in'. For this real practical experience is
essential you must see birds, and
you must know what you are looking at.
A textbook can enumerate the points of a
show specimen, but to recognize these points when you see them is a different
matter. This is where the local societies give sterling service. Membership of
the local club will, for a start, introduce the beginner to all the local
fanciers who will be only too pleased to show him their birds and explain their
various points of merit. This will give the newcomer some idea of exhibition
stock and he is bound to gather a good store of knowledge about the
characteristics which go to make a good bird.
SHOW
BUSINESS
Then there are the table shows and
nest feather shows which most societies stage, which take the novice into the
first stage of the show business. These small shows are usually light hearted
affairs put on to stimulate interest among the members and provide fanciers with
an opportunity to give their birds a trial run. It is at these events that the
beginner can best try his birds. In the intimate and friendly atmosphere of such
shows he will find plenty of fanciers with whom he is already acquainted to have
a look at his birds and explain to him precisely how they compare with other
exhibits. Once a little experience is gained at the smaller shows the desire
will soon come to venture into the field of the open fixtures. At the larger
shows, where more birds are in competition, the degree of difference between
each is usually less pronounced and the art of judging will be more clearly
demonstrated.
At first the beginner may not quite
understand why certain birds have scored over the others, but he should never
return home a puzzled man. If he will but seek out the judge and ask him for his
advice on the matter he is almost sure to be treated to a comprehensive
impromptu lecture on the finer points of judging. Under this expert tuition he
will soon begin to see those little characteristics, the sum total of which
clearly makes one bird a more perfect specimen than the next. From a half-hour
tour of the show with a good judge, the beginner will learn more than if he read
every book on the subject and wandered round the hall for a week on his
own.
PERSONAL
ADVANTAGES
So far in this article I have tried to
explain the precise personal advantages a beginner will gain by joining his
local society, but there is another important, though less obvious reason why he
should do so. Except for the National Exhibition, and a few shows staged by
specialist societies, nearly all shows up and down the country are promoted by
small clubs. If these societies fail through lack of local support then bird
shows in our home towns will be a thing of the past. This will bring about a
decline in our present high standard of exhibition stock. Another factor also
not to be ignored is that with the end of exhibitions the majority of the
general public will never see the wonderful spectacle of an amassed array of
high quality birds which, in turn, will mean that fewer people will be attracted
to the hobby. If this should happen it would be a big setback to the
fancy.
LEFT TO THE
FEW
Many beginners and even some
experienced fanciers, are all too happy to leave the local club to a few, but
for a society to be successful, it is essential that every breeder in the area
should give it his utmost support.
Whatever your trade or profession, there is a niche
for you in every society. Especially at the times of a club show it is up to all
fanciers to rally round. A man used to office work is an invaluable assistant to
the secretary at this time, while carpenters, electricians and decorators can
employ their skill to the full in arranging the show.
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