Dud stud??

[natamambo]

Settle down dano was just a suggestion . Could use idea to develop the "swap" section (rather than the "loan" idea) as a serious part of the forum - it seems underutilised at present. I agree there are lots of risks and it won't suit every breeder nor every bird. But I would like possibly a swap from time to time rather than taking a hit when I sell and then re-buy eg swap a PB hen for a WB hen to improve my YB colour. You've gotta trust someone and I'd rather a trust someone willing to trust me.

[desertbirds]

Thanks Desertbirds will check his toenails in the morning but can definately give ticks to all your other really valid points. Green seeds, sprouted seeds, tonic mix, fresh leafy greens daily etc. Also aviary inhabitants really relaxed, no-one getting chased from perches, nesting sites, feed stations. Can see your point though as sometimes it's attention to the small details that we need to stand back and have a really good look at. Like continuous quality improvement principles...

Cheers Redwing,funny how a simple question on the forum can stir things up a bit.Good to see.Dont think there`s too many old breeders around sniggering in the corner at all,most of them are willing to lend a hand when they can.Bird shops are vital to our hobby and a lot of them have been around for years for a reason,they`re good at it and provide a good service.Aussiefinchbreeder has a good site and i personally like some of his ideas,worth a read if you get time.Good luck with the stud.At least they`re trying.

[garymc]

At times in the past, with some of the rarer species where one person has a cock and I have the hen or vice versa agreements have been reached where the birds end up at together as a pair with the proviso that the person who "donated" the odd bird gets a pair or two of the offspring and the person with the pair get to keep the breeding pair and the rest of the young. Works pretty well most of the time.

[jusdeb]

Long time breeders are continually swapping out birds already , from here it seems the Hunter Valley and Newcastle seem to be where the big breeders are , my theory ( and its just another theory so dont be all jumping down my throat ) is that they have a monopoly on the best birds and tend to stick to their little niche of associate breeders when it comes to swapping .
I know of 2 breeders locally who will not sell birds in the area , their birds are promised to other breeders in Newie even before they are fledged.
OK thats one theory the other is SPACE ...how bloody hard is it to get a bird from A to B ? For a start now that the big breeders are pulling in the fruits of this years breeding season its too hot to be freighting them long distances .
Once you move a bird depending on the time of the year its highly probable that you lose that years breeding season due to the bird being upset by travelling and then re establishing itself in a new aviary .

Now my thought on a lot of the pet shop dealers daylight robbers , selling dodgy birds , selling related birds and selling old and sick birds .

I visit 2 pet shops as the owners know the history of the birds they sell and are honest.

I recently walked out on one fella trying to feed me garbage about his birds , they were the only pair of what I wanted around but yet I left them ( dont need the hassle or dissapointment of trying to breed crap birds ).

[desertbirds]

What type of birds were you trying to purchase jusdeb ? Im not going to jump down your throat but if there is a secret squirrel club in the hunter or newie then it cant last for ever.If they do well with what they have,the birds will come on the market at some point.Patience is the key.A breeder in Vic gave me some handy advice 5 years ago,he said "you have to make a name for youself" meaning if you kept some birds that are harder to breed or less commonly bred and you do well with them then other breeders will be interested in what your up to and how you go about it ,also they will be more likely to sell,swap and share info.It can be really hard getting a foot in the door or trying to buy great quality birds but some persistance and doing well with what you have can open a few doors.
Im not sure on all the laws in different states regarding import/export permits but in many cases the permit is valid for a month and the birds can be freighted on the cooler days.If you have a reasonable set up,the birds wont be upset or too stressed about being relocated.ive had birds start displaying and nest building on the day they arrived.Ive tried a few times to land birds here in September and ive purchased those birds from Vic and Sa.They have just put up with miserable winters and usually we are getting nice warm days by then,you can almost see the smile on their faces when you let go.Im not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but timing and patience can produce the results your looking for Jusdeb.