About the Breeder

I have always had a bird in the house, even as a child. My first experience with breeding them came in 1979 when I purchased 2 male canarys. One would not sing so I felt the separate cage was a waste of space and put the little 'fellow' in with the singer! Within 2 weeks I had 5 eggs in the seed cup and my little 'fellow' was sitting on them! Hmmmmmmm……exactly 14 days later the eggs hatched and over the next 3 weeks my 'boys' raised 2 chicks! This was the beginning of an interesting journey!

Like many folks with an initial success, I went out and bought 6 of everything.....more canaries, budgies, zebras, cockatiels, lovebirds, and even into unknown territory with Parrakeets, Whydahs, Ptilias, etc After marginal success with this lot, I realized that not all species were for me and my situation, and I proceeded to reorganize. I also found that I preferred the "softer song" varieties. I purchased a dozen beautiful Lady Gouldians. Within a year six had died and I struggled to find the cause. The local avian vet was able to provide me with a diagnosis and remedy. The remainder were saved and to this day I still have youngsters from this line of birds. The problem was Air Sac Mites, deadly to gouldians and canaries.

In 1997 I moved from Calgary to Edmonton and was determined to bring all my birds with me. Two van loads of 'bird stuff' preceded the main 'bird' move. I had this idea that I could fit all the birds in their wire travel cages into my minivan if I removed all the seats. However, upon pulling and pushing and much squawking from both me and the birds, it was very apparent I had underestimated how much room 72 birds actually take up. So I had to rent a second van to carry the rest of the entourage. I initially housed them in an 8 x 10 aviary but they soon outgrew that! With babies, the numbers are around 200 plus so they have since moved into the basement of my home and occupy various 6 foot flights and breeding cages of between 2 and 4 feet in width. There are some 40 enclosures all told. It's a lot of cleaning but I even enjoy changing cage papers so I guess that makes me a true bird lover.

I have been in the hobby now for 25 years and feel just as excited and keen about it as I did when I began. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting in my bird room on a Saturday morning with a coffee in hand and watching the various species living out their lives, raising their babies and singing their songs. Of course, there is work involved with keeping them happy and productive but it is all fun for me. My day job as a Cardio Tech takes me away for 12 hours at a time, so the morning feed is done at 5:45 am and again a small feed of soft food when I arrive home in the evening. Other tasks such as banding chicks, changing water bottles and hanging baths are done on days off or in the evening. Greens are chopped, seeds set for sprouting and eggs grated in the evening so that it is quick to put together the next morning when time is rushed.

Being a part of the larger bird community is also important to me. I joined the Northern Alberta Cage Bird Society in Edmonton in 1998 and found the members to be extremely helpful in sharing information. Together we continue to help many new breeders get into the hobby. I also am a member of the Avicultural Advancement Council of Canada, a great organization providing many services to breeders and pet bird owners, and Canada's only national ring registry. Belonging to these groups not only provides me with information and contacts in the bird world, but it is also a lot of fun and encourages my enthusiasm for my hobby.