BI-MONTHLY NOVEMBER 08
As I am writing this bi-monthly I have already a good few young birds rung. As most of you will know I start breeding in September, my rings ordered from the Dutch BS come in the first of October and they arrived bang on on the date. This year (09) the color is purple and they are the worst readable rings I ever got. When I restarted the hobby in 04/05 I first ordered the plastic rings these were bad at the start and unreadable now, the 06 once I got had a few bad once amongst them and are fading now. Then the 07 once had a good few bad once as well there were letters missing and after 2 years there are more letters missing, every year I thought they would get better but it’s the opposite 08 had a lot of letters missing and are fading fast . But this year is beating the lot, a purple ring with grey writing.
The clubs supplying the rings make a nice profit from the sales of them and they need it no doubt but a bit of quality control would be in place here, they should cop on after 4 bad years in a row. I admit I am getting older and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be but even reading glasses don’t do the trick I need a magnifying glass to make some chance to read them and even with that it ends up as guess work sometimes, its very frustrating for me and stressful for the birds.
A few years ago I visited Gerald Binks and in his aviary I saw the perfect solution to read the rings and to inspect the birds. It’s a magnifying glass of about 6” diameter surrounded with a round tubular fluorescent light, the lot is attached to the worktop and can be moved in every angle. I don’t know where he got this item but it’s a great help, I suppose its being used by jewelers and in the precision industry. Maybe it will be issued by the club together with the 2010 batch of rings.
After reading a lot of show reports the last few months I can’t help noticing that the entry numbers are gone down again compared to last year. For all the smaller clubs this would be a big problem concerning the finances, the costs of renting a hall, price money and toffees, insurances and judges would stay the same. Even when they have a good few members the membership fee and entrance fee would not cover the cost and sponsorship is hard to get. With out the sponsorship the clubs will get into financial problems after a few years and will have to rely on the generosity of their own members in most cases this would be the committee members who already offer a lot of their spare time to run the club and the shows.
One solution to this problem could be to combine a few shows in the same area or in some cases the same country. I know the shows are the pride of every individual club but wouldn’t it be better to swallow a bit of pride and be able to run a great show with no financial loses for either club. On top of that have more birds in the show more helpers and meet more fanciers.
To my opinion all smaller clubs should think about this possibility, they can still organize their young stock show in a member’s house or back garden, weather permitting.
The EBS has done this in June of this year in John and Eileen Hall s garden a few tents were bought, the staging was put up in one and the other tent was used for the lecture later in the day the barbeque was lit and this combination made it a great social event with all likeminded fanciers and their partners.
So when pride is set aside we can still stage some great shows, think about it.
The next bi-monthly will be in January 09 till then a great breeding season , merry x mass and a happy new year , regards Jos.
