New South Wales breeder Peter Dodd has been on the show scene for quite a long time now and I put the following questions to him seeing he was so successful on the National Show bench in May.

Firstly congratulations on obtaining your National Judges Badge and on your fantastic win in the Black-Eyed Self class at the Nationals.

1. When did you start in budgerigar breeding and with which colours?

I started breeding budgerigars in the early 1950's after a disaster with Yorkshire canaries and of course my first budgerigars were Dominant Pieds.

2. What colours are you flying now and which are your favourites?

I have Normals, Opalines, Opaline Cinnamonwing, Cinnamonwing, Greywings (a recent addition) and Black-Eyed Selfs. The latter being the favourite. The Normals etc. are mostly Grey or Greygreen with a few Skys and Greens.

3. With the Black-Eye Selfs, to my knowledge you have been breeding them for many years. How did you start out in them (what possessed you) as they are a headache variety?

I have been breeding Black-Eyed Selfs for most of the time that I have had budgies. In my early days with budgies the Black Eyed Yellows were a beautiful deep yellow colour and the best of them were probably as good in type and size as many of me Normals etc. some taking major awards.

4. What do you see as being the main problems with this variety and how do you rectify them?

The most difficult feature of this variety to try and improve is in the head areas. Being a fine-feathered variety it is very difficult to get width and frontal rise and any outcrosses used should have these features.

5. There has been a lot of discussion over the years in relation to Grey Yellows winning the Black Eye Class. What is your opinion on this matter?

The Grey Yellow is a non-standard variety and should be kept at home or at best shown in A.O.V. - A.O.C. Classes. As the old saying goes "if you can't breed them, you can't judge them.

6.What colour varieties do you avoid using to your Black Eyes and do you use many splits? If so, are they Normals or Cinnamons.

I don't know that there are colours that I avoid but there are certain varieties that I think should not be considered, e.g. Fallow, Clearwing. Dominant pied. Recessive Pied and Greywing unless you want to breed Greywing Black-Eyed Selfs. The outcrosses I use to obtain splits include Normal. Opaline. Cinnamonwing and Cinnamonwing Spangle. I have no doubt that using Opaline hens is by far the best outcross but this creates a large wastage factor as Opaline Black Eyed Self colour can only be shown in the Normal Opaline Class and of course they have no chance of winning. It is only in the last couple of years that I have been using Spangle Cinnamonwings and results are looking very encouraging but once again there is the wastage factor as any spangle Cinnamonwing Black Eyed Selfs produced are not a Standard Variety. The bottom line here is that any outcrosses you use has to be the best bird in you aviary. There is no point in using second best.

7. A few people are using Black-Eye Selfs to improve the wing clarity on their Clearwings - what is your opinion of this technique?

The majority of Black-Eyed Selfs available today carry the Cinnamon factor and as such I don't believe Cinnamon and Clearwing is a very sensible combination. Also I don't think the Black-Eyed Selfs are of sufficient quality to improve Clearwings particularly in the head area. If you can find a Black Eyed Self that has bluish legs and feet and is hatched with black eyes and has a huge head than go for it.

8. What do you think of the fancy today, in relation to the old days?

In the "old days" it was deportment, colour, clarity and condition. Today it is mainly head and shoulders that is the dominant feature. Colour, clarity and condition would appear to be of lesser importance.

9. What do you think of importation? Should it re-commence or aren't the English birds worth what we paid for them?

I think that importation is fine. The overall quality of birds produced from the imports has shown a marked improvement on the Australian budgie, particularly in the head and shoulder area although most were grossly overpriced and far beyond the means of most breeders. If importation is to be re-introduced than the quarantine health checks should be expanded.

How many birds do you breed with a year?

I have 27 breeding cabinets consisting of 18 timber and 9 all wire. If the chicks from the first nest look okay then I will take a second nest. If the youngsters are not as good as or better than the parents then I will replace them with another pair or with different partners.

Please describe your aviary and breeding room for us.

PETER: My new aviary is 56540 mm wide X 3900 mm in depth. This consists of a breeding room 5650 mm X 2100 mm with 27 cabinets, as stated previously there are two types all with nest boxes attached to the outside. There are five flights each 1800 mm X 1100 mm plus an all wire suspended 'fly out' 600 mm X 1100 mm the floor is concrete and the roof corrugated colourbond with two skylights. The roof and walls are insulated and outside walls are Hardiplank.

What's your feeding program throughout the year?

I use the "Cardona mix" of Canary, French white, Jap, Red Millet and Pannicum seeds in the flights and in the breeding cabinets I increase the quantity of Canary, Jap and French White. Once a week the flight birds are given a "Tonic Seed Mix" consisting of Rape, Niger, Linseed, Red Millet and Peppers Greens and Grains. A finger drawer of this mix is given to breeding pairs daily plus a finger drawer of "Vitabudge". A separate container of hulled oats is also given to pairs with chicks.

Tonic Seed Mix viz.:-

Once youngsters start to hatch breeding pairs are given French White Millet Sprays daily. All birds have access to carrots although most is wasted. Also they get silverbeet if I can grow it or purchase any that has not been in cold storage. Chickweed is also given occasionally but only in very small quantities.

13. When you pair up, do you pair visually or by pedigree?

I pair my birds visually and then refer to breeding records to check that they are not too closely related or have any bad habits that I may have forgotten.

14. Do you allow maiden hens to rear the first round of eggs?

Yes maiden hens are allowed to rear their chicks providing they are coping well. Sometimes young hens have difficulty feeding newly hatched chicks and I have found it helps to give them a larger chick from another nest for a day or two.

15. With your winning Black-Eye, what have you paired it to this season?

I have paired the Black Eyed Hen with her father, hopefully to get more of the same although the father does not look as good as the hen, but he does have a English background. This is not a pairing that I like normally but I will see what the chicks look like and either take another round or pair the hen with another cock. At the time of writing things are not looking good as the first two eggs are clear.

16. Do you feel enough judges have bred Black-Eye Selfs to know what are the desirable features?

Answered earlier. "If you can't breed them you can't judge them".

17. Is there any advice you would offer for breeders of Black-Eye Selfs as well as advice for the general fancy?

If you continue to pair Black Eyed Self to Black Eyed Self without outcrossing then I don't think you can expect to improve the variety. Also there are not enough breeders who are prepared to make the effort to improve this variety as most want to breed Grand Champion and at the moment this is not likely to happen with this variety.

It is time that the National Colour and Standards Committee gave more consideration to the Black Eyed Self compounds. For example, the Opaline Lacewing is grouped in the Lacewing section. The Opaline Fallow and Greywing Fallow are grouped in the Fallow sections. Opaline Spangles etc. in the Spangle Group. Opaline Yellowfaces in the Yellow Faced Group. Now where is the Black Eyed Self Opaline? It is in the Opaline Group. My contention is that Opaline, Greywing, Cinnamonwing and their compounds are additions to the Black Eyed Self group but exhibited in separate classes thus eliminating the wastage factor and I believe improving the variety.