Profile

  Hello  my name is Mark Gulley and I am a breeder and exhibitor of Exhibition Budgerigars from Cornwall UK, presently exhibiting at the status of Novice.

  I have kept birds of different kinds since my early childhood starting with bantams of one kind or another and then moving forward to keeping show quality White Leghorn & Pekin bantams. After the bantams came a few fancy pigeons followed by finches

  After a few years of working away from home and finally settling down I decided to keep a few aviary type birds again finches parakeets etc , and I at no point intended to keep budgies they always seemed to remind me of the annoying little thing my mother kept in the cage in our kitchen when I was a kid

  It was not until I visited my first cage bird show in about 2001 that I discovered Exhibition Budgerigars ,what an eye opener. The birds on show were far different from the pet type budgerigars I had previously seen and my interest was awakened. The bird house was converted and Exhibition Budgerigars purchased and the rest they say is history.

The bulk of my stock has been purchased from local breeders with some birds purchased over the last few years from lee Marshall ,now the Marshall & Shotton partnership in Tyne and Wear

  I keep most of the normal varieties plus Spangles , Pieds , Lutinos , Clearbodies and Albinos also for 2009 I hope to be exhibiting recessive pieds

  Every year I seem to see my birds improving and hopefully I will one day win that best in show . I have learnt patience because it dosn’t happen over night . I have experienced frustration as most will tell you its always that good one you spot in the nest that dosn’t make it . I have made friendships with people from all walks of life and from places far and wide . To sum it up it’s a great hobby a real challenge and one I highly recommend

I have also found it pays to find a breeder local to you who can call on for help and advice. Never be afraid to ask for help !!!!. I have been lucky to have Brian Reese to help me and he’s also handy because he’s my Bucktons seed agent.

  

TO CONTACT ME

Phone: 01736756916

E-mail: MARK@BUDGERIGARS-SOUTHWEST.CO.UK

 

FEEDING ETC

I try to keep my day to day management simple and regular

 

Weekdays

 

6:00am  I go out to check the birds before work and top up the soft food dishes during the breeding season all nest boxes are checked at the same time this usually takes me about half an hour just pottering around nursing my cup of coffee . This is done a little later at weekends if I’m not working!

 

5:00 pm   I change all the water ( I only use tap water ) and top up seed dishes ( I use Bucktons champion blend ) soft food (this is the B.S.softfood with a few extras added ) etc and put in millet sprays (soaked over night ) top up minerals etc in the finger drawers. Next I check all nest boxes to make sure chicks , eggs are ok handling each chick and checking it over putting on rings etc also marking fresh eggs and filling in nest cards etc. after this all the adult birds are looked over  and the bird room is given a quick sweep up. i can spend anything from an hour to 3 or 4 hours out in the birdroom of an evening depending on what needs doing

 

 

Weekends

 

This is the time the main cleanup is done drinkers and feed pots washed , cages cleaned out etc . all my records are updated on paper and on the computer , I use the  aviary base programme. Future pairings are worked out and birds assessed etc

 

I use small rodent type drinkers instead of the usual type drinkers as I find they cannot be fouled by droppings I changed over to these over a period of 12 months and now all my birds are used to them

    SOFT FOOD POTS

SEED HOPPERS I USE THESE FOR GRIT

      MY DRINKERS

MARK GULLEY’S WEBSITE

LIGHTING

 

My lighting is provided by 2 4 foot twin fluorescent fittings with colour 840 lamps ,accompanied by 2 standard 40 watt lamps that all operate on a timed dimmer module ( purchased from THE BIRDROOM )that slowly increases and decreases the 40w lamps before turning on or off the 4 foot fluorescent’s . I also have a red night light on a timer that is on all night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEATING

 

This is provided by a small oil filled radiator with its own built in thermostat, just warm enough to keep the chill off.