Nest Feathers Show

Nest Feather Show:
By Bernie Rahmlow

This is a first for me as I never have written an article before, but I thought that I’d give it a try. I met Mr Raoul Richards at the bird fair in Racine, Wisconsin in October of 2009 and he asked if we were interested in a nestfeather show. After we talked a little more he explained to me that unlike a baby show a nestfeather show was of chicks just out of the nest and have not yet molted any adult plumage. He explained that they did it in Australia that way and the youngsters did very well.

We set a date and held the show at the home of Dave Bluma and Brad Morrison in Neenah Wisconsin. The turn out for this show was very well received as we had 27 youngsters and about a dozen members there. Raoul was quite accurate as the youngsters were very relaxed in the show cages and it was great experience for them for future shows. Everyone had a great time as we talked birds with someone else from a different country and we all got new ideas from Raoul. You never can get enough information about these wonderful budgerigars. We had a great lunch prepared by Dave Bluma and for dessert Roy Garcia made a cake to die for. I hope the pictures That were taken can be used for everyone to see and thanks to Raoul Richards and his wife for taking the time to share there knowledge of showing and raising budgies.

I also enclosed some background info about Mr Raoul Richards that he was so kind to share.
Raoul Richards bio: I started raising budgies in 1975 in Ipswich, Australia at the age of 12. My father, Roy Richards had been a very successful judge, open exhibitor, and breeder since the early 50’s. At his peak around 1960-1963 he had won 15 Best in Show’s in a row, was Reserve Exhibit in Show in the 16th, and won Best in Show in the 17th. He then gave all his birds, cages and equipment to his friend. It was not until I asked him could we get some budgies in 1975 that he came back into breeding and showing. We started off with a small collection of 6 pairs of birds. He would not have anymore until I proved that I could learn from them and look after them properly. I had to compete at the top level of Open as that was where my father had competed before he left the budgies earlier. This was the rules in Queensland. In the first round of chicks from 4 pair that bred, we produced a lutino hen and two greywing cocks that won every class that they were entered in. When I started working at 16, I became an Apprentice Boilermaker. The workshop foreman was one of the top breeders in the state, Mr Barney Hackney. So as you can imagine I had two very knowledgeable teachers when I was growing up in the fancy.

At the age of 20, in 1984 I sat through the Judges Training Course and passed as an Exhibition Judge. During this time my father and I specialized in breeding normals, greywings, lutinos, and clearwings. Now I live in America and have been here for nearly 8 years. I don’t have any budgies at the moment as my job as a Site Manager at Power Generating Station has kept me travelling. I have always kept my eye in by going to budgie shows or calling in on breeders from time to time.