Birch
Coppice Miners Welfare Centre,
Watling
Street, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffs B78 1SY
Report by Janice Al-Nasser, Publicity Officer
Sue & Rod Clarke, joint SBBA presidents, welcomed the members to the meeting and thanked Tamworth BS for organising the event. After an initial introduction to the speakers, Bill & Christine Heale and George Booth, by the society's chairman Stuart Forbes, Sue Clarke went to judge the show.
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Bill & Christine Heale presented a slide show and outlined their modest set up that produced the supreme winner at the 1997 B.S. Club Show. They informed members about how they started with a small 8' x 6' wooden shed, which has now increased to 3 sheds of the same size, each with cages and flights, although they do not have outside flights. With the aid of slides they were able to show various accessories that they have in the birdroom ranging from a baby stock cage sited above a heater to soft wood and perches in the flight to assess when the hens are ready to breed. Bill & Christine also outlined various foods and vitamins they use for their birds. |
They then moved on to show slides of birds that they have done well with and some current youngsters that they have bred this year.
George Booth, better known for his light greens, surprised members by informing them that he won the AOC challenge certificate at Worcester BS 1987 show with a spangle and had spangles first in 1984. He saw the first spangle at the late Jack Freshney's aviary, which was green with a beautiful colour contrast. In those days they were a very fertile mutation. Unfortunately the early breeders used the spangle with all other varieties due to their fertility rather than concentrating on markings but we are now paying the price, as the main problem with spangles currently is the markings.
Unfortunately many spangles start off well marked in their early stages but their wing markings tend to fade as they get older. George reminisced about a good normal light green spangle he bred in the eighties but, by the time it died, it could have been mistaken for an opaline spangle. He believed that only normal spangles should have been recognised in the early days and they should not have been put into opalines, cinnamons and other varieties. The spangles have made headway during the last two years with BIS at the last two BS Club Shows being spangles. The importance is still the variety marking as well as the size. If judges had paid more attention to the 25 points allocated for variety marking we may have kept better-marked spangles.
George informed members that in his experience the best pairing is to breed visual spangles to normals to obtain well marked spangles. The spangle opaline light green cock he bought from Jack Freshney for £150 was paired to his best light green hen and he bred 8 chicks from it. The spangles he bred a few years later were good enough to win specials as well as CCs. He started to pair them to dark factor birds in 1987 and one spangle dark green had a striking colour contrast between body and wings. George went on to say that he had a disastrous year in 1990 when many youngsters were lost and while re-building his stock the spangles had to take a back seat. A few years ago he had the chance to obtain a spangle cock from Jim Hutton, which had the Mannes blood line in it. Within a few years he was able to breed quality spangles with further outcrosses from George Jenkins to win best spangle young bird at the Specialist & Rare Variety show in 1998, then best Spangle in 1999.
Over the past two years the number of spangles produced has been low but every spangle breeder needs to aim to get back to breed the jet black wing contrast markings.
Before the AGM commenced, the outgoing presidents presented the awards to the winners who were: best spangle in show and best champions, C. & D. Jones (grey cock); best intermediate, Mr. & Mrs. J. Barnett (opaline dark green cock); best novice, A. Stevens (grey cock); best beginner, J. Ward (grey cock); best junior, Miss F. Woodrigg (light green) and best spangle opposite sex, Mr. & Mrs. J. Barnett (grey green hen). |
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At the AGM Janice Al-Nasser (a founder member) was inaugurated as the new president and Stuart Forbes was elected to the post of president-elect. Other positions remained the same and were announced as: G. Al-Nasser, life vice president; J. Attwood, F. Canham, B & C Heale, R. Molkentin, F. Silva and R. Stringer, vice presidents; chairman & subscription secretary, S. Forbes; secretary, C. Wixon (98 Highworth Crescent, Yate, Bristol BS37 4HL. Tel: 01454 881334); vice chairman & editor, Mrs. M. Wixon; patronage secretary, A. Moore; publicity officer, Mrs. J. Al-Nasser; trophy steward, Mrs. S. Clarke; committee, R. Clarke, J. Cosby, D. Hobbs & C. Thorne. |
DATE FOR YOUR
DIARY
Next
Years Spangle Day and Annual General Meeting
Will be held on Sunday 28th April 2002
Venue
to be confirmed.
