John Carvolth

What sparked your interest in budgerigars and the hobby?
During my childhood, I frequently visited my grandmother’s home. She kept several budgerigars in cages, which led to my interest in birds.

How long have you been involved in the bird keeping hobby?
I began breeding birds in 1997. The initial birds were acquired from a backyard breeder who did not ring his birds. Eventually, I joined a club where I was advised to seek out high-quality birds from a reputable breeder named Henry George. Due to financial constraints, I could afford only two pairs at that time. I bred these birds for approximately one and a half years until we decided to relocate to a new house. At the new location, there were insufficient funds to establish an aviary, leading me to sell all the birds and equipment. In late 2018 my son showed an interest in breeding budgies, so that led to where I am today.

How many breeding cages do you currently have and what is your typical breeding season each year?
At present, I have the capacity for 126 breeding cages. However, I will not be utilizing all 126 cages; I plan to use only 54 at this time, selecting the highest quality birds for optimal outcomes. With an air-conditioned, air-filtered, and humidity-controlled setup, I am able to breed throughout the entire year. Birds will be placed into the breeding cabinets when they are in peak condition. However, I intend to take a break from November to January for the holiday season.

What club do you represent on the show bench and what is one thing you most enjoy about this club?
I am a member of Wynnum Redlands Budgerigar Society. Even though I have only shown a small number of times, I will be hoping to represent the club a lot more in the coming years. Wynnum club members have been very supportive and a number of members have passed on a lot of valuable information to help with my breeding efforts.

What varieties do you keep, and which is your favourite?
With a large setup, I can keep many varieties in my aviary. My strengths include Spangles, Spangle Double Factors, Australian White Caps, Lutino, Clearbodies, Fallows, and Normals. I have recently started breeding Crests. My strongest variety, Spangle, represented Wynnum at the Ballarat Vic Nationals, where a Spangle Double Factor White placed 11th. This family is related to the Armstrong line of birds.

What is your favourite moment in the hobby and why?
My favourite moment was the selection of my bird for the 2023 Ballarat Nationals in Victoria. It was my first and up to now is the only time I have put birds up for selection.

If you could choose one bird aviary anywhere in the world to visit and spend a day in, which would it be and why?
Daniel Lutoff’s aviary is my top choice due to his significant contributions to the development of modern budgerigars. However, I am also interested in visiting aviaries located in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, or South Africa.

What bloodlines have you used to influence your stud?
Since 2018, I have incorporated birds from the following breeders into my aviary:

• James Matthews
• John Boss
• Kev O’Callaghan
• Smith and Fox
• Gary Armstrong (Mr Spangle)

The exceptional quality of Mr Spangle’s line has notably improved my spangles. With more time, I aim to make a significant impact with them.

Who are the top couple of people in the hobby you highly respect and why?
I believe I could name 6 or more breeders who have gone out of their way to help me in the hobby. The three breeders I hold in the highest regard are;

• James Matthews – no request is too much for James, as he always answers questions honestly and provides pedigrees to mate your birds to achieve an outcome that will lead to you achieving a high degree of success.
• Kev O’Callaghan – he is a gentleman of the hobby and he is another who goes to the extreme to help you with respect to improving your aviary and knowledge.
• Bill Boal – has been a sounding board for me and has shown friendship in the hobby.

What bird do you feel was your best bird and why?
My Australian White Cap Cinnamonwing Cock is among the top three birds I’ve bred. Although he lost his tail feathers during selection to represent Qld for Ballarat Vic, many people have praised him as one of the best white caps they have seen.

What other hobbies or interests do you have?
I played competitive tennis for 40 years, until my recent hip replacement. My other interests include spending time on our boat and travelling overseas for holidays.

What does your aviary setup involve and how have you evolved it over the years as you’ve created new bird rooms?
My current aviary setup consists of steel posts, c-section bearers, and cool room insulated wall panelling and roofing. This construction is designed to prevent pests, including snakes, from accessing the aviary. The breeding room section measures 15m x 5.8m and includes a storage area for seed in one corner. To minimize costs, approximately 70% of the materials used in the aviary were sourced second-hand from a local auction.

The aviary features essential equipment, such as a two-door fridge freezer for storing foods and medications, a three-bay stainless-steel sink with a commercial kitchen mixer for optimal hygiene, and two dishwashers that run daily for two cycles each. I believe that animal husbandry and cleanliness are the most important aspects of this hobby. Additionally, there is a 7KW split AC unit for the breeding area, a large 3.5m long bench, and an automatic misting system that maintains humidity levels at 50–55%. An air filtration system capable of transferring 1400 litres of air per minute has also been installed. This system incorporates various filters to reduce dust and dander, which is crucial for managing my allergies.

The flights downstairs measure 7.5m x 6m, including the stairway. This area contains four flights for the birds: the main flight measures 6m x 1.5m, while the other three flights measure 3m x 1.5m each. This space includes a 5KW AC unit and an extension of the air filtration unit.

My first bird room at our current house was built on a concrete slab originally poured for a greenhouse. Initially, I had two flights and eighteen breeding cages without any modern conveniences. Despite the basic setup, I bred 300 birds that year. This success led to two renovations of the aviary, culminating in the final setup that I am completing now. The air filtration unit requires an additional two days of work to be fully operational.

What is one staple medication/ preventative medicine you use and what do you use it for?
I focus on improving animal husbandry practices instead of relying on medication. However, for preventive measures, I use Salgard in the water to prevent salmonella.

What is one issue in the hobby you think can be improved and how do you feel this could be improved?
One issue in the hobby is the ring issue date. It is a concern that people often discuss when preparing birds for Nationals selection.

What is some advice for beginners starting out in this hobby?
It may be beneficial to select a limited number of breeders for your stud. This can help ensure that you are working with a bloodline that experienced breeders have been developing over many years. Additionally, purchasing lesser birds from a breeder and continuing to breed within that genetic pool may result in breeding a significant number of quality birds.

What do you want to achieve with your budgerigars?
Undoubtedly, the highest achievement in this hobby is representing your club and state at the National Budgerigar Championships. While winning a Logie would be an honour, not achieving it does not diminish your contribution to the hobby. My primary goal is to bring home a Logie one day, but it is equally about the journey, the friendships formed, and the knowledge gained along the way.