I was disgusted last night,when I saw on the news a budgie show champion,had his aviary broken into,his prize winning champion bird killed,and some others injured,and later died.
Who would do this?Is competition in the bird world this serious?
He was almost crying,the poor guy.I would imagine they are like his babies.

This happens a few times a year..mostly just thefts.How a 'bird lover' rival of his could stamp on his prize birds is beyond me.Poor sod.
My security is tight with CCTV and alarms and getting to my birds is impossible without disturbing neighbours...I still never advertise where I live.

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The guy ws interviewed on radio 2,aparrently he does not think they stamped on the bird on purpose,he thinks they stood on it by accident while trying catch it and other birds.
I do agree it has gone on for ages and always will do,i used to breed and show budgies but fount it very competative and people jealous off others success, instead of appreciating the birds and their beauty, which to me is what keeping/showing/breeding is all about, so i stopped showing birds,still go to shows to look at them though.

Unfortunately human nature is cruel, sadistic and outright sick in many people and it will always happen. I remember an ocasion when some some people broke into a guys aviary and tore the legs off both his long eared owls.

But what I also have an issue with is with show beeders themselves and their bad breeding practices with their desire for ever bigger and fatter birds with asthmatic breathing and shorter lifespans. Some so fat and heavy they can hardly make it to the perch. It's hard to beleive a true animal lovers would want to breed birds which are sick and obese.

Yeah i saw this as well, its really sad! Poor guy and poor birds.

My uncle used to show and had all sorts, his aviary was all alarmed and security lit as well. Some folk are just so cruel, the man in question believes it was actual thieves and doesn't believe anyone in the bird show world would do that to him. Makes you wonder though....

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In any competetive sport or hobby you get the morons...look at vegetable growing for shows...The times you hear of giant leeks or marrows mysteriously ripped up in the middle of the night.Some people have to win by fair or foul.
I keep birds and enjoy watching their behaviour in a large aviary.I don't even like them in cages, although I have to sometimes.The show scene isn't my thing...stressing them out in car journeys and then in a busy hall...no thanks.

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I agree watching their behaviour is much more satisfying especially in an aviary which gives them space to be themselves.

The problem being with the competitive hobby of bird keeping is often it is the morons who are in charge. It is the morons who lead and set the standards for these bad breeding practices. You can't blame the newcomer to the hobby, because he put's his faith in these so called experts, and then is blindly led by them into these bad breeding practices.

People pay a fortune for some of these big fat obese asthmatic Budgerigars. The standard even impairs their forward vision.