Welcome
We are a small family owned aviary located in rural Lawrence County in southeast Illinois. I raise top bench quality cockatiels. I have Normals, Pearls, Lutinos, Pieds, Cinnamons, White faces, and I am beginning to work with Dominant Silvers and Dilutes(Emeralds).
I will update this website often. You will be able to find out about shows and fairs I will be attending. You will be able to see what birds are set up for breeding, look at babies available for purchase and find out how we are doing at the shows. I will also have links available for you to browse.
Please feel free to browse around my site. If you have any questions, contact me via email using the links provided at the bottom of each page.
I will update this website often. You will be able to find out about shows and fairs I will be attending. You will be able to see what birds are set up for breeding, look at babies available for purchase and find out how we are doing at the shows. I will also have links available for you to browse.
Please feel free to browse around my site. If you have any questions, contact me via email using the links provided at the bottom of each page.
I began showing and breeding exhibition and pet quality cockatiels in June of 2004. At my first cockatiel show in Springfield , IL I met Judy Brumley and Pam Thompson. The NCS judge was Dominic Franzo from New York.
I was not exhibiting but learning so I was taught to tie ribbons as the judging took place. As Dominic was judging he pointed out what he was looking for and why in his opinion one bird was better than another. I learned a lot that day. Judy hooked me up with a friend of hers. Mary was no longer going to be able to raise and exhibit birds. I was able to purchase show boxes and even a few birds from her.
I was not exhibiting but learning so I was taught to tie ribbons as the judging took place. As Dominic was judging he pointed out what he was looking for and why in his opinion one bird was better than another. I learned a lot that day. Judy hooked me up with a friend of hers. Mary was no longer going to be able to raise and exhibit birds. I was able to purchase show boxes and even a few birds from her.
I joined the National Cockatiel Society, ordered leg bands and in August, banded my first baby cockatiels. In November, I took those babies and some of the birds I had purchased from Mary Kromer and went to the show in Chicago . Needles to say, I was hooked. Judy Brumley, Pam Thompson and Kim Mackey spent time with me during the judging explaining more of what was going on.
I won best Novice at that show and placed several others on the Novice bench. At right is myself with my cockatiel "Sugar" that advanced to the Cockatiel Top 10 Bench #8 position, and NCS Panel Judge, Don Dunn, in 2004.
Judging birds to a strict set of standards takes a lot of practice.
I won best Novice at that show and placed several others on the Novice bench. At right is myself with my cockatiel "Sugar" that advanced to the Cockatiel Top 10 Bench #8 position, and NCS Panel Judge, Don Dunn, in 2004.
Judging birds to a strict set of standards takes a lot of practice.
I had no idea what I was doing but it was there that I met Carl Helton, pictured left. He said "he knew a little about cockatiels and he could probably help me". He helped me enter the birds in the correct classes. It was only after the show that Carl “let the cat out of the bag” and told me he was an NCS judge and was actually judging the National Cage Bird Show NCS show that year.
On the right is a picture of Carl & Elaine Helton (two of my favorite people) at the "National Cage Bird Show" banquet in 1998 when Carl's cockatiel placed Top Bench 1st Place in the cockatiels division and received the coveted "Kellogg Trophy".
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Website created by Chris's Birds N Things