Preparations for our first ever Pet Parrot Gathering at Stafford County Showground on Saturday 9th July, as well as those for our regular Summer Show on Sunday 10th July at the same venue, continue apace. A few days after you read this, we will be having our next Council meeting, at which further details will be discussed. This new event is aimed at keepers of pet parrots, rather than the hobbyist breeders and dealers of our regular shows, and we know that there are plenty of you out there! So come along and meet like-minded parrot enthusiasts, as well as seeing plenty of trade stands with toys, accessories and treats for your birds.
There will be professional flying displays, as well as various bird collections on display in special aviaries, plus competitions with prizes. Hopefully, we have a number of interesting speakers lined up tp present short talks on a variety of topics linked to parrot keeping. You are welcome to bring along your own pet parrots, safely managed in a pet carrier, backpack, or in a harness. Concern has been raised about potential transmission of diseases, especially in the light of Avian ‘Flu. Judging by previous such epidemics, the disease will burn itself out by late spring/early summer, so we do not expect that to be a problem. However, we are keeping a close eye on Defra guidelines on the subject. We do not request any specific certification that birds are tested for such diseases as PBFD or Psittacosis, as potential for the spread of such infections is minimal, with the casual, distant contact involved in large, open, well-ventilated show halls. Thanks to the generosity of one of our trade benefactors – Meadows Animal Healthcare – ample opportunities will be provided for hand disinfection before handling birds or products with plenty of F10 disinfectant products available. We will also have our own ‘Track and Trace’ system in place, to fulfil APHA requirements, whereby all visitors bringing a pet parrot will need to fill in a form with name and contact details, and species of birds involved.
If, in spite of all this, you still have concerns, then leave your bird(s) at home, and just bring yourselves to enjoy everything else that is on offer. Advance wristbands are available from the office, or via our website shop, but may also be purchased on the door on the day. For the first time, we should be able to accept card payments at the pay kiosk, as well as traditional cash. Further information will be posted in next month’s magazine, as well as on our website.
The Summer Show the following day will see the return of our Aviary Competition. This involves displaying birds in planted or decorated aviaries, to create an attractive setting or tableau. The top three judged to be the best will be awarded a certificate and a cash prize! For further details, see The Summer Show
We are indebted as always to our many colleagues in the trade for supporting us in these ventures, not only by their physical presence in most cases, but also by financial sponsorship and the donations of items for prizes and awards.
We look forward to seeing you there for a busy weekend!