This article appeared in the Feb. 16, 2007 issue of the Interlake Spectator…
They are in the bird business. No, they don’t raise chickens; not even ducks. Agatha and Wilmer Loewen specialize in Budgies or, more properly, Budgerigars, a species native to Australia and popular around the world as household pets.
Who would have thought that people would succeed in, let alone attempt, raising warm-climate birds in Manitoba, given the often inhospitably frigid prairie weather?
More than 3,600 (1,800 breeding pairs) of these feathery creatures are being kept snug and warm in a specially constructed barn, located across the yard from the Loewen’s home.
This must be Okno’s best kept secret. Most people probably were not aware that the Loewen’s have been quietly raising these birds for over five years now. It all started inconspicuously in a garden shed with only 20 breeding pairs.
“Our son started this,” said Wilmer. “He was doing most of the work.”
Their son moved to the United States late last year to become a bird broker.
“That’s all he does now,” said Wilmer. “He sells 4 or 5 thousand birds per week, but not our birds…we sell ours across Canada, from coast to coast. It’s not worth selling them in the U.S. There’s government inspections, permits—it’s very complicated and expensive,” he explained.
The Loewens moved to Manitoba about 12 years ago from a Mennonite community in Mexico where both grew up. Wilmer’s parents were originally from Manitoba and the couple had family here.
Soon after arriving, Wilmer was hired by Vidir Machine, and eventually became a supervisor with the company. The couple built their home and raised a son and two daughters on their Okno area acreage, approximately ten miles north of Arborg.
Since his son’s departure to the U.S., Wilmer has quit his position at Vidir Machine to run the family business. “I don’t have to worry about punching the time clock. It’s enjoyable working together at home. We have more of a family life,” he said. “We like that.”
The couple feeds and waters the birds together each morning and afternoon. They mix their own feed, a blend of mainly white millet and supplements.
The Budgies are paired at four months old. It only takes two weeks to hatch an egg, but Budgies can live anywhere from two to fifteen years, six years being average, depending on the care they receive.
The Loewens pay special attention to the birds’ health. Their building is kept free of drafts, and the birds are treated for mites and are monitored daily.
“We had to learn everything ourselves—we learned the hard way,” said Wilmer regarding a past catastrophe.
Two years ago, the Loewens lost nearly their whole flock to beak and feather disease. It started with one bird and spread. The Loewens had no idea of what they were dealing with until it was too late. Initially, the Loewens separated an ailing bird and put it into another cage.
“That was the wrong thing to do. We should have taken it right out of there,” said Wilmer. “We had so much work to disinfect the barn after,” he said.
The Loewens refuse to let others in the barn now, just in case someone inadvertently track in a disease.
The couple has hired a nearly full-time helper, but otherwise do all the work themselves: from booking flights for weekly shipments, and adding mesh to custom made cardboard transport boxes, to the big job of marketing, which takes up a lot of Wilmer’s time.
“It’s a huge challenge finding the markets,” said Wilmer, “We don’t sell many of the birds in Manitoba…Canada doesn’t have the population [to make this type of business lucrative].”
Another challenge is that birds must be sold when they are about six weeks old.
“Pet stores don’t want them if they are any older, and we can’t keep them for next year. If we have too many, we have to sell to the U.S. for less, and it’s not worth it,” said Wilmer.
Considerations like these cause the Loewen’s to think about down-sizing. They have also diversified into raising other breeds. Currently they have 50 breeding pairs of Cockatiels and eight breeding pairs of Love Birds.
Despite the challenges, the Loewens have one very good reason to continue breeding the birds.
“It’s easier to listen to birds singing than to people yelling,” Wilmer said with a smile.
The Loewens will continue with this venture until they retire. When that day comes, they plan to offer the business to their daughters, who still live nearby.
Until then, the Loewens will continue seeking out wholesale markets, and will also sell to the general public from their home, at prices lower than can be found at regular pet stores. Agatha and Wilmer have budgies of every possible colour.
The Loewens can be reached through their website, <www.centralcanadabudgie.com>.
