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I was born and raised among birds. My father and brother were already breeding with wild songbirds and canaries at that time. My father had even set up his own bird club with some friends. When I was six years old, I bought my first birds, bench finches, with his own savings. I kept breeding with this species for the first few years. At a bird show in 1981 I learned knowing the big parakeets and the flame spread. My passion was so great, I wanted to make this my life's work! Around the age of fifteen I also started breeding Australian Flattails and Rose-ringed Parakeets myself.
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To get the hang of the craft, I helped out at a large bird breeder in the area on weekends. I had the opportunity to take care of the birds, to carry out repairs to the aviaries and to install new aviaries. Cleaning the cages was also part of it. The money I could earn from this, although the experience was the greatest wealth, I used to maintain my own birds. The proceeds from the birds were immediately reinvested to build an extensive collection.​
Bird Nursery Goessens
- Johan Goessens
John Goessens
I joined several (international) bird associations. Soon there was interest from abroad. A foreign partner even asked whether he could purchase birds that were not bred by our nursery through us. The following years consisted of trial and error, learning and continuing. Bird Nursery Goessens has been able to put many successful collaborations to its name over the years. But also setbacks are part of the history of bird breeding. The art of bird breeding is incredibly beautiful but also requires a lot of sacrifices. I spend hours every day in the nursery to provide the birds with quality care. Thanks to my ambitious mentality and perseverance, my small aviaries in the backyard have grown into a large company with its own export building.
Diego Goessens
As a child I knew nothing but my father's hard work and his passion for birds. The love for birds grew when I got my first budgerigar. But I was more of a fan of the large type of birds, so my father also started breeding macaws. I see myself taking over the bird farm later, I don't want to lose my father's life's work. In addition to taking care of the birds, I also take care of the technical side of the company, namely camera control, extraction system, electricity and the website.
Lisa Goessens
For me, the nursery is primarily a family affair. I love the quality time we spend together, taking care of the birds. I look at my father's work with tons of admiration and respect, but running the company yourself? I leave that to my brother. I trust him 100% and am sure he will do well in the future. My function would rather be supplementary, giving the birds water and food. I will do this with just as much love and passion!
Our locations
Bird Nursery Goessens has two locations. In Nieuwenhove you will only find aviaries and storage areas that are aimed at breeding. The location in Appelterre was recently added. A warehouse completely converted and adapted for the export of exotic birds. The necessary renovations were done to be able to care for even more birds and to prevent the spread of disease.
