This year’s breeding season is over.

have you had a good season ? or would you like to better next time?

Then start planning and preparing now, a lot depends on how you look after your birds during the non - breeding part of the year.

If they are not in the right condition at breeding time, it's to late to do much about it then.

Do not over show and have the courage to leave the birds at home which are not in show condition. Showing takes allot out of a bird and if the birds are not up to it, the stress can lead to other troubles later.

Another major hurdle to over come is the moult, this is a natural process of the bird changing it’s coat, a most demanding time for any bird.

Feed well on the most nourishing foods at this time, early breeding or "out of season breeding " as I think it should be called, is now the norm, more serious consideration should be given to it, especially by less experienced fanciers.

Beginners starting up see others pairing in the winter months of November and December and take it for granted that they should do like wise without making the necessary preparations.

Your decision on matching the pairs must be made well in advance of the breeding time, in fact the planning must be constantly on your mind and your thoughts put down on paper.

The type of youngster each pair may produce must form part of your planning. Plans for the following years breeding should be made, and where pedigree for line breeding is being planned or producing out crosses and splits for recessive varieties is concerned, long term planning is the only way to succeed

Lack of breeding condition is the main reason we have nests of clear eggs, few youngsters or the loss of adult birds.

The greater percentage of losses being hens, the fancier must give first class attention looking after his birds throughout the year and learn to recognise good breeding condition when it arrives.

It is unfortunate that some times this does not coincide with the ring issue date, as your birds may well go over the top missing their breeding cycle.

It is detrimental to good health if to many birds are kept for the accommodation available, and if the air smells poor, attention should be given to the ventilation or numbers reduced.

Some fanciers have a cabinet full of wonderful mixtures and the only time their birds have pure water to drink is when they take rain water drops when out in the flight. this I feel is not a good path to follow and my advice to fanciers to keep the use of additives in drinking water to a minimum and not to look on medicines as a substitute for good management.

Budgerigars needing constant medication are not the sort of birds

on which to found a stud. Visitors to the bird room during the breeding season should be discouraged and kept to a minimum.

The bird room is the birds domain and interruptions to the breeding actives must be avoided.

Vigilance is the key word: Develop an eye for a bird and constantly cast it over the birds to weed out those which do not come up to the standard you have set.

Each year as your birds improve the quality level of those retained will be raised. Out of sort or sickly birds should be isolated, and if they do not improve eliminated.

This type of bird should not be sold to other fanciers. Enjoy your bird keeping and the fellowship it offers, not only in your local area but further a field, by visiting shows and meetings whenever you can.

Finally to the less experienced never be afraid to ask where help is needed.