December 2012

27 December

It's been a while since my last update the run up to the festive period has been the usual hectic time where the birds take a back seat to family and work commitments. The new shed is on order and should arrive the second week in January, have to say looking forward to my very first bespoke built bird room, only waited 11 years for it!

The birds are still singled off in their show cage format although I think this weekend they'll get turned into their flight cages, I had planned to show at the new show in January, but with so much else going on and an impending house move I think I need to take a little look at what's achievable. I've kept around 28 hens this year, more than ever before and there's around 22 cock birds. I'll run number of pairs as in previous years and 5 or 6 trios.

I've made a several additions to the stud this year, a lovely buff cinnamon hen from Graham Holdsworth, it's the same way bred as his 3rd best in show and best cinnamon from the north west fife show.I've also added 3 cock birds to the line from Gerald's shed the first, a self blue cinnamon carrier is arguably the pick of the three, its father to the stunning self cinnamon yellow hen that won north Wales as best in show and was best cinnamon at North of England, one of it's other daughters a self blue hen took best flighted at North Wales and the Midlands shows too, I'm hoping it will have the same success I my shed. I've also taken one of its grandsons and a variegated buff cock bird.

Added to these three cock birds were a couple of dark buff hens and a couple of light yellow hens, these are related to my stud so should add some vigour but won't cause too much problems to the gene pool. more video of the birds and new shed soon......... Happy new year all