November 2009

Tuesday 3rd November

A busy week again in the birdroom in advance of my second specialist show of the season, the North Wales Fife Fancy canary club show, the show is on Sunday and I have a team of 10 entered, including 7 out for the first time. The birds have had their final heavy spray today, they'll receive a light spray tomorrow and the majority of the team look well. There are one or two who still have pins in their heads, and one in particular who may not make it because of this. I've also put my entries in today for arguably the biggest fife show anywhere in the world, The North of England, I've entered 14, at least 3 of which will be first timers, that's not ideal preparation as I like my birds to have a run out before the major shows.

I have an option to run half a dozen or so out at a local cbs this weekend, but with family two shows in a weekend is a tall order. Southern England was on over the weekend, won by the Clarke and Gillott partnership, who added to their best champion at North West, so it's looking like a good season for them, pleased to see Gary Macbeath do well in the novice section taking 3rd, 4th and 5th best Novice to compliment a couple of colour specials, he has some nice birds and its good to seee him building on his best novice at Midland last year.

The shows come thick and fast throughout November, I only have one weekend off and then it'll be the Midland show. Depending on how the birds are looking I may do a final show in December and I'm currently undecided whether to do Northumberland and Durham or West Wales, both are 3-4 hours away, I've had some success at Durham before winning a couple of colour specials and best novice a few years back, but I've never been to West Wales.

Monday 9th November

The day after North Wales Fife Fancy Canary club show and as I have the morning off I've taken the opportunity to prepare the show cages for the biggest Fife show anywhere in the world this coming weekend, the North of England Fife Fancy Canary Club show, where in excess of 1,200 Fifes will be exhibited. I have a team of 14 entered and although I haven't had my labels back I expect there once again to be champion classes of 45-50 birds in the Clears, Variegateds, Heavily Variegateds and Selfs. With so many birds on display its always a little bit of a lottery, but any placing in the cards has to be deemed as a good result.

I enjoyed the run out to North Wales, and was delighted with the performance of the birds, particularly when I consider for 7 of them it was their first run oit of the season. Most pleasing was the performace of my variegated yellow and heavily variegated yellow cocks, I entered 2 birds in each class, all of which were bred from the same heavily variegated buff cock, the two variegated cocks were 1st and fourth in a class of 25, the two heavily variegated matched the result, first and fourth in a class of 27, with the best in Show, best Champion in Show and Best Opposite sex champion in show all being Heavily variegateds too a colour special was never going to be on the cards, still a very pleasing result.

Tuesday 17th November

It's a couple of days since arguably the biggest Fife show anywhere in the world, my white ground team did well, 3 of the 4 carding in good sized champion classes, but perhaps the most pleasing result was 2nd for a lightly variegated buff hen. My two heavily variegated and lightly variegated that were 1st and 4th at North Wales were unplaced in classes of 42 and 54 respectively.

My next show will be the Midland Fife Fancy Canary club at the end of November, I also hope to be able to show for the first time at West Wales on the 13 December.

Thursday 26th November

I got some great news in earlier this week, over the last four years I've sent several dozen pairs over to different breeders in Malta, on Tuesday I received an email from Mark who had taken four pairs off me last year to say that he had won best Fife in show, Best Type canary and 3rd best Fife in show with birds that he had bred off one of the cocks I sent him out last year. It's the second time in three years that birds bred from my stock have taken the top award on the Island which is really encouraging. I hope to create a new section of the site to include a few of the pictures Mark sent me of the winning bird.

The Midlands Fife fancy canary show takes place this weekend, I understand that almost 1,000 birds have been entered making it potentially the second biggest specialist show in the UK,a fantastic achievement given that it's only in it's second year and a real testament to the hard work of the organising comittee. I have prepared the cages for a team of 14, although I may only take 12 as a couple of the team are looking a little down at the moment.

This will be the penultimate show of the season for me, my good friend Chris and Gordon, who show as a father and son partnership are very kindly going to take a box of 6 for me upto Northumberland on the 13 December.

I've spent the week trimming the nails of all of the flighted hens and cleaning out the flight cages to overwinter the birds. I've already seperated the birds into cocks and hens even though the breeding season is some 4 months away! I've also just about finalised my breeding plans for next year, although they will be based on the birds successfully overwintering - which is another matter as I suspect we're in for another long cold winter.

I'm having to tweak my plans a little as I start a new job next week so I'm likely to have les time with the birds next season. I plan to retain 14 cocks, all but 1 of which I currently have in the shed, and 22 hens. It looks like i'll be running with quite a lot of straight pairs next year, at least for the first round , and then I may run some of the cocks over multiple hens. I've studied the birds very closely - now is an ideal time before they pull out of shape when they're in top breeding condition. I've looked at the faults on each bird (every bird has them, even if they're the smallest detail!) and worked out what a bird needs to improve it - for example I have three dark yellow cocks (one is a self blue, the other 2 are heavily variegated brothers) and I have 5 dark buff hens. I've judged the three cocks and ranked them, and judged the five hens and ranked them - then I've looked at what each bird needs, so for exmaple one of the buff hens has superb wings and width, but needs a bit more in the head and neck, fortunately one of the yellow cocks has a great break in the neck - so i'll pair them ...... and keep my fingers crossed!!