February
As we go through this month, the hens are given Gold Label Feast (Birdcare Company), the one and only rearing food used.   I don't use a lot of green food, but sometimes a little spinach is given as a tit bit.  Also a very small quantity of niger seed is given.  The hens stay in their flights until the end of the month.  The breeding room by now will have been sprayed with Harkers duramintex which eradicates red mite etc. A new idea introduced for nesting in 2003 was placing the nest pan into a 6 inch plastic plant pot in the centre of the cage, this idea keeps the young birds from fouling the nest pan when it was suspended on the back wall.
All nest linings are also treated with Johnson's insect powder before being fixed to each nest pan.  By this time my breeding hens should be fit with the cocks ready to mate.  Depending on the weather the pairing up should take place and be completed by the second weekend in March.

March
Although the normal pairings are done each year, for the 2007 season the "Clun Stud" will be running selective cocks to three hens.  When each pair has been made, careful records are kept regarding the date of hatching so that the diet can be changed as hatching draws near.  Soft food is given on the eve of hatching and then three times a day after hatching, making sure that only sufficient is given each time so that it is fresh at all times.  As the eggs are laid, these are carefully stored and recorded as dummy eggs are substituted until the third egg is laid.  The nesting material used at the "Clun Stud" is all supplied by Superior Birdroom Products.

April
With the youngsters now in the nests, rearing food and mixed canary should be given more readily.  The use of soak seed should also be available as the youngsters need all the goodness to grow through those early days of life.  For the first time ever I closed rung some youngsters in 2001 so that I could compete in the World Show.   I found that I was interfering with the birds and youngsters too often.  What they want is to be left alone with little disturbance until they leave the nest when they are ready. 

May
I continue to use the same feeding methods as April, as the youngsters grow I do check the nests for red mite, but if they have been properly treated with the Johnson's insect powder you should not have any problems.  Once the youngsters are starting to pick their own food, they can be transferred into the nursery flights.

June
The first round youngsters should now be developing in their flights.  Soft food should still be given as the breeding pairs go down on the second round.  The use of Aviform Ultimate in the water at all times I find eliminates harmful bacteria and other micro organisms which are often responsible for the most common diseases.  This product is totally unique as it prevents canker/cocci, worms and parasites.   It boosts natural immunity to both bacterial and viral infections (loose droppings, sickness etc.).  It ensures peak condition throughout the year.

July
My youngsters are now ready to be placed in individual boxes in the main bird room.  I am a firm believer that they should be on their own as soon as possible. For one reason it stops them feather plucking.  Any youngsters that may show signs of fretting is given Johnson's tonic, a quick acting conditioner rich in irons and mineral salts with added trace elements.  For these early youngsters the use of training cages on the front of the boxes is limited to only short periods until they are through moult.

August
The mixed canary seed plus Gold Label Feast every other day is maintained with the special condition mixture also being available on the days that the Gold Label Feast is not given.   Baths are encouraged with Teurlings bath salts being added to the water.  This gives a good plumage and makes the feathers soft and supple with the elimination of vermin from the plumage.  It is now that would-be potential winners should be seen.  As soon as the young cocks start to sing I note their cage numbers and make a note of it straight away.

September
By now, my main team should be taking shape.  Cage training as the birds start to finish the moult is stepped up.  My birds never let me down in the shows as far as training is concerned.  The condition seed is stepped up and as the shows start getting nearer, spraying the birds is a preference instead of baths.  I do not add the bath salts to the water this time.  Also by now all my show ages are freshly painted and are ready for that first show of the season, which gives you a pointer of what to expect for the remaining shows.

October
By mid-October the first show of the year (i.e. the North West) is upon us.   I never put more than one bird in a class.  This is a challenge in finding the right one for the show in hand.  I always leave early so as to get my birds benched and settled before the judging takes place.  Back at home the old hens are settled in their flights, going through their moult and resting after the breeding season.  I never run my old cocks together, they are always kept in single boxes.

November / December
The height of the show season, many miles on the clock, from the North of England down to the West of Wales and the North Wales Fife Fancy Open & International show which I am General Secretary. In January 2008 its off to the Welsh National and World Show in Belgium. Time will tell if I have got the pairings right for a successful season.