Keep a show team in a small inside flight or in double or even treble stock cages. Just keep two or three birds together. It’s worth keeping an eye on the weight of the birds. There is no doubt that if the birds are trained, and they are happy in a show cage, they can be shown several times during a show season.
Sometimes a bird is reluctant to eat well at the shows, so they can lose weight. If this is the case, offer some Haith’s dry oats or even Haith’s quality groats . These are both high in carbohydrate which is ideal to put weight back on quickly. Many breeders like to see their show team carry a bit of extra weight before the shows, in anticipation of a bit of weight lost while the birds are away from the birdroom at the shows.
Most breeders will think about offering millet sprays during the breeding season but they are the perfect “extra” during the show season too. Many exhibitors will soak their sprays overnight and wash them through under running water, and allow them to drain. They will cut them in half and take them to the show in a polythene bag, and offer them to the birds through the bars of the show cage. The birds love them, it encourages the birds to feed and there is always a bit of moisture present so the birds get the chance to eat the wet sprays.
Very often breeders will do the same and offer soaked sprays when the birds get back to the birdroom after a show, and are allowed back into the small flights and stock cages. It’s a way of encouraging the birds to feed and take water at the same time.
The birds still need Haith’s grits but withhold the Iodine/Mineral blocks as they will probably mark the faces of the birds – not what we want on the birds we are to show.
There is not a lot of difference between feeding to prepare budgies for breeding and the show season – but it’s important to understand that you must not over-do those special foods that bring the birds into breeding condition. Get them too fit for the shows and they will not relax and display themselves well in a show cage. We need them to show themselves well – and not display their breeding fitness. Any sign of the birds looking too fit when you want to show them and cut back slightly with those conditioning foods.
