The show cages have been washed and painted and it is time to begin the caging-up process!

Males in the walk-in flight are caught and placed into show cages to begin show training prior to the shows which begin in the fall. Each male must be noted, have his nails trimmed, have a visual examination, and be placed in his very own show cage. Most begin singing within a day.

After the birds have calmed down in the cages, I begin to listen and will continue listening until the shows begin to determine which birds will be kept for my show team. Not all birds will be at the same stage of song development at this early stage so some allowance for immaturity is made. Some birds are easy to scratch from the show team due to song faults or other problems.

The shows begin in only a month and a half! Are you preparing yet? Hard work now pays off later.