With the big feed companies consolidating the types of feed they make, be sure that what you are feeding really fills your bird's nutritional needs. Vitamin packages are especially important. A relatively cheap "insurance policy" is to add supplementary vitamins to your feed/water.

Last week's tips mentioned keeping one's flock free of parasites. There are both internal (worms) and external parasites (mites/lice). The only med of which I am aware that will control both types is Ivomectin. Personally, I prefer to treat them separately but it is important to deal with both types.

This is the time of year that the groundwork is laid for good breeding seasons. The birds should be kept in good flesh, clean, and free of parasites.

It is tempting to set every egg that good birds lay but setting excessively soiled eggs in an incubator can lead to contamination of other eggs with bacteria. Washing filthy eggs often removes the natural protection that keeps bacteria from entering the shell. It may be best to discard those eggs and concentrate on providing clean places for the birds to lay their eggs in the future.

When chickens are prepared for an upcoming show and have been washed, it is advisable to switch them to a hard grain such as wheat for the few days leading up to the show to reduce the amount of soft droppings. White chickens should not be fed corn before being shown as it tends to add a yellow cast to white plumage.

If you intend to order eggs, chicks/ducklings/goslings or adults from any breeder next spring/ summer don't wait until then to contact the breeder and place the order. High quality stock is often short in quantity. Early orders almost always are a good idea and often are an absolute necessity to avoid disappointment.

Resist the temptation to make corn your primary grain for the birds until the really cold weather sets in. Corn is high in fat and low in energy and other nutrients A better choice would be oats, wheat, or a mix of the two. Birds have to be taught to eat oats but it is a highly nutritious grain. I only feed corn when there is zero weather with which to contend.

Remember that fall is by far the best time of year to purchase new stock. It is the one time of year when supply is the greatest. Spring is the worst time to purchase birds.

Not all mite/louse treatments are created equal. Adams Flea Off, for example, only is effective for 2-3 weeks and I am told that it does not kill all species of mites.

The best product I have found is the spray bottle form of Frontline. It kills all species of mites and is effective for three months. Warning: it is much more expensive than other brands but only one squirt is required for each bird.

An excellent way to winterize pens which are in use during winter months is to cover the sides in heavy mill clear plastic. The light still comes through but the birds are shielded from the wind and snow. The use of roofing nails (1 1/4 inch) which come with round plastic gaskets works well in fastening the plastic to pen sides.

With the days getting shorter, it is more important than ever to lock up range birds before dark. A whole range of predators including Great Horned Owls begin to hunt as darkness falls.

Be careful with the use of artificial lights as the days shorten. Waterfowl in particular can be induced to lay out of season quite easily even by a single light burning in their area. Birds which lay out of season almost never produce as well during the normal breeding season.

Sprouting oats during the winter and feeding to both waterfowl and chickens is a wonderful way to supplement their nutritional needs. It can be as simple as soaking the whole grain in a bucket of water overnight and then keeping the bucket in a cool, dark place for a few days. Feed to the birds when the sproats have emerged from the seeds.

Once your birds have finished moulting, it is OK to worm them. worming is something that should be done on a yearly basis at least especially if the birds are on range. Do not worm the birds when they are under stress such as when there is extreme heat.

Those raising white varieties of chickens may want to avoid feeding whole corn or scratch grains during the show season because the corn can cause a yellow cast to the white plumage even in "stay white" lines. Once present, the yellow tint is slow to fade even after there is no corn in the bird's diet.

With the fall show season here now, do not neglect to provide for quality transportation of the birds to the shows. Carry coops which are clean and easily cleaned, smooth sided to prevent plumage damage, and fairly light to carry are a big plus. Cages with wire sides are a bad idea. Plumage is easily damaged in such cages. Does it make sense to spend months growing out and conditioning a bird only to have it ruined on the way to a show?

Both waterfowl and chickens benefit from coop training this time of year. Waterfowl in particular tend to be timid so they can be helped to show well by being placed in show cages occasionally prior to the first shows of the year. At least in the Midwest, show cages can be purchased at major shows if one does not already possess some.