I personally have new rings from Holland on the first of October, but when birds are ready before I have no hessitation in using old rings, providing that you keep a good record of it yourself. Otherwise it may be a problem when you want to sell the bird to convince the potential buyer.

I still cannot see the problem of issuing the rings sooner, the only thing that could stop it is being taken care of already – that is the date of the main show.

Having less frustration in a breeding season would keep more fanciers in the hobby. Lets face it, the breeding is the best part of the hobby – seeing the first eggs and then seeing them transform into a beautifull looking bird, and, who knows, maybe the stormer that could win a show? But its also a time to cope with frustrations, as a lot of things can go wrong – especially when you are not there. The earlier ring issue date could take a bit away so why stop it?