Producing large numbers of crests ensures enough to select for the next season but will not increase the exhibition quality that fast and will lead to inbreeding to a higher degree than liked. When breeding a crested stud the aim is to hit the happy medium between these two. In order to achieve this ratio the number of outcrosses used are fewer than I would like and so any crestbred generated from a crest to a crestbred are sold unless of good quality. These have a high chance of breeding visual crests from such a mating. Even producing 30 visual crests does not give much of a number to select from, about 35 visuals being retained each year from these and the adults.
Progress is slow, but it needs to be, to keep producing visuals and maintaining fertility.
I do feel that the crested variety is one of the few specialist varieties that can give good justification for remaining smaller than the other exhibition budgerigars. All rights reserved. Designed and created by Arcadia WebSite Design.