Australian National Budgerigar Council
A Case For The Hens Class
The Hens Class at the ANBC National Titles: Tradition, Purpose, and the Data Question
At the Trill™ Expert ANBC National Titles, the Hens Class has always sparked debate. Supporters see it as a valuable showcase of quality hens and a practical incentive for exhibitors to bring their best female budgerigars to the show bench. Critics argue it’s unnecessary—especially if “the best bird should win”, regardless of sex. So, is there truly a need for a Hens Class? Let’s look at the data. Note that no shows were held in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID shutdowns.
Using the results from 2015–2019 and 2022–2025, we can test the core issue: How competitive are hens across The Standard colour and variety classes without a hens-only category?
2015–2018: Where hens placed across the 26 classes
The table below shows hen placings in each class across 2015–2018 (top three placings only).
| Class | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Green | 0 | 0 | 1st & 2nd | 0 |
| Normal Grey Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Normal Blue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Normal Violet | 0 | 0 | 2nd | 0 |
| Normal Grey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow Faced | 0 | 2nd & 3rd | 0 | 0 |
| Australian Golden Faced | 3rd | 1st | 0 | 3rd |
| Black Eyed Self | 2nd | 2nd & 3rd | 0 | 3rd |
| Dilute | 1st | 0 | 3rd | 3rd |
| Lutino | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2nd |
| Albino | 1st | 0 | 0 | 1st & 2nd |
| Clearwing | 1st | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greywing | 1st & 3rd | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cinnamonwing | 0 | 3rd | 0 | 2nd |
| Spangle Double Factor | 0 | 0 | 2nd & 3rd | 1st |
| Opaline Normal | 1st | 0 | 2nd | 0 |
| Opaline AOSV | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd |
| Clearbody | 2nd | 0 | 3rd | 0 |
| Lacewing | 1st | 1st & 3rd | 2nd & 3rd | 3rd |
| Fallow | 2nd & 3rd | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spangle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spangle AOSV | 0 | 1st | 1st, 2nd, 3rd | 0 |
| Dominant Pied | 1st | 0 | 1st & 2nd | 0 |
| Recessive Pied | 0 | 3rd | 0 | 0 |
| Crested | 0 | 2nd & 3rd | 0 | 1st, 2nd, 3rd |
| Dark Eyed Clear | 3rd | 1st | 1st & 2nd | 0 |
Placings summary (excluding the hens-only class)
The number of first, second and third placings won by hens in these years in the 26 classes (not including the hens-only class):
| Year | First placings | Second placings | Third placings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 2016 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 2017 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
Out of twenty-six classes this is not that many, but more interestingly is the classes the hens are not competitive in.
Category breakdown (2015–2018)
| Category | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Variety Classes | 0 First / 0 Second / 1 Third | 1 First / 1 Second / 1 Third | 1 First / 2 Second / 0 Third | 0 First / 0 Second / 1 Third |
| Sex-linked Variety Classes | 3 First / 1 Second / 1 Third | 1 First / 0 Second / 3 Third | 0 First / 3 Second / 1 Third | 1 First / 4 Second / 1 Third |
| Dominant Variety Classes | 1 First / 0 Second / 0 Third | 1 First / 0 Second / 0 Third | 2 First / 3 Second / 2 Third | 1 First / 0 Second / 0 Third |
| Recessive Variety Classes | 3 First / 2 Second / 3 Third | 1 First / 2 Second / 3 Third | 1 First / 1 Second / 1 Third | 1 First / 1 Second / 3 Third |
Percentages of hen placings (2015–2018)
| Year | First placings | Second placings | Third placings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 26% | 11% | 19% |
| 2016 | 15% | 11% | 26% |
| 2017 | 15% | 34% | 19% |
| 2018 | 11% | 19% | 19% |
This equals out to the following overall percentages of hens being awarded the top three placings (2015–2018):
- First placing: 16% overall
- Second placing: 18.75% overall
- Third placing: 20% overall
2019 and 2022–2024: Hen placings
The table below shows hen placings in each class across 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 (top three placings only).
| Class | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2nd |
| Normal Grey Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2nd |
| Normal Blue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Normal Violet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Normal Grey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow Faced | 1st | 0 | 0 | 3rd |
| Australian Golden Faced | 3rd | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black Eyed Self | 0 | 1st & 3rd | 1st & 3rd | 1st & 3rd |
| Dilute | 3rd | 1st & 2nd | 1st & 3rd | 2nd |
| Lutino | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2nd |
| Albino | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1st & 2nd |
| Clearwing | 0 | 3rd | 0 | 0 |
| Greywing | 0 | 2nd | 2nd | 1st, 2nd & 3rd |
| Cinnamonwing | 0 | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd |
| Spangle Double Factor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1st |
| Opaline Normal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Opaline AOSV | 0 | 2nd & 3rd | 2nd & 3rd | 2nd |
| Clearbody | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1st |
| Lacewing | 1st | 0 | 3rd | 2nd & 3rd |
| Fallow | 2nd & 3rd | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spangle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spangle AOSV | 0 | 1st & 3rd | 1st & 3rd | 0 |
| Dominant Pied | 1st | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recessive Pied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crested | 0 | 2nd & 3rd | 2nd | 1st, 2nd & 3rd |
| Dark Eyed Clear | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 0 |
| Australian White Cap | 0 | 1st & 2nd | 1st & 2nd | 0 |
Placings summary (2019 and 2022–2024)
| Year | First placings | Second placings | Third placings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2022 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 | 10 | 5 |
2025: Hen placings (notable strength in selected varieties)
| Class | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Normal Green | 0 |
| Normal Grey Green | 0 |
| Normal Blue | 0 |
| Normal Violet | 2nd |
| Normal Grey | 0 |
| Yellow Faced | 1st & 2nd |
| Australian Golden Faced | 0 |
| Black Eyed Self | 1st & 3rd |
| Dilute | 1st |
| Lutino | 3rd |
| Albino | 3rd |
| Clearwing | 1st |
| Greywing | 1st |
| Cinnamonwing | 0 |
| Spangle Double Factor | 0 |
| Opaline Normal | 0 |
| Opaline AOSV | 2nd |
| Clearbody | 0 |
| Lacewing | 0 |
| Fallow | 0 |
| Spangle | 0 |
| Spangle AOSV | 3rd |
| Dominant Pied | 1st |
| Recessive Pied | 0 |
| Crested | 0 |
| Dark Eyed Clear | 1st & 2nd |
| Australian White Cap | 0 |
2025 placings summary
- 7 First placings
- 4 Second placings
- 4 Third placings
Key takeaway from the dataset: Hens are definitely not strong in the Normal, Sex-linked and Dominant classes.
So… do we need the Hens Class?
Based on the results above, three practical conclusions stand out:
- Hens are not consistently competitive across all categories. They appear regularly, but wins are limited—especially in Normal, Sex-linked, and Dominant sections.
- The Hens Class acts as a participation and quality incentive. Without it, many top hens may never receive recognition at Nationals, even if they’re excellent examples of their variety.
- The Hens Class supports the hobby beyond the show bench. Hens are half the breeding equation. Encouraging exhibitors to value, present, and improve hens has downstream benefits for studs, pairing decisions, and long-term quality.