hi m8
i pair up about the middle of jan that is early enough for the darkness and i put my young birds on the dark when the hour goes about the 31 march not before and take them of about the 1 june they will have moulted out by then and be ready for racing and you will be able to get them though the moult at the end of the year i find it works well that way
because i work and need to get them out for a fly after work i dont take them of till 12.30 my dinner time and put them back on the dark just before it gets dark
hope this helps
pault