Does the picture above appeal to you?
Breeding Birmans - or any other breed of cat - can be very rewarding, no doubt about it.
But before you decide whether this is something you want to do, consider it carefully. Make a list of pros and cons. If the term "money" shows up on your pro list - you´ve got it wrong from the very beginning!
Breeding IS about money - but you will soon find out that it´s going OUT of your pockets, not in.....!
First please familiarize your self with the breeders qualifications and see if you´ve got what it takes.... Once you´ve read it, we can get down to business - no pun intended.

Find a mentor... I cannot say this often enough. Sure, cats have been delivering kittens by them selves for hundreds of years - so just how hard can it be? Hard enough...!
You need to find a suitable female. Having correct socks and laces is not enough - she needs to have a good type as well. In fact perfect markings aren´t necessesary for a good breeder, but so many other things are.
One thing worth looking for is a female out of a good, strong motherline. The ability and willingness to take care of kittens is partly hereditary. If you female comes from a line that has a history of frequent c-sections, you just might want to reconsider your choise of female, no matter how pretty she is.
Is it necessesary to show her? No, it might not be, but if you want to be able to guide your kitten buyers once the time comes, it might come in handy having had at least some experience!

Learn the basics genetics. It´s not all that hard - most of it is quite logic, once you get the hang of it. Go to cat club meetings - take advantage of what ever theme nights they may offer!
Learn about diseases in the cat. You will want to try and breed happy and healthy kittens - but no matter what you do, something you never though of - and wish you had never heard of - will always appear at the most inconvenient time! Find a good vet - you *will* be needing him sooner or later. If you are going out for stud service, the stud owner might demand you present fresh blood tests to prove that your female is FIV and FeLV negative. On the other hand, be aware that someone asking for a Corona titer hasn´t quite understood that part of having cats - according to Dr. Pedersen this test is merely a waste of money and will tell you absolutely nothing. Keep her shots updates as well - URI´s may not be much of a problem to an adult cat, but is easily caught and passed on to kittens.

The hardest part of breeding: letting your kitten go... Zanadu Amethyst Treasure with baby Zanadu Blizzard. Photo courtesey of Susan Gibson

Learn about blood types! About 20% of the Birmans are blood type B, and while this is most certainly not a disease, it is however something you need to know about. If you have a type B female, you need to be prepared. Lots of breeders have learned to handle breeding a type B female to a type A male - read Dr. Addies article on blood types and see how simple this is - provided you do it right.
The average Birman mom is pregnant for 65 days. Be at home when the birth is scheduled. Having babies is a big thing! While most Birman females gives birth nice and easy, many of them still prefer having you around when it starts.
Prepare well for the birth! If you can, make sure you have a few days off - is there anything better to spend a couple of days off on? Have a kitten box ready for the expecting mother at least a week before the due date. Many queens will start making a nest long before that. She will look in linen closets, behind the tv, in the laundry basket - any place dark, nice and secluded. You may not agree with her choise - but make sure she has a suitable kitten box, and she may very well accept it. Keep it in a quiet room, for instance your bedroom. NO visitors for the first few days! Respect her instictive wish to preotect her kittens and keep it quiet in the room.
While she is pregnant she needs extra food - just like any expecting mother would also pay extra attention to her diet.

How to pick the best kitten buyers? I wish I had the perfect plan for that! However ask questions that are important for you to get an answer to! If the kitten buyer avoids answering your questions, maybe they haven´t told you everything. Should you roast them over a slow fire? No, but try and use discretion and wisdom at the same time. Consider whether you want to do early neuter / spay on your kittens. Some breeders have found this to be a good screening method when selling kittens who are going as *pets only*. Set up a contract. Go over it more than once - would you sign it your self?
Remember there is a good place for all kittens. Don´t panic if not all kittens are sold at age 12 weeks. Do NOT give into someones wishes to pick up a kitten before 12 weeks of age. They are your responsibility - make sure you do your very best to give them a good start.