Talking with Rik Cools and his wife Mieke about our beloved pigeon sport is always a pleasure. Rik is a breeder who loves both breeding and playing with the pigeons. He is a specialist and therefore more than happy about the announced changes at national level in Belgium regarding the difficult medium distance flights every two weeks. This not only brings more respect to the animals, but also the time they need to recover and participate with full energy in the next flight. “In the future, we have to be more considerate of the high temperatures and make sure that our pigeons fully recover,” Rik says.
Confidence in Röhnfried products
“My favorite top products are Bt-Amin Forte and Mumm, which provide fast recovery and all the necessary reserves for the next flights. In warmer phases I additionally use Avipharm or Elektrolyt3Plus.
In the days after the flights the pigeons are given Avidress Plus, which protects them from infections, keeps them in better health and also has a positive effect on the intestines. Once the pigeons know this product, they drink it without any problems. I also use it throughout the year on the breeding loft.
After that they get Gervit-W for one week and Bt-Amin forte (vitamins and amino acids) for the other week. A full week of Blitzform and an extra shot of iodine can also do wonders for white noses and nice pink breasts.
During the racing season, I’ve been using Carni-Speed for the last few years, which leads to faster recovery and gives the birds plenty of energy in a short time. During the moult I use a lot of Taubengold in the drinking water and Hessechol with Pavifac Bierhefe over the feed. This makes it much easier for the pigeons to molt, and it gives them a wonderfully soft plumage.”
Highlights 2022:
Châteauroux (485 km) – against 1402 old pigeons: 1, 2, 3 – 1st Nat. zone against 2630 pigeons.
Châteauroux (485 km) – against 895 yearlings: 1, 2
Arras (120 km) – 412 young 1, 2, 3 –
Clermont (200 km) – 894 young: 1, 2, 3 –
Fontenay (320 km) – 585 young: 1 ….
Best flier 2022: Felicienne BE20-3106463, she flew the following top prices
5th Prov. Châteauroux against 286 pigeons
2nd Blois against 6112 pigeons
8 Bourges against 1161 pigeons
27th Châteauroux against 4366 pigeons
41st Blois against 6042 pigeons
44. Fontenay against 8334 pigeons
60. argenton against 4095 pigeons