27. December 2017

Brilliant in the province of Zeeland

2017 – 3x 1st Provincial with the youngsters!

A good combination

All the racing pigeons are staying with the Schieman family. Here it is the father Adrie and his son Kees who take care of the racing birds. They follow precisely the programme prescribed by their friend and vet Patrick Derycke. Patrick is the one who delivers the racers since the breeders are all in his loft.

Everything is carried out punctually and of course, it’s much more fun to work when everyone pitches in. Since there is no need to worry about all aspects of the sport, those taking care of the pigeons have some moments of “rest”.

As mentioned, it is the Schieman family who races the pigeons, trains them and selects them. Patrick Derycke, on the other hand, is the one who breeds them and is the owner of the extensive Vandenabeele collection.

So each and every one in this team knows quite well what to do. The racers with father Adrie (77 years old, still a hard worker, however, and a man with a clear vision when it comes to pigeon racing). Both sons help out: Frans cleans the loft and Kees is responsible for the hampering of the pigeons and everything else. In fact, he is responsible for the management of the loft.

Total widowhood with 24 cocks and 16 hens
The partners stay at home. Not many, but good ones – that’s all a fancier needs!
Everything is done according to schedule with an attempt to respect the biorhythm of the pigeons. On the agenda: 7 preparation races of 100-250km and afterwards, 7 races of 400-550km, which are the most important and here, the birds need to come in at the top. Of course, it’s not that easy to get good results time after time if you only race with a limited team, still they try to achieve top scores.

Super season in 2017 with the young birds
Last season, 2017, was super with the youngsters. If you can add 3x 1st Provincial to your prize list and do so with just a few pigeons, then you can certainly talk about having a super season.

The young birds were given a lot of Jungtierpulver, a top product. Once you know that Patrick Derycke is a vet who can confirm this, you can be sure it is a super product. It gives the birds resistance, ensures a good balance in their intestines and gives them an extra performance boost.

Some tips

*Training the youngsters: do not start before they can fly well enough and make sure they are “clean”. Treat the youngsters for canker and make sure their heads are “clear”, not too much but sometimes a must. “Train them with a tailwind, do not take any unnecessary risks.”
* Pay attention to temperature differences: many pigeons have problems with “stuffy heads” in spring which is often the result of a difference in temperature – outside 15°C and inside the transport truck 30°C ….
* Days when it is too hot: when it is very hot, try to make sure there is enough fresh air in the loft! During those periods, it is best to refresh the water twice daily, this will lower the risk of infection.
* Observe their ears: if the little feathers surrounding the ears are not flat, then something is wrong, normally respiratory problems. If that happens, do not take any risks with those birds!
If you observe carefully, you can prevent a lot of problems. As we all know, prevention is better than cure. That is the best way to win.

Supplementary products they prefer using:
On arrival home from the race: Bt-Amin forte in the drinking water, Hessechol &
K + K Protein on top of the feed
The day after the race: Avidress Plus + UsneGano in the drinking water
The following days (always in the drinking water): Gervit-W and on the last 2 days Blitzform
As mentioned: the young birds are given a lot of Jungtierpulver to maintain a good balance in their intestines and for long-lasting good condition.

A strong breeding loft:

In this colony, more than 50% of the birds stem from the pair 04-3230874 – Son of 1st National Bourges x 04-3230881, x Daughter Bliksem 881 from Gaby Vandenabeele.
There are also two brothers from Marino of Gaby Vandenabeele (12-3203219 and 12-3203220), offspring/grandchildren won:
1st National Gien against 17,536 pigeons (2014) – won by Gabriella 990-14 (granddaughter of the stock pair)
1st Provincial Sens against 7,100 pigeons – won by 021-14, grandson of Daughter Bliksem
2nd + 3rd Pont St. Maxence against 6,850 pigeons (from the brother of Father Gabriella x sister of Mother Gabriella), so again 2 grandchildren from the stock pair
2nd Roye against 7,000 pigeons (2016) – son Gabriella (already a great-grandson of the stock pair)