BE a champion and stay a champion


BE THERE ON TIME
The winter months are ideal to sell pigeons but whether they are as suitable to buy pigeons? After each season, the group of disappointed pigeon fanciers is much larger than the group to which it has been satisfactorily conducted. These are then tempted with a wide range of birds. Former days birds that had performed little or nothing disappeared in the soup, but also because the Internet is now all what has two wings offered for sale and also sold. This indicates that there is an interest for a wide variety of birds. When we come by famous players the selling prices are so high that most fanciers have no chance to buy anything. They have to be content with pigeons of a lesser-known fancier. Fortunately this has not everything to matter with quality. Of course everyone wants to have pigeons that come from a champion loft that performs well for many years. But I wonder how many fanciers there are that know where the best results are achieved. There are still more "name buyers" than fanciers that read serious the list and therefore know where currently is played well. All those famous names from many years back we all know. These are names that are like music to our ears. In foreign magazines I still read those names from that I know they are almost a hundred years dead. I may also like to talk about the celebrities of the past, but not more than that. It’s going about the modern birds that call the shots on all fronts. There are fanciers who still have no name, they are only known by to those who spell the results. In pigeon magazines you read a lot about great performance, you can read about diseases, breeding methods and the type with which they play. Those who really want to get ahead in the sport should really take a subscription to several pigeon’s results. In it you get a lot more to know. In it you see whose strong play; you also see with how many birds they play and against what competition. So who can read very well the results is competition always a battle for.

AFFORDABLE
There are many examples of high-performance fanciers who offer pigeons for let's call it friend prices. This lasts until suddenly a number of lofts with that kind of pigeons remarkably perform and then you will be too late because then the prices rise through the roof. Therefore you must already have been there before they become famous. Who really pays attention knows that there are now by "nameless" fanciers performed at top level. Smart fanciers that are looking for better read the results in the smallest details, are not very talkative themselves and can listen very well. If they tell; top pigeons sit there, you're too late. They have already visited, race with those pigeons and as it appears that they add value to each loft everyone wants them and then you pay the prize. There are every few years a number names of fanciers who get extra reputation. This may be due to the pigeon magazines, by word of mouth, through frequent advertising or commerce that a certain type directly praises into heaven. In the time that the Janssen pigeons were very popular everyone possessed Janssen pigeons, at least if you believe the ads. There was advertised by fanciers with Janssen pigeons who have never had been in Arendonk. They had them via another. Nowadays there are other names in the picture and see what happens, you see more and more offers from fanciers who also have that sort. Directly or through another it doesn’t’ matter, this kind of famous now brings a lot of money and then there are fanciers who want to take advantage of them. Fine! However you must have them from the man who performs top and not from the men who only have that kind of pigeons for commerce.

EVEN IF YOU PLAY AS HARD THERE ARE ALWAYS PIGEONS THAT WON’T DO
I can best judge of my own pigeons. In the 60 years that I play with pigeons I fortunately have experienced more highs than lows. In various disciplines, I have always played well; pigeons were regularly proclaimed to champion pigeon. Over the years I have built up an own tribe and received in the year 2000 a European certificate for more than 50 years breeder of speed pigeons. Something you will not get because you're a nice guy, no, there should be a thing in return. There must be long well performed, you must have at least 50 years pigeons, also other lofts must have achieved impressive results and especially of breeding methods you have to be well informed. You can imagine that I am very honored that I belong by that certificate in a line of long term high performance fanciers and from that moment I could speak about the race Braspenning. To ensure to that good performance, I am always looking for better pigeons. Personally, I think that I have succeeded. To build up a strong loft I always have given my pigeons that have won in big concourse first prizes directly a place in the breeding loft. Only winners and champion pigeons in the loft, you're (almost) unbeatable, at least that’s what you think. You would think that it can not go wrong; you have to breed one after the other champion. At least that’s what you would think. In general terms this is true. There is every year a number of useful birds bred from which some even grew to champion pigeon. In addition, I must confess that there are several brothers and sisters of good parents which are worth nothing. Why? That is still a mystery. Fortunately for the sport it’s still the case that from two top racers not automatically good children are born. That would be too easy. Every year I make note that there are pigeons in my loft with poor performance, but their nest mate is. I say always, I think I know quite a lot of pigeons but my brother can not even tell the difference between a pigeon and a chicken. As a matter of fact Johan Cruyff his brother could not kick a dent in a packet of butter while Johan is greatness in football around the world. Pigeon racing is still a great hobby that gives anyone who wants a lot of fun.

SUNDAY 13 MAY
It will be a legendary date. That day the curtain finally falls on the world famous Janssen pigeons, there may be the last time a bid on the last 20 precious pigeons. Currently (May 8) is the average of 7,000 euro’s and that for pigeons with which the last 30 years has not played. Yet there is much enthusiasm for this art. It's for a number of fanciers around the world a great possession. Direct Janssen pigeons in your loft, I've had several. Beautiful birds that partly because of the high purchase price immediately got a place in the breeding loft. From their flying abilities I knew nothing. I had every confidence in that pigeons and they were often very useful as a breeder. In the seventies more than 50% of their descendents reached good results on the races. This meant that the Janssen pigeons worth gold because where you found a breeding loft where 50% usable pigeons were born? I only know one and that was in the Schoolstraat in Arendonk where I've been several times to purchase such a thoroughbred. It’s, now that I have many years no longer have been there, hard to imagine that everything has ended. Louiske, the last of the famous fanciers of all time, will the rest of his life spent in a nursing home, 99 years old and without pigeons. I've always heard that you should not move old trees and this oak is almost 100 years old.


SMALL SUCCESSES WORKS MOTIVETING
Last I spoke a well-known veterinarian. We talked about everything to do with the sport. Mostly that is wonderful conversations. If two people, who both have the same hobby, each other somewhere in an unexpected moment meet they can almost not stop talking. Initially it was about the rapid decline in members. Also we both, who already quite long along in the sport, knew no approximately anything which would increase the membership again. We were however agreeing that there is currently too much energy put into groups which we believe are not exactly the most important. It seemed important to us to ensure that the playing members, who are now 18,000, could continue playing. Those people must be cherished by our national organization in a way that their hobby is still affordable. 90% of them are fun players, often retired and therefore not too much money to participate everything. Besides the fun players there’s a large group of commercial boys that annually make fat profits. For them, it is immaterial whether the freight price for a pigeon is 1 euro or 5 euro. They also do not shrink back to offer a half ton for a pigeon. What does it matter if annually tons arrive from their “pigeon hobby”? The fun players can bring their pigeons at the end of the season to the butcher or can make soup of it, but the filled boys are still able to make luxury prices of their "scavengers" that have not race a flat price. Unbelievable that there are worldwide still so many people who kick. Let's stay on the subject and that are sometimes the small successes that can make a very good season. Example, it could be a small fancier who suddenly clock a pigeon before his strong playing neighbor. There are fanciers who alone can enjoy the return of their pigeons and almost never play price. The conscious vet told about the bad luck he had a few weeks back. Well I finally got an early bird in a sprint race and my electronic clock doesn’t work. You could hear at his talk and see on his face that he was very disappointed. That it happens to you, I told him. Each week before the pigeons come home I make a test by laying an electronic clock ring on the antenna and if you have multiple antennas I test them every week. Little effort and if something is not right, there is opportunity to do something. So in the morning first work; testing the clock! Pigeon racing is not just about wins on national, regional and club races. Every fancier has always someone he wants to beat, which may be his friend or neighbor, and perhaps the champion of the club. Each match is a competition in itself. One goes for the win; the other thinks the whole world may finish for me but I have to finish before my neighbor. That's pigeon sport; each other in a sporting way do the tie. There can ultimately only one win, the others must find their pleasure in the arrival, a top position or just a price. No matter what, if only pleasure is experienced to the hobby.

TOPPERS HAVE TO WIN
In each sport, individually or in teams, it is normal that the top wins. For supporters it is the most natural thing in the world that they win, every week again! If the top wins it’s for the media not really news, its only news when they lose. What top teams or athletes all have to do is sufficiently known by insiders. The layman thinks about it all, he fined it the most normal thing in the world. There is much to tell about training methods, commitment, character, motivation, fitness and quality. Which sport we take, nothing is automatic but requires 100% effort. So sports friends, this also counts for our sport. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately we do not have everything in our hand. If our pigeons are on their way to the release point, we can do anything about it. The whole week we can take care of them, once in the basket, we can only wait. Good players are able to see at the doings of their birds if they join the next race for some good ratings. The only one who still can be killjoy is the weather. In less good performance can be called all kinds of excuses but those do not count. The clock indicates whether or not it is done well. Location and wind will have to do with it, we can talk about it long or short, the clock counts. Also this week I followed several national celebrities. There were some who for the fifth consecutive week have performed excellently. It was striking that a number of hits for the fourth week very disappointed. Large numbers of pigeons, only 25% prize and only a few birds in the first hundred. Yes, that happens to people with castles of lofts and hundreds of pigeons, everything new, major reports in the newspapers, of course with big plans but for now are a bunch of those men by small fanciers totally humiliated. I will not name names yet, soon I will. Because if they reach this season a victory in a big concourse its citizens hear! The opposite may therefore sometimes be published.

TOTAL SALES GEBR.JANSSEN
The curtain has fallen. End of a sensational era. The last original Janssen pigeons, the entire file of 12 breeding pairs and 2 youngsters of 2012 are for sale in Pipa. The sale is now (May 1) only 1 day old and the average is already at more than 5,000 euro’s. Sunday, May 13th is the last day that can be offered. How does this end?

LOT PRICES BUT NOT YET HEAD
Five flights are over and I'm not dissatisfied. The wait is still on the first victory, given the high percentage rate (after 5 races 65%) there can not fail much to the pigeon’s, so I keep doing my best. I have every confidence in my birds, especially in the hens and it really can’t be long before there is a super result. My son Marco, who lives more than 40 km further north, flies better than his dad. After 5 races, 4 times 1e and 1 time 2e in his club with several ratings in the top-10. This weekend the first flight middle distance race, 350 km. Beautiful races especially if it’s pigeon weather

SURPRISING
Our third flight had a typical course. Even now it was too cold. In the south of the country the pigeons facing hefty hail but luckily they had downwind. I had assumed that they would make speeds faster than 110 mph so I was amply well prepared. Like previous weeks it was no fun now. I was completely in the wind, cap, tie, collar up with constant heavy rain showers. What my birds never do, they did now. They continued to fly and if they wanted to decrease the loft it seemed as if there stood power on. When they touched the pans they flew again. Probably the cause is the hail which they came through. Regions that otherwise difficult come along now playing first violin. There were several fanciers who usually rear end and now even managed to clock the fastest pigeon. At least their year can not be broken anymore! By the ones that was not the case remain quit some question marks. What the hell happened? The best is these types of races quickly forget. When checking the results I noticed however, that despite the strange course there are still several, mainly small fanciers, picked their first nominated pigeon. For the man who appears weekly with large numbers it seems not a simple task.

NEW SYSTEM.
To become a champion is determined by the national administration that from each participant the first 25 pigeons from the list count for championship points. Of those 25 there designated pigeons must be 3 clocked, the points that these three birds total gain are dividing by 2.5 and that counts for the championship. Does anyone join with 68 pigeons and he play 1-2-3-4 with its 29th, 35th, 54th and 66th signed then he still score no points for the championship. I have from a number of prominent fanciers the list studied it is sad to see how bad most of them under the new system performance. There are however noteworthy results, for the championships they do not currently participate. We can ask ourselves, what is more important; good results or a championship? By me count good results and champion pigeons. The new system is so that each participating pigeon can score points for the pigeon championship. So when a fancier gets its 44th signed first then he gets no points for the championship but for the pigeon championship. I have never purchased pigeons by someone who has won a laundry list of championships but no champion pigeon at his loft. No, I always took birds (except the Gebr. Janssen) by fanciers that possesses multiple champion pigeon and only from these kind of fanciers I wanted to have them. I took also no youngsters from a brother or sister of the champion pigeon. I do want a brother or sister of the champion pigeon. Such pigeons I bought always to breed of. Buying pigeons for racing I almost never did. If you have a loft of pigeons that reasonably good performance I think you better can purchase just pigeons to strengthen the breeding loft.

BREEDING AND GAMES
To find out what quality there is in the breeding loft it is best to breed as much as you can and the youngsters may be on the races show off what wood they are carved. I never doubted to give a good pigeon quickly a place in my breeding loft. My champion pigeons or winners were in no time behind the fence to breed good descendants. That seems simple, but it is not. Two good pigeons do not automatically give good children. If it was so easy then had all these wealthy Chinese with their absurdly expensive Dutch and Belgian pigeons have long flown everything down. Fortunately, it doesn’t work like that. I know an example of a cock that each flight came one day late and from a hen that had a perfect pedigree and even flew a yard. Both were sitting somewhere in the race loft and in spring two youngsters were bred of. They became two supers that belonged to the best Dutch. The next year this tired of saying nothing pair remains in the breeding loft and one after the other good bird rolled out. No, they were not as the first two but there were be winners. When we speak of champion pigeons that have been paired together there are many more examples of only moderate to poor pigeons than there was a super pigeon bred. Currently, most of us are ready with breeding. The commercial men go on with breeding because the purse must be refilled again this year. Those who breed for themselves alone can be best proven breeders soon separate. It's a waste to let your hens lay eggs where you have no place or more interest in. The very old breeders can better the whole year stocked together to keep them ongoing. It seems better to me to do the very old granddads away. They have proven their services otherwise they would not have become so old. For me the youth gets priority, which lay eggs on time, bring-up without problems their youngsters, but with the whole old birds you have to wait sometimes a year for two eggs from which also another one is not fertilized. It is also wait how the youngsters of those two old granddads will grow. I want those old birds not for nothing at my loft. There will be somewhere a fancier who has good experience with an old couple. Usually it is nothing and to sit and wait on a fluke I do not want. So play with all the youngsters and who will not be able to achieve, whether they come from a super couple, take your farewell. Between farewell and goodbye is still a big difference. Some cooks a delicious pot of soup; the other knows there is big money to be made. Look the coming winter to the large numbers of youngsters who will be sold; most of them only have a beautiful name and a fine pedigree but there will be written that those birds are specially bred for this spectacular sale. When used at home once narrated a similar story was told we gave the lamp above the dining table a nudge. In other words HE IS TO LIE!
For the coming GOOD LUCK AND GET THEM!

COLD AND STILL SMOOTH COMPETITIONS.
It definitely has to do with the quality of the pigeons. For years pigeons made with head wind speeds of just over 60 km per hour. Those days are long gone. Today it is the most natural thing in the world that they race with head wind and low temperatures 80 km per hour. If there was years ago sometimes a pigeon make speeds like that there was soon spoke of a miracle pigeon. We are now in progress for several weeks and each time strong head wind, too cold for this time of year but even though the flights went well. Every time the prices are within 13 minutes earned, this means that 25% of the participating pigeons are home. It thus appears that pigeons can better against cold then temperatures above 25 degrees. It is said that especially widowers should have hot weather to perform well but if we consult the results we see that on both flights the males dominate. This may also be because there are more males than females participate. For the fanciers is waiting for the pigeons with this kind of weather not funny. Out of the wind and in the sun it was not so bad otherwise it was pretty waiver. That the competitions went well is partly because there is an open air. Surely we need to see small patches of blue sky; we know that the birds can orient themselves properly, in a closed cloud the pigeons have more difficulty using the shortest way to fly home. Probably does the humidity also contribute to a good flight course and that is with low temperatures and a nearly closed cloud better than by hot weather. Then the air is dry as we say, especially in east wind is the case. I hold my breath as the youngsters with warm weather and easterly winds have their flights. Then we have almost always a lot of stragglers and competitions which are open too long. If I may choose; I prefer temperatures of 20-22 degrees and a northwest wind, then the good birds come first. But who wants that?

SURPRISES.
As you get older you are already inclined to look back. It is like it used to be
better and more beautiful, but it's not the case. We romanticize too much and only remember the beautiful and forget everything else. We have long thought that males, because the male is stronger, would perform better than the hens. In Belgium are many years separate competitions held for cocks, hens and yearlings. In the Netherlands they have always flown together and especially in the time that only widowhood with cocks was played, everyone was convinced that males performed better than women. Until we found out that at flights to 600 km it did not matter whether it's a cock or hen or a yearling. The picture was totally different, hens on widowhood finished multiple times for the males and especially yearlings could totally surprise. If the flights became longer we mainly joined with older pigeons, they would easier races this sort distances. It also became evident that we all had it wrong. It is mainly one and two year olds who call the shots. Today, in most lofts widowhood with cocks and hens is played. I have more confidence in the hens. They recover faster so they can join every week and therefore you will experience even more fun with them.
More and more fanciers understand that the young birds make the shot, of four years and older you see almost no more pigeon in the results. They have the game through and are therefore probably less motivated to return home. Therefore they must make room for the younger generation. Only on flights with bad or catastrophic course sometimes you see an old veteran at the top of the rash finish, but to keep for such flights older birds is me going too far. Again, still counts; who has youth has the future.

YOUNGER PLAYERS MAKE THE SERVICE OFF.
The pigeon sport aged and there are too few new young players. That is true! It does not mean that there are no younger players come at all. Younger players are for me the age 35 to 45 years and when I look to the final positions of the various provincial and national competitions it strikes me again and again that there are quite a lot younger fanciers. You can see that the "old goats" be struck from the herd, so it goes in nature and in sports and also in pigeon sport. Many older fanciers sag, they fall asleep, too many remain stuck on the old, don’t follow new trends and hold on too much by their own pigeons that always performed well. They do not see that the sport is changing and without them being aware they have increasingly been overtaken by the youngsters. If I look at myself; as there used to be somewhere a pigeon event, I was there too. I almost never saw anyone of my own environment and then found the older ones from then it strange that I was aware of everything and knew all what was happened in both sporting and organizational matters. I wanted to be everywhere; I lived from one event to another. I was always looking for better pigeons, there had to Janssen blood in it otherwise I would not. The Janssen pigeons in my younger years were the best pigeons that flew over the globe. Only later on I found out (I was a bit asleep at the slumber) that there flew other and perhaps slightly better pigeons. I loved perhaps too much of good and beautiful and often found it a shame to race with my birds at further distances. Now I have no problems anymore. Also because the speed races by greatly decreasing number of members no longer can be played as it should. Short sprint races you can only play in a small area where many fanciers live close together. There are unfortunately fewer and fewer fanciers left so fly areas are forced to increasingly large. This makes the flights of 300 to 600 km increasingly important and you must ensure that you have the proper pigeons for these distances at your loft. The younger players, you do nothing to tell, they have been working there long. You do not hear them whine that they do not live in the line or that they live in such a strong field. They have no birds that do not want to come inside and you do not hear them say that their competitors 'something' use. They come with top racers at the start and let all the negative talk along the old grumblers who always forget that it’s going about good pigeons and nothing else.
Success for the next weekend and get them!



BASE OF THE PIGEON GAME IS SHORT DISTANCE
In today's pigeon sport is currently the specialization the main issue. I think that was the start of the downfall of the sport. The return of members is not braking. The actions organized in recent years to win souls are wasted energy and time. The excessive attention paid to the youth is absolutely pointless. Youth now (often with help from dad) that practice the sport gets only as they join a cup and arms full of prizes. The madness at its best! I once experienced that during the celebration of a national competition a father with a child of less than a year in a stroller came forward to accept the prize that was won by the child. That's part of the modern pigeon. The child could not even walk, of course knew absolutely nothing of pigeon racing and a father dares to accept the prize. A mockery of the top shelf! In recent years, you see the young players are overloaded with all kinds of pigeon products and prices. We won’t win members by that and if it works they will drop out as fast as they come. There comes a time they have to perform to win something and if that performance failure is the pleasure of the pigeon game soon away. The youth win for the sport can only to let them join with the old birds in the sprint races along with the youngsters at the natour. Then the holiday of the other family members are not in danger, it remains affordable, plus that the youth is not a whole year very busy with pigeon sport. Indeed, there are also other important things like school and sports itself.
The pigeon game you learn to control at the speed races, this applies not only for youth, which applies to all of us. Those who can come along good on the short flights will later on also manage the longer distance races.

NOT ALL WANT THE SAME TIME
Fanciers that want everything immediately will have much longer work to participate effectively than those that will first get the short distance below the knee. Short distance races are the hardest thing there is although many fanciers think totally different. Have a look at the real speed players; that are real wizards who can super motivate and feed their pigeons and dare to select very strict. Short distance game was always money game for the ordinary workman, and where money is played down the best birds. Wagering is not so hard, win money is quite different. For that you have to have birds that come hurtling straight home, they never hesitate to go inside because they are happy that they see the boss. Real sprint players you never hear complain that their birds do not come inside. These birds are so trained that they won’t lose a second. Speed ​​players are no mega fanciers too. They come with some pigeons that they have observed throughout the week, where they have confidence and courage to put money on. Through weekly win a nice small amount remains their hobby affordable. That is all gone. When the computer came along and the fanciers instead of putting crosses their participation lists have to fill otherwise it was done with the money game. For some it was good that no more money was being played, they delivered week in week out only money in and their families were often too short. There were also those that with low commitment earned so much that they had free game during the summer months. I was also very pleased to gambling, it makes it even more exciting and what’s just important, you taught the pigeons much better. There was in the autumn only place for pigeons who could earn their own living. That is past. Today, fanciers come with baskets full of pigeons while it’s going nowhere. Yes, there is a battle for championship points, no matter whether it’s achieved by the upper pigeon of the participation list or by the 85th. Fortunately there’s this year for the first time a new regime occurred. For anyone now apply the first 25 pigeons from the participation list for the championships. That means we all play now 25 against 25 and not 50 against 12 or something like that.
Or so we will get new members? Absolutely not.

TRAINING PIGEONS
There was a time all pigeons did in the competition. By the specialization this is no longer the case. The long distance players come (almost) every week with training pigeons, pigeons that are going along just to train and nothing else. The participants in the overnight long distance races make matters worse; they even come with pigeons on flights of more than 500 km for training. In the associations it’s just a lot of work, they join nothing and if their birds are in the basket they go home. They let no clock set, often not even help to load the pigeons in the pigeon-car. There was a time when there were only 4 middle distance races and 1 overnight distance race. Then the specialization did not exist yet, everyone join those flights. Today there are far too many of such flights and that's all at the expense of the game program. With 1 flight in a weekend anyone participate and we immediately get rid of those training pigeons. I read a report of a long distance racer that he was out of respect for the speed players always let pigeon’s commitment to price, so never deliver only training pigeons. He also told that especially those people make the races possible. They are the workers who also ensure that the birds of the long distance players enter the basket. I would have the following still like to add; do the long distance racers know that it are the program racers that make their long distance races affordable? If you see what is paid for a flight of 200 km or a flight of 600 km, those prices are totally out of proportion. Partly from that perspective it would be nice that all the pigeons that are basket automatically join in the contest.
But even so we get no new members.

STRONG GAME
The first flight is over. It was certainly not ideal pigeon weather in the Netherlands. Too cold, but also then there are winners and losers. Let me begin with myself. Preparations for the new season were good; everything went well until I was three days before the first flight suddenly hospitalized. That was a huge disappointment. I will exhaust you do not share. There had to be improvised so that my birds could join anyway. My wife has cared for them and that she has done very well. However, it was not cleaned; the birds are those days not been outside and had no bath. Whether you go by that good or bad performance can not be determined. It is true that you feeling must say; there is every effort to take the victory and that was missing. My son Marco, who lives 50 km north, has first basket his own pigeons and then mine. There were 37 with and played a total of 26 prices (70%) starting with the 8th against 427 birds, in the ZCC it was good for the 36th place against 2.400 pigeons with 6 in the first hundred. I was very happy with it. The first three were experienced pigeons, followed by a number of yearlings including my favorite hen "005". I expect a lot from her. My son did better than dad; he played 1/2/3/4 and had 14 in the first twenty. On the computer I checked how a number of national celebrities did on the first flight. It was broadly shockingly bad. I will not mention names now, I will first follow 5 weeks, and then I publish an overview. I am now already convinced that some of you will fall off their chairs when reading performance.
Next weekend good luck!

Nobody was happy with the weather circumstances the last training flight. The days before summer temperatures and a day before the flight the temperature in daytime dropped to 7 degrees. That was the reason that on this "general rehearsal" very little pigeons went. I had also only 12 with, 6 males and 6 females. I think that with such temperatures you break down more than build. We had to wait until afternoon, the weather snapped something but temperatures were too low. In the pigeon cars whit a few thousand pigeons the temperature is more than comfortable, then suddenly the pigeons are released in the cold plus that they've been faced with a strong headwind. No, they did not get this last training flight for present. Yet it was a smooth flight with speeds of just over 70 km per hour and the prices were earned in eight minutes (1:4). Waiting for the birds was not fun, hat, scarf, thick coat, pigeon racing is still a summer sport you would think! Well, I saw that day as the abominable snowman. About the course I was very happy afterwards and I had quite a bit of regret that I did not give some more pigeons. These 12 of mine were within 9 minutes at home. First came two hens that were 5 days to hatch simultaneously storming. They attacked without making a circle around the loft directly on the valve and sat inside with 2 seconds difference. In the club it was good for 2 and 3 and in the ZCC against 1,200 pigeons played the ladies 6 and 7 with further 50% price. The coming weekend does not look much better, at night and early morning temperatures of around freezing and in the afternoon 10 degrees and cloudy. That's not pigeon weather! Since we live in the Netherlands we must ensure that we also for these weather circumstances have birds. One time temperature below 10 degrees and it can in a week or three just are above 20 degrees. Here we are waiting for! As for my pigeons I have every confidence in. They are this week for the first time on widowhood, look great, nice to weight train properly and eat even better. The hens train once a day since in the morning at 7 am is too dark. The cocks go out at 8 o'clock and train an hour without that I do with the flag waving. In the afternoon at 4 o'clock, the hens are out and they train already or they are in top form.

REGULAR TIMES
Since the old birds are on widowhood the youngsters do not spend the whole day off and now they must also adhere to regular times. That means at regular times train and eat, they know it because as long as they are in the world they get morning and afternoon at the same time food. Now they train twice a day for an hour I have just to whistle and within seconds they are all 44 inside. With comprising 44 I go play, not one more. I still have some youngsters at my breeders and for them I have one section left blank. The breeding is fantastic, too good because I have some more birds than I had planned, and I have all pigeons which I have given a voucher delivered and those that ordered early youngsters have also received their pigeons. This weekend the first official flight, all the cocks and hens go along for a distance of 110 km because with cold weather they must also fairly easy to bridge plus they also have to make the necessary training kilometers. In the time I was still active cyclist I made sure I had before the season starts at least three thousand miles in the legs. The difference you saw in the first classics with the boys who had started late with training. Sometimes you could not train because of snow on the roads but once it was possible I went to the hallway while others prefer to stay inside. Train so hard you hit overtraining is a serious error, with a sophisticated scheme (for the birds) the right rhythm would come and if the health is good together with a perfect care athletes and pigeons come in optimum condition, some are even in great shape and that's what counts. Super Shape comes so suddenly, it's like the pigeons something smaller, they go during the training at home the speed increasing step up, move away and come after a few minutes on the loft hurtling to choose another direction. If they do, feel free to put a large portion of your pocket money on because the pigeons with this behavior will definitely not disappoint you.

PROGNOSIS
I read recently a prognosis about the decrease of members. It was a period of twice ten years. First, the number of members named in 2002, than the current situation of 2012 and the forecast for 2022. If the decline continues as if now there will be 3,000 fanciers left in 2022.  Inconceivable that! Once we had almost 100,000 members, which were also almost 100,000 lofts because almost no one played in combination. They were as good as all individual fanciers. If I look at my own club, we have about sixty members; here are combinations of two or three members that race from the same loft. Our club has a nice number of members, the practice is that there are actually only 30 participate. Others are a member or play together. This applies to all clubs in the Netherlands. We can say that there are now 18,000 members who play up to 15,000 lofts. In an American magazine I read regularly an advertisement of a champion who says he have a satellite loft in the Netherlands where they race against at least 50,000 fanciers. Maybe good for commerce, 50,000 members is long ago; I wish it was true that we had so much. If the forecast for 2022 come true then I foresee major problems. There was a time that every Dutch town or village at least had one pigeon club. By the decline of members are in recent years many clubs merged. When I lived in Zaandam there were 6 pigeon clubs; by forced merger now only 1. The members come not only from that city but also from surrounding villages. Once we played in our fly area with 450 fanciers, but now there are no more then 175. If this continues there will be an annual large number of associations disappears. There is a surplus of transport capacity. The game is changing, sprint flights can hardly be organized because there are too few fanciers remain so the flying areas are forced to grow to get an interesting number pigeons together. Short distance races is not for nothing called village game, that are races for groups fanciers who live together in a small area. Sprint races are flights with a distance difference of 10-15 km. If the difference between the shortest and the longest distance becomes 80 km we can forget the sprint races and this are precisely the races most fanciers participate. We are going to experience quit a lot the coming years, especially since the national directors do not sit on 1 line. The Dutch and the Belgian pigeon crack at this time of trouble.
Despite that, the next weekend good luck and get them!

TENSION RISES
South Netherlands and Belgium have left, the game is on the car and the first winners are known. If there are winners, there are always losers. Losses can occur in various ways. You can lose the first place because your first bird came for one reason or another not directly inside. You can also lose because all your pigeons have not played themselves in the list. Maybe due to wrong location, the winds in your disadvantage or the pigeons are not yet in proper condition. You can also lose because one of your better pigeons is left behind on the first flight. All these situations many of us will experience one more time. Setbacks hear a bit by every sport. It would not be good if the same fancier always win. There are some, fortunately for them but not for the whole club. An older fancier once said to me, "Bert if you win you just laugh alone and if you lose the whole club will laugh." The older I get, the more I think he's right. Pigeon racing has been always an individual hobby / sport. Although the fanciers were visiting each other, watching the birds, eggs or young exchanged with each other and so it was for most fanciers an inexpensive and beautiful form of spending free time. Of pedigrees still had no one ever heard. If you gain a pigeons of someone was standing on the back of the proof of ownership the ring number of the father and mother that was it. Today, all pigeons have a name and a beautifully executed pedigree. Except the older fanciers, everyone have a website. Very nice to read of each other how the pigeons are handled, how the breeding goes, newly purchased birds and further everything that has to do with the sport. Unfortunately everything has beaten to commerce. At each site, including players who for years have pigeons and never have performed something special are pigeons for sale. Furthermore, you are bombarded with offers from all sorts of medicines, nutritional supplements, vitamins and powders and pills to get better performance. The fanciers or rather the pigeon magazines make anyone crazy. It is awful that most fanciers still believe in all that nonsense to our weekly offered. As fanciers often enough the same ad read about a product they believe in and buy such a product, which in most cases is waste of money. Because especially the lesser players still believe that the better players give his panaceas they are always looking for their luck that they will never find. Look at fairs which stands gain the most attention, it's always the vets and those who sell the so-called secret funds. A stand where books are sold about the sport receives almost no attention, but the sellers of youngsters who advertise their wares with beautiful names and fictitious results. It is not entirely wrong to occasionally purchase a pigeon. Usually it is not worth anything, the opposite is also true because we also not breed only champions.
As I said, the season has begun. We all start with (severe) selected pigeons so we all have pigeons in which we have every confidence. Therefore it will be a big disappointment as the first the best flight the performance remains below par and you are also rid a few promising pigeons. Stay confident in the pigeons, the season is still long, do not immediately change system and keep caring your pigeons 100%. Give you never won, and say to yourself: what someone else can, I can too!

PREPARATION
In all the years I have birds, we certainly would have a good spring but I can not remember. This year it’s for us Hollanders sublime. Beautiful spring weather, every day sun and you see everything become greener. We often talk about drugs against various diseases, but is there a better medicine as sun and oxygen? Both we get for nothing while it are the major components for proper rearing of the young birds and the condition of our whole pigeon colony. All days are the youngsters out in the sun. However this week for the last time because in my environment starts the new racing season and that’s why I want the youngsters no longer have the whole day outside. As of Sunday, April 1, they may be from 9-10 am and 6-7 hours in the afternoon. At half past seven they are darkened and the next morning at half past eight the curtains are opened. I'm 10 days in a row with the old birds on the road, one time to 20 km and the other nine to 35 km. I never go further, the birds know better than I find the way home. By riding ten days I’ve made them again familiarized with the basket and probably I have them in their flight rhythm charged. Every day I turned on the clock. There was a day that in the afternoon six birds had to come, the other nine days all birds arrived within a period of four minutes. How long it took the pigeons went in the loft I do not know because every time the pigeons were home before the boss. It’s hard to believe because I drove wherever possible 100-120 km per hour. Yet every time they were already inside. Saturday, the 31st it begins. Many times I have written about the beautiful spring weather and late I read today that next Saturday rain is expected and a day temperature of 9 degrees C. That's really too cold to keep in a responsible way a competition. Ideal is 13-25 degrees. I will wait until the last moment to decide which pigeons go. They're all brooding and I see that as an advantage when it is too cold. Where would the motivation come from the widowers to get quickly fly back to a cold loft where they sit alone all week? I maintain that the hens on the first race will carry the top mark.

STRIKING
It is my habit to keep every year at least 50% yearlings, further 40% two year olds and 5% three years. Of the yearlings I know little or nothing. Performance as a youngster never said much to me. Of course I like it when I have a youngster who excessive performs well. However, it is waiting if these performances as a yearling even remotely approached. Guarantee you never have. Of the two and three year olds we know more. The three year olds are definitely the best, because otherwise they would not sit in the loft. Or two and three year olds in 2012 again be the best will be doubtful. Every year shows that some yearlings much and much better performance and they are usually pigeons that as youngsters won moderate prizes. Every day that I've been away with the pigeons there was only one day the perennial came better. That was the day that in the afternoon I missed six pigeons, all other days were mostly yearlings that were clocked the first. Whether they were also the first home I do not know, since I guess. By the yearlings were 2 hens and 1 cock that six times with my first five pigeons were clocked. The pigeons look fine. This morning Dr. Van der Sluis been with me to vaccinate the youngsters against paramixo, the older were already vaccinated. The pigeons train well, feels good, have nice pink breast meat and manure also looks good. What more do you want? And now hope for good racing weather and good results.
All much success and go get them!


KUNNEN DUIVEN BETER TEGEN KOUDE DAN TEGEN WARMTE?
Niemand was blij met de weersgesteldheid op de laatste trainingsvlucht. De dagen er aan voorafgaand hadden we zomerse temperaturen en een dag voor de vlucht daalde de temperatuur overdag tot 7 graden. Dat was er de oorzaak van dat op deze “generale repetitie” erg weinig duiven mee gingen. Zelf had ik er ook maar 12 mee, 6 doffers en 6 duivinnen. Ik vind dat je met dergelijke temperaturen meer afbreekt dan opbouwt. We moesten wachten tot na de middag, het weer knapte toen iets op maar de temperaturen bleven veel te laag. In de duivenauto’s waarin een paar duizend duiven zitten is de temperatuur meer dan behaaglijk, dan opeens mogen de duiven er uit en dan vliegen ze de kou in plus dat ze ook nog eens te maken kregen met een stevige kopwind. Nee, ze kregen het deze laatste trainingsvlucht zeker niet cadeau. Toch werd het een vlotte vlucht met snelheden van iets boven de 70 km per uur en de prijzen waren in acht minuten verdiend (1:4). Het wachten op de duiven was geen pretje, pet op, sjaal om, dikke jas aan, duivensport is toch een zomersport zou je denken! Nou, ik zag er die dag uit als de verschrikkelijke sneeuwman. Over het verloop was ik zeer tevreden en achteraf had ik toch wel een beetje spijt dat ik niet wat meer duiven had meegegeven. Die 12 van mij waren binnen 9 minuten thuis, eerst kwamen er twee duivinnen die 5 dagen zaten te broeden tegelijk aangestormd. Ze vielen zonder een rondje om het hok te maken rechtstreeks op de klep en zaten met 2 seconden verschil binnen. In de club was dat goed voor 2 en 3 en in de ZCC tegen 1.200 duiven speelden de dames 6 en 7 met verder 50% prijs. Voor het komende weekend ziet het er niet veel beter uit, ’s nachts en in de vroege morgen temperaturen van om en nabij het vriespunt, in de middag maximum 10 graden en zwaar bewolkt. Dat is geen duivenweer! Aangezien we in Nederland leven zullen we moeten zorgen dat we ook voor deze weersomstandigheden duiven bezitten die daar tegen kunnen. De ene keer temperatuur onder de 10 graden en het kan over een week of drie zomaar boven de 20 graden zijn. Daar zitten we op te wachten! Wat betreft mijn duiven heb ik er alle vertrouwen in, ze zitten deze week voor het eerst op weduwschap, zien er prima uit, mooi op gewicht, trainen goed en eten nog beter. De duivinnen trainen een keer per dag omdat het ’s morgens om 7 uur nog te donker is. De doffers gaan er om 8 uur uit en trainen een uur zonder dat ik met de vlag hoef te zwaaien. “s Middags om 4 uur gaan de duivinnen er uit en ook zij trainen nu al of ze in topvorm zijn.

VASTE TIJDEN
Sinds de oude duiven op weduwschap zitten mogen de jonge duiven niet meer de hele dag los en moeten ook zij zich nu houden aan vaste tijden. Dat wil zeggen op vaste tijden trainen en op vaste tijden eten en dat weten ze want zolang ze op de wereld zijn krijgen ze ’s morgens en ’s middags op dezelfde tijd eten. Nadat ze nu twee keer per dag een uurtje mogen trainen hoef ik om 10 en 19 uur maar even te fluiten en binnen enkele seconden zitten ze alle 44 binnen. Met die 44 ga ik spelen, er komt geen duif meer bij. Ik heb nog wel een aantal jongen bij mijn kweekduiven liggen en voor hen heb ik nog een afdeling leeg gehouden. De kweek loopt fantastisch, eigenlijk te goed want ik heb weer meer duiven dan dat ik van plan was en dat terwijl ik alle duiven waarvoor ik een bon heb geschonken heb afgeleverd en degene die vroege jongen hadden besteld hebben hun duifjes ook al ontvangen. Komend weekend de eerste officiële vlucht, alle doffers en duivinnen gaan mee want een afstand van 110 km moeten ze ook met koud weer vrij gemakkelijk kunnen overbruggen plus dat ze ook de nodige trainingskilometers moeten maken. In de tijd dat ik nog actief wielrenner was zorgde ik ervoor dat ik in het voorseizoen minstens drieduizend kilometers in de benen had. Het verschil zag je in de eerste klassiekers met de jongens die te laat met trainen waren begonnen. Soms kon je niet trainen vanwege sneeuw op de wegen maar zodra het kon ging ik aan de gang terwijl anderen liever binnen bleven zitten. Zo hard trainen dat je overtraind raakt is een grove fout, met een uitgekiend schema (ook voor de duiven) komt het juiste ritme en als de gezondheid goed is met daarbij een perfecte verzorging komen sporters en ook duiven in een optimale conditie, sommigen komen zelfs in supervorm en daar gaat het om. Supervorm komt zo maar opeens, het is net of de duiven iets kleiner worden, ze gaan tijdens de training bij huis de snelheid steeds meer opvoeren, trekken weg en komen na enkele minuten weer over het hok heen denderen om weer een andere richting te kiezen. Als ze dat doen, zet er gerust maar een groot deel van je zakgeld op want de duiven zullen je met dit gedrag beslist niet teleur stellen.

PROGNOSE
Ik las kortgeleden een prognose over de terugloop van leden. Het ging om een tijdbestek van twee keer tien jaar. Eerst werd het aantal leden genoemd van 2002, dan de huidige situatie van 2012 en de prognose voor 2022. Als het verval zo doorgaat als nu zullen er in 2022 nog 3.000 liefhebbers zijn. Onvoorstelbaar is dat! Eens hadden we bijna 100.000 leden, dat waren bijna ook 100.000 hokken want bijna niemand speelde in combinatie. Het waren zo goed als allemaal individuele liefhebbers.
Als ik naar mijn eigen club kijk hebben we een zestigtal leden, daarbij zijn ook combinaties van twee of drie leden die van hetzelfde hok spelen. Onze club heeft dus wel een aardig aantal leden, de praktijk is dat er eigenlijk maar 30 meedoen. Anderen zijn wel lid of spelen in combinatie. Dat geldt voor alle clubs in Nederland. We kunnen wel zeggen dat er nu nog 18.000 leden zijn die van maximaal 15.000 hokken spelen. In een Amerikaans tijdschrift lees ik regelmatig nog een advertentie van een kampioen die zegt een satelliet hok in Nederland te hebben waar ze tegen 50.000 liefhebbers spelen. Misschien goed voor de commercie, 50.000 leden is al heel lang geleden, was het maar waar dat we er nog zoveel hadden. Mocht de prognose voor 2022 uitkomen dan voorzie ik grote problemen. Er was een tijd dat er in elke Nederlandse stad of dorp minimaal een duivenclub was. Door de terugloop van leden zijn de laatste jaren veel clubs gefuseerd. Toen ik nog in Zaandam woonde waren daar 6 duivenclubs, door gedwongen fusie nu nog maar 1. De leden komen niet meer alleen uit die stad maar ook uit omliggende dorpen. Ooit speelde we in ons vlieggebied met 450 liefhebbers, nu zijn het er geen 175 meer. Als dit zo doorgaat zullen er jaarlijks een flink aantal verenigingen gaan verdwijnen. Er komt een overschot aan vervoercapaciteit. Het spel gaat veranderen, sprintvluchten kunnen bijna niet meer georganiseerd worden omdat er te weinig liefhebbers overblijven waardoor de vlieggebieden noodgedwongen groter worden om nog een interessant aantal duiven bijeen te krijgen. Sprintvluchten wordt niet voor niets dorpsspel genoemd, dat zijn vluchten voor groepen duivenmelkers die bij elkaar in een klein gebied wonen. Sprintvluchten zijn vluchten met een afstandverschil van 10-15 km, als het verschil 80 km tussen de kortste en de langste afstand wordt kunnen we de sprintvluchten vergeten en laat daar nu juist de meeste liefhebbers aan meedoen. We gaan de komende jaren nog wat meemaken, vooral omdat de nationale bestuurders ook niet op 1 lijn zitten. De Nederlandse en ook de Belgische duivensport barst op dit moment van de problemen.
Ondanks dat, het komende weekend weer veel succes en PAK ZE!


SPANNING STIJGT
België en Zuid Nederland zijn vertrokken, het spel is op de wagen en de eerste winnaars zijn bekend. Als er winnaars zijn, zijn er ook altijd verliezers. Verliezen kan op verschillende manieren. Je kunt de eerste plaats verliezen doordat je eerste duif om de een of andere reden niet direct binnenkomt. Je kunt ook verliezen omdat al je duiven zich niet in de uitslag weten te spelen. Misschien door verkeerde ligging, de wind in je nadeel of de duiven nog niet in de juiste conditie. Je kunt ook verliezen omdat een van je betere duiven op de eerste de beste vlucht is achter gebleven. Al dit soort situaties zal velen van ons een keertje meemaken. Tegenslagen horen een beetje bij elke sport. Het zou niet goed zijn als altijd dezelfde liefhebbers winnen. Die zijn er wel, gelukkig voor hen maar niet voor de hele club. Een oudere liefhebber zei ooit eens tegen mij: “Bert als je wint lach je alleen en als je verliest lacht de hele club”. Hoe ouder ik word, hoe meer ik vind dat hij gelijk heeft. Duivensport is altijd een individuele hobby/sport geweest. Ondanks dat kwamen de liefhebbers bij elkaar op bezoek, keken naar de duiven, ruilden eieren of jongen met elkaar en zo was het voor de meeste liefhebbers een goedkope en prachtige vorm van vrije tijdbesteding. Van stamkaarten had toen nog nooit iemand gehoord. Als je een duif van iemand kreeg stond op de achterzijde van het eigendomsbewijs het ringnummer van de vader en moeder, dat was het. Tegenwoordig hebben alle duiven een naam en een prachtig uitgevoerde pedigree. Behalve de oudere liefhebbers, heeft iedereen een site. Erg leuk om van elkaar te kunnen lezen hoe er met duiven wordt omgegaan, hoe de kweek verloopt, nieuw aangeschafte duiven en verder zo een beetje alles wat met de duivensport heeft te maken. Jammer genoeg is alles doorgeslagen naar commercie. Op elke site, ook van spelers die al jarenlang duiven hebben en nog nooit iets bijzonders hebben gepresteerd, worden duiven te koop aangeboden. Verder wordt je dood gegooid met aanbiedingen van allerlei medicijnen, voedingssupplementen, vitamines en poeders en pillen om maar beter te presteren. De liefhebbers of liever gezegd de duivenbladen maken iedereen gek. Het beroerde is dat de meeste liefhebbers ook nog geloven in alle onzin die ons wekelijks wordt aangeboden. Als liefhebbers maar dikwijls genoeg dezelfde advertentie lezen over een bepaald product gaan ze er in geloven en kopen zo een product wat in de meeste gevallen weggegooid geld is. Doordat vooral de mindere spelers nog steeds geloven dat de betere spelers wondermiddelen geven zijn zij altijd op zoek naar hun geluk dat ze nooit zullen vinden. Kijk maar op beurzen welke stands de meeste aandacht krijgen, het zijn altijd de veeartsen en degene die de zogenaamde geheime middelen verkopen. Een stand waar boeken verkocht worden over de duivensport krijgt bijna geen aandacht, wel de verkopers van jonge duiven die hun waar aanprijzen met prachtige namen en gefingeerde uitslagen. Het is niet helemaal verkeerd om af en toe eens zo een duifje aan te schaffen. Meestal is het niets waard, het tegenovergestelde is ook waar en zelf kweken we ook niet allemaal kampioentjes. Zoals ik zei, het seizoen is begonnen. We starten allemaal met (streng) geselecteerde duiven dus we hebben allemaal duiven waar we alle vertrouwen in hebben. Daarom zal het een zware teleurstelling zijn als op de eerste de beste vlucht de prestaties onder de maat blijven en vooral als je ook nog een paar beloftevolle duiven kwijt bent. Blijf vertrouwen hebben in de duiven, het seizoen is nog lang, ga niet meteen van systeem veranderen en blijf de duiven 100% verzorgen. Geef je nooit gewonnen en zeg tegen je zelf: wat een ander kan, kan ik ook!

VOORBEREIDING
In al die jaren dat ik duiven heb zullen we vast en zeker wel eens een goed voorjaar hebben gehad, maar ik kan het me niet herinneren. Dit jaar is voor ons Hollanders subliem. Prachtig voorjaarsweer, elke dag zon en je ziet alles groener worden. We hebben het vaak over medicijnen tegen allerlei kwalen, zou er een beter medicijn zijn dan zon en zuurstof? Beiden krijg je helemaal voor niets terwijl het de belangrijkste bestanddelen zijn voor een goede opgroei en conditie van de jonge duiven en de hele duivenkolonie. Alle dagen liggen de jonge duiven buiten in de zon. Deze week overigens voor het laatst want ook in mijn omgeving wordt gestart met het nieuwe vliegseizoen en dan wil ik de jonge duiven niet meer de hele dag buiten hebben. Met ingang van zondag 1 april mogen ze er van 9-10 uur uit en in de namiddag van 6-7 uur. Om half acht worden ze verduisterd en de volgende morgen om half negen gaan de gordijnen weer open. Ik ben 10 dagen achter elkaar met de oude duiven op pad geweest, een keer naar 20 km en de andere negen keer naar 35 km. Ik ga nooit verder, de duiven weten veel beter dan ik de weg naar huis te vinden. Door er tien dagen mee te rijden heb ik ze opnieuw vertrouwd gemaakt met de mand en denkelijk heb ik ze weer in hun vliegritme gebracht. Elke dag had ik de klok aan staan. Er was een dag dat er ’s middags nog zes duiven moesten komen, de andere negen dagen waren alle duiven in een tijdbestek van vier minuten thuis. Hoe lang het duurde voordat de duiven het hok binnen zijn gegaan weet ik niet want elke keer waren de duiven eerder thuis dan de baas. Bijna niet te geloven want ik reed waar mogelijk 100-120 km per uur. Toch zaten ze elke keer al binnen. Zaterdag, de 31ste begint het. Vele malen heb ik geschreven over het prachtige voorjaarsweer en laat ik nu vandaag lezen dat met ingang van de komende zaterdag regen wordt verwacht en een dagtemperatuur van maximaal 9 graden C. Dat is eigenlijk te koud om op een verantwoorde manier een concours te houden. Ideaal is 13-25 graden. Ik zal tot het laatste moment wachten om te bepalen welke duiven mee gaan. Ze zitten allemaal te broeden en ik zie dat als een voordeel wanneer het te koud is. Waar moeten de weduwnaars de motivatie vandaan halen om snel terug te vliegen naar een koud hok waarin ze de hele week alleen zitten. Ik houd het er op dat de duivinnen op de eerste vlucht de boventon gaan voeren.

OPVALLEND
Het is mijn gewoonte om elk jaar minimaal 50% jaarlingen te houden, verder 40% tweejarigen en 5% driejarigen. Van de jaarlingen weet ik weinig of niets. Prestaties als jonge duif hebben mij nooit zoveel gezegd. Natuurlijk vind ook ik het fijn als ik een jonge duif heb die buitensporig goed presteert. Het is echter afwachten of die prestaties als jaarling ook maar enigszins benaderd worden. Zekerheid heb je nooit. Van de twee en drie jarigen weten we meer. De drie jarigen zijn absoluut de besten, anders zouden ze namelijk niet meer in het vlieghok zitten. Of de twee en drie jarigen in 2012 ook weer de besten zullen zijn valt te betwijfelen. Ieder jaar blijkt namelijk dat enkele jaarlingen veel en veel beter presteren en dat zijn meestal duiven die als jong maar enkele matige prijsjes hebben gewonnen. Alle dagen dat ik met de duiven ben weggeweest was er maar een dag dat de overjarige beter kwamen. Dat was de dag dat ik ’s middags nog zes duiven mistte, alle andere dagen waren het voornamelijk jaarlingen die het eerste geklokt waren. Of ze ook als eerste thuis waren weet ik niet, daar moet ik naar raden. Bij de jaarlingen waren 2 duivinnen en 1 doffer die zes keer bij mijn eerste vijf geklokte duiven zaten. De duiven zien er verder prima uit, vanmorgen is dr. Van der Sluis bij me geweest om de jonge duiven tegen paramixo te enten, de oude waren al geënt. De duiven trainen goed, voelen goed aan, hebben mooi rosé borstvlees en de mest ziet er ook goed uit. Wat heb je dan als duivenmelker nog meer te wensen? En nu maar hopen op mooi vliegweer en goede resultaten.
Allemaal veel succes en PAK ZE!

IT WAS PARTY AGAIN

The pigeons are back together. Every year my racers get after they have raised their first round of youngsters a few weeks rest. Then I pair them again before they go on widowhood. From experience I know that especially the yearlings completely got berserk when they come together again, it's a big party! Before they meet I let them eat first because if I do not, they only have eyes for the females. Did we had when we were young not the same problem? After the birds have eaten I release them together. The loft is closed, so they can not enter. If the "stunt flying" is a little bit about I let them in and start the party from scratch. Especially the yearling cocks flying like mad from one to another breeding loft, if only one hen to a breeding loft flies will certainly two or three males go behind her. I maintain to avoid fights. After half an hour it become calmer and with a little help from the boss's each cock and hen is in the right nest box. I close them for a half hour so they can have after the intense lovemaking a break. Then the breeding boxes are opened so all pigeons can from that time fly in and out their breeding loft. The racers are now together released twice a day for an hour, in the morning from 7-8 and afternoon from 4-5. If everything goes as planned my racing pigeons are on March 31 six days to hatch. On that date is also our last training flight and all pigeons join. That same evening the eggs will remove and the next afternoon the hens move to the widow hen’s loft. Because the summertime starts on March 25 it’s in the morning still dark and usually too cold. That’s why I let the first weeks the hens only fly one and a half hour in the afternoon (3:30 to 5:00 pm). The cocks train twice a day, from 8-9 and from 5-6 pm. Once it becomes light in the morning the hens train also twice a day, from 7-8 and from 4-5 hours. In a few days I throw a good amount of tobacco steal in the loft so the birds can build their own nest. Some build towers and others do nothing, I think it's fine because I do not do anything to. That is something that they themselves can control.

PREPARATION.
The pigeons are now cared at times like the summer time. The traditional yellow course and the compulsory vaccination paramixo they had. Once they sit on eggs they get for a few days Orni-red treatment of Dr. Van der Sluis against ornithosis (airways) and from the moment the birds are back together I try every day to drive. All this together should be sufficient to get them in the right condition. Build up reserves is not necessary; sprinters should cause an explosion but not have to speak their reserves. No unnecessary ballast so. What certainly should not be forgotten is daily fresh grit. Please note the manure, as there is not enough clean or fresh grit in the cage it is directly visible to the manure. Grit is the main ingredient for proper digestion! It is also important to have a care plan for the whole week, which means all days the same. This puts the birds in optimum condition. They are robots, as it were, they know no better and that's certainly benefits the performance. Now we are so close to the start of the season everything in and around the loft had to be shipshape, not only the birds but also the material such as baskets clock and loft. The weather is great in the Netherlands temperatures of 12-15 degrees are for Dutch concepts high temperatures for the time of the year, it can not better. Then there is opportunity to play the pigeons well in early April so they are able to perform at the first sprint races. From the first official race the hens are always shown and the cocks may the day of return regardless of what time they arrive until the evening at 7 o'clock continue by their hen in their breeding loft, in order to keep them well paired.

WING JOINTS
Years ago it came it was occasionally that the pigeons in the months after the racing season not came out. If this happened, it was an exception. If strong playing fanciers that this than the competition thought that this was the big secret. The cause was that the days were shorter and the boss left home in the dark and came home in the dark. Much time for the pigeons was not there, so there was nothing left for them than just release the weekends. Why the birds for several years during the winter months not come off now has a totally different reason. In my area we have almost no problems but in other parts of our country it’s an unmitigated disaster, the growing population of various species of raptors. Fanciers do not take the risk that their selected pigeons are eaten by a bird of prey. That’s why the pigeons are so long established. Rest Rust is a well known adage that certainly applies in the sport. The best is to train the pigeons every day for half an hour. There should of course on occasion, if not only remain the weekend. Unfortunately, the "pigeon killers" kept going on, they need to eat (including weekends) to survive and our pigeons are tasty snacks for them. I can well imagine that this problem many fanciers has stopped but by this problem is nothing much to do. Everything is already invented, but there is nothing that actually works. If you have caught one there will be two in its place. Nevertheless, the old birds have to go out because it takes only a moment and the season start. I sympathize with all this fanciers that have to deal with this serious problem. At many lofts are the youngsters outside. Some fly their daily laps around the loft; others walk on the loft, fly to the roof and do not know how fast they should go back inside the house. Every day they freer and fluttering from rooftop to rooftop and suddenly at some point they choose the airspace. Always beautiful sights as the young guard flies up and make uncontrollable spills over to the loft. You can then easily see that our pigeons are descended from the tumblers. For them it is a dangerous period because the birds of prey love them. It is different with the old birds that have been established throughout the winter. Their condition must be built slowly. Let them be in the beginning a bit hungry so they will not fly too long and come inside on the very first whistle. If they have directly train twice per day (mandatory) one hour there is the possibility that they force too much. That force is an attack on the wing muscles which can cause wing joints. Should that occur, not immediately panic because something seems to paratyphoid. For 90% of cases wing joint is caused by the long stay in the loft and then suddenly after six months full training. So caution!

HEALTHY PIGEONS.
More and more is propagated to provide no medicines to the pigeons. Beautiful and who is not in favor of this. I am also pro, especially when it occasionally goes to an individual pigeon. Is the whole family sick there must intervene, especially if there is a topper at. The strange thing is that top racers (almost) never fail. So when something’s wrong with one, go only from the top it’s not a topper which you can remove with a clear conscience. We must demand that our pigeons themselves built up so many antibodies to protect themselves against various diseases. Failing that, there is only one satisfactory method and that is gone with it. I myself have two discarded, one ran like an idiot with the wings wide over the lid of the feed tray and forgot to eat and the other ate only small seed and did not found the way to the drink tray, not even when I had pushed her for three times with its head in the water. When that pigeon lay in the nest it look a jewel. She came from two year old racing pigeons, which incidentally does not matter but she really strike. As she grew older you saw clearly that she came too short, one day she even sit "thick" and then I had had enough. Actually she should been away two days earlier. I say this especially to avoid contamination, because you've sooner a loft with sick than with healthy pigeons. To get healthy pigeons we can actually do a lot and that is youngsters even stricter than strict selection throughout the year. Note daily the manure and appetite, also their behavior says something about their condition. It happens that it takes very long before the young birds choose the airspace, throw a ball between them or create a shock without seeing the boss. After 8-10 weeks, they have to fly. Did you know that in China they already race with youngsters from 3 months old and they dare to wager money too

SPRING FAIR SEEMS SUCCESS FORMULA.
Each year in the first weekend of March in the Netherlands is held the spring fair. The latest features are visible. Hundreds of youngsters are being sold. All food vendors are represented, and especially the stands with medication and with other stuff that do birds fly faster get the most interest. It is at the behavior of the fanciers not yet to see that from 2012 the medicine use and the belief in magic potions is reduced. Especially this group of exhibitors was more than satisfied with their sales. It is striking that more and more fanciers from other countries the way to this cozy fair found. Everything was on the ground floor and very clear with an adequate opportunity to met sport friends and enjoying a nice drink and chat. For many visitors it has become more and more like a reunion. I myself was there with my son and two sport friends. It was at five meters shaking hands and a short conversation. When we went home at four o'clock, I had only a third of the stock market views. I do not know what I missed but I know I've met many sports friends again. The problem is that that group every year becomes a little smaller.

THE FINAL PREPARATIONS.
The old and young birds are vaccinated against paramixo. The old birds have a 6 day course given against paratyphoid and the youngsters have had their cancer cure. More I will not do. On 14 March the old birds are paired again and from that date the youngsters go out. Everything is as far as possible in summer time. For me, we can begin. Last weekend was the homage of our teamwork and the next weekend is my homage in the club and also the last of this winter season. Very late, the managers of both as the interplay and my club have undertaken this year in October to do and that seems much better. Now we start almost again because a week after the ceremony in my club is the last training race and the week after that it is serious. Wednesday, March 14, the old racers come back together and from that day I will start the training. If the weather permits I go every day with them on the road so they are ready for the sprint races. More I can not do. It is then a matter of wait and sees how my feathered friends out of the blocks are, provisionally we are all back to zero.


TOWARDS THE SPRING.
It's March, the breeding is almost done, the youngsters make their first rounds and it’s almost spring. The days are getting longer and fanciers are preparing for the first speed races. The weather for the time of the year is reasonable, even above normal temperatures and that has a positive effect on the breeding results. At almost the most lofts the breeding went well, but there are just like other years fanciers that not going well. Own fault? I think so. This week I talked a pretty good player where it all went wrong. In December 12 breeding pairs put together and today (28 February) 3 youngsters. At first they did not come to eggs, birds are separated, then it was too cold according to the man so the pigeons again hatched no eggs and now it went well according to him. All pigeons are breeding but unfortunately a large number of unfertilized eggs. Have you been to the doctor, I asked him? No, no. In September, the doctor said everything is fine. Yes, but then we have October, November, December, January and February, I said. He would now go to the doctor and that I understand exactly nothing. If you put as an experienced fancier in December the pigeons together and after three weeks you have no eggs then there must be bells, sirens and bells start to ring, there is surely something wrong. A bit fancier thinks immediately at paratyphoid and runs immediately to the vet. The man I'm talking about is fancier for years, now somewhat older, but still you would think that someone directly sees that there is action required. Pity for this fancier, it will almost certainly be one year with mainly disappointments. The man another year older and without being aware he is on his way to the end of his pigeon career. I would like to help such people, but then you have to know in time that help is needed. Older fanciers are often too proud to say that the pigeons are not in order. Then the fun after a while gets completely gone and it is done with the hobby. It's really not necessary to walk the door flat to the vet. From time to time manure control and a throat swab is the least you can do. Take time to observe the birds, in that way you learn to know them and see more than anyone else whether or not going well. If you see something wrong, do not wait until tomorrow or even next day, but go straight to the vet. I am convinced that there is still something of the season to make. There are many fanciers that will do anything about it to perform well. There are also many who are getting easier by the aging, the benefits are less and the fun gets away. That is unfortunate because pigeon sport remains a fascinating hobby. Also for little gray men who show commitment!

DAILY CONTROL
It is now become every day a little more exciting. Each fancier is in his mind busy with the first battle. In three weeks the short distance players have to stand. Time to get the pigeons into good play is not there, although at this moment the forecast is reasonable. Mid-March, my birds come together for a second time and as soon they are 5 days breeding they will be separate again and starts widowhood. In all preparations belongs the daily monitoring, especially the morning manure shall prevail. The cocks may after their hens and their young have been removed sometimes of nervousness produce flat manure. This is not directly concerning, however, important to keep in mind. The audit also includes observing the hens, making sure that two ladies find each other not too nice. Once the pigeons for a second time are together I start to train them. I’m going, weather permitting, every day with them on the road, never further than 35 km. I put every time the clock so I have after a week a good overview in what order they come. It does not say anything but it gives an idea which pigeons that week arrive home best. The second week I make such a statement again. Once there are eggs for the second times I go fight a little every day with the birds on the nest, just a bit pull their wing and beaks. Pretend you're afraid of them by remove your hand so they can distribute a sharp tap. Between the afternoons I do this game with the cocks which are breeding. They feel “boss" in their breeding loft, it motivates and they are not afraid of me. In that control includes the control of grit tray, minerals and other supplements. On March 1, the old birds are released twice a day, hens at 8 am and 3 pm, males at 9 am and 4 pm. On 14 March they are paired for a second time and then they will be released together at 8 and 4. The youngsters come until March 14 no further than the aviary. From then they may outside at 9 pm to flutter a little around. I put the sputnik so that they can go in but not out. Once the end of March summer time begins the training times for the hens are 7 and 4 hours, the cocks 8 and 5 pm, the youngsters 9 and 6 hours. This ensures the entire season.

AUCTION SEASON PAST
While pigeons important countries like Belgium and the Netherlands the number of players is considerably less, in other countries are huge amounts counted down for birds from these countries. It is a mystery to me why this happened. They are usually not the best players that receive the most money for their pigeons. They are well-known players, often written large because they have a single champion pigeon, or they have known a few sublime years where to for years be written about. However, there are many good fanciers (with little or no publicity) who year after year, much better performance drop as all mega lofts together. The tide with all these astronomical amounts for a pigeon will definitely return again. The understanding comes with age! What should we do with all those so-called total auctions? There has still not been one this year, there is always a small statement as minus the late youngsters, minus the pigeons of 6 years and older, minus the racers of 2011. In 2012 all these men who have totaled sold just again with a huge number of pigeons at the start. It is time that we go back like a few years ago. Total sales means three years not play! I am also to the term "total sales" is no longer allowed to be used when certain birds are not sold. Maybe the fanciers than get it that it’s a kind of "sale". Ever since the Internet phenomenon exists, and many (commercial) fanciers discovered the way, there are also by professional sales organizations over the years many thousands of very expensive pigeons sold that totally could not match the quality of your and my birds. Besides, where does the man lives that only have good pigeons in his loft? I recently read an article about a fancier that started with 290 youngsters and flew 120 prizes. That's slightly more than 40%. As a fancier plays 50% price, he plays very strong, especially if this is the case throughout the year. But, what do you think if you have 290 pigeons and 120 of them play price. Then 170 pigeons miss their price and go away at the end of the year for…, fill in yourself. The value of a pigeon is just what a fool you give, the economic value is not more than 50 cents, and more will the poultry really not give.

COCKS COCKS WITH THEIR YOUNG
Another week and then the youngsters go to their home loft. Parts of the youngsters sit there already with their mother and all runs suitable. No young is left in the growth, the manure is as they should be and there are hens that pursue feeding. Every year the same song, one hen carries a battle in the round and a very small number does nothing at all. Then it is immediately be careful because the hens that do not worry about their youngsters are more interested in a girlfriend and we should beware. Hens that start loving other hens are keeping that in mind. If they are in the season for several weeks alone as widow hen they seek each other so the fire for their cock is extinguished and the reason to come home soon become less important. Those who do not pay attention to this problem will surely deteriorate performance. Also the cocks still have a youngster with them; they have, unlike the hens, all day full house so they can feed to your heart. Next weekend it’s all over. The hens go to the widow hen’s loft, the cocks sit in their breeding boxes where they could stand or lie on a wooden box. In this wooden box is a breeding scale and if the hens are shown I turn the wooden box which through the breeding scale emerges. These wooden bins (casings) I let make because wood is not as cold as a stone nest scale. Cold is not conducive to good condition. All youngsters sitting together in the young pigeon loft and so it will look all summer. Then the hens train twice a day, first from 7-8 hours and then from 4-5 hours, the males from 8-9 hours and the afternoon from 5-6 hours, the youngsters from 9-10 and 6-7 hours. These are the times that I use the end of March as the summer time has begun. In the beginning the hens can’t go out in the morning at 7 am because it is still dark, so I release them in early March in the afternoon already at half past three so they can train one and a half hours. Once it’s in the morning at 7 am light and not as cold as now the ladies go out and they may in the afternoon from 4 hours train for another hour.

RE-PAIRING.
There are fanciers that don’t repair their pigeons for the season. I do because I find important for the yearlings. We think that after they have raised one or two youngsters they all "tray module" are. My experience is totally different and that’s why I repair them. According to the schedule they will be on March 14 repaired so they have March 26 two eggs. On the last training flight, March 31, they have 5 days eggs. The next morning the eggs will be removed and at the end of the day the hens went to the widow hens department, then they sit on widowhood. From the time of pairing to the training flight on 31 March is regularly ridden with the pigeons. Then during the entire season not once more. I assume that peace is best for old birds. They all have at least one season experience. For youngsters is something else; I'm for peace in the loft, but I ride with them some more times than with the old birds. The first weeks of their competition season I drive the first two and sometimes three weeks on Wednesdays again for a flight of 25-30 km. All pigeons get in the first half of March their paramixo injection and in the second half of March a five day course against cancer from Dr.van der Sluis, since they have to do with it. The boss will continue to ensure that the pigeons lack for nothing like fresh grit every day, twice a day fresh drinking water, once a week fresh minerals, two days a week conditiemix of the veterinarian in the water (Wednesday and Thursday) , Monday, electrolytes, Friday Orni-red (representing the airways), every Wednesday a bath. Furthermore, small seeds twice a day (two small teaspoons per pigeon) supplemented with P40 and Tovo. If the distances get larger, I provide three times a week peanuts (every pigeon 4 per day). Sometimes once a week some cod liver oil over the food and a stone pot with soup vegetables. To the training of the pigeons any fancier can see that his birds are in order. If they train too short then they get too little or too much food. Hungry pigeons won’t train, but heavy pigeons certainly either. So that’s why spend some extra time at the feeding of your pigeons. I give them all year round Variamax of Mariman, morning 13 grams and afternoon 17 grams per pigeon. On the behavior of my birds I can see if they are short or that I've give too much. That's something you must see or feel.

CLOCK AND BASKETS.
The year has just begun and now we are again in March. Time is very fast and if we get another two weeks later than the preparations for the first sprint races are in full swing. It is important to check all before we start. Do you not trust the behavior of your pigeons, asks the vet to be sure. Do not forget to test the clock. Turn the clock as the pigeons train and watch as they arrive or they are all registered. If not then there may be a bug in the clock or the chip does not work. Make it now; there is still enough time for something to do. The same applies to the baskets. A whole winter they have been anywhere without have been reviewed. The bedding of the previous season is perhaps still there, ideal for vermin and insects. Clean them, disinfect and new ground cover, more need not really be done. Also the pigeons one or two drops against aphids and other scum then you do the rest of the season not to worry. Maybe somewhere there is a window or a door need to repair. Do it now. If the season starts it is better that no more of the loft is boarded. Peace and tranquility again is fine for our little athlete. The first three flights I show the hens at least an hour, then 10-20 minutes. I always show, except by two night’s basket. Then I pick up the pigeons that join just out of the loft. By the time the birds get two nights basket they really know where to go and show no longer a prerequisite. I show because the pigeons are than very quiet. You can grab them with one hand, just a quick glance and then into the basket. If everything is done as described in this article you will come a long way. I do have to say when you have it not in the fingers, there could play price but a great champion you will not become. That does not mean that you not experience pleasure in the sport, certainly, every fancier polite sport in its own way. One will always win; the other is already satisfied when he sees his pigeons come home. Soon it will be exciting again. Delicious, every Saturday that healthy sporting excitement and if you do not have the fastest pigeon, do not forget to congratulate the winner. Because you know, there can be only one winner and maybe you are the one the next week or else the following week. There are still plenty of weekends and I hope we have together a lot of fun again.

DISAPPOINTMENT
Last week everything looked so beautiful. All of the Netherlands prepared itself for the "Race of Races", a skating race over 200 km through the flat Frisian land. It was not to be. King Winter ceased to reign, the thaw came and the ice was not thick enough to let pass 15,000 touring riders safely over it. Skate loving Netherlands was in deep mourning because everyone was convinced that the biggest winter event this year certainly would go on. The last time this skating event was held was in 1997, and it was now so close. If it had two nights frozen, there had been nothing wrong. Now the organization needed to blow off everything and the many thousands of skating fans must wait again. The big question is: until when? Despite the disappointment runs the world simply by, the spring is coming and that is clearly evident in the birds that live in the wild. For them it was necessary that temperatures become milder. Most of them were literally and figuratively all the way through. My wife has in our garden at all those hungry critters large amounts of seeds, peanuts, bread and fat balls provided. Beautiful all those big and small birds who audiences. Now it is softer and most of them we see no more, they can save themselves again. For my birds it was also feast. Some weeks they had not been outside and they got in the loft no bathing facilities. They were ready for it, daily were a number of pigeons around the drink tray to occasionally drop their head in the water. Monday I bathe all pigeons, breeding birds in the aviary and the racers out on the railing of the loft where I had placed a bath bucket in the snow. A beautiful face all those bathing pigeons, they loved it. Despite the cold period that we have behind the young pigeons look wonderful. They are quiet, lie with a full crop because I feed them three and sometimes four times a day. They produce wonderful manure and grow very fast. Today I saw again eggshells on the floor, indicating that the second round of breeding pigeons is hatching. Still I get more than I intended. I thought with 35 to play (which may still) but now I have already more than 50. Adversity I have not really had, from the first round I miss 5 youngsters and from 10 eggs of the second round there will be one not hatch because there is a big dent in it.

HENS GO OFF.
The next weekend the racing hens went with one of their youngsters to the young pigeon loft. They may care more than a week their young, then they have to save themselves and the hens move to their department where they spent the rest of the season. Herewith I avoid the hens start laying a second time and I also care the large (pens) mould slower start. In the breeding loft I saw a cock again hunting behind his hen. This couple had the first round also a few days’ earlier eggs and it will now be the case again. The youngsters from the breeders may until they are 28 days remain by the parents. In the nest boxes they get food in small pots so they quickly eat itself, that they see from their parents. Once the youngsters are in their own loft they get food at 9 am and 6 pm because they are immediately used at summer time when they are fed at 10 pm and 7 am. I can now see what color the youngsters get, I'm always a bit curious. If I have seen it well there is one scratch, three slates’ and the rest is all blue, some with a few white feathers in the wing. I make the lofts now with that large amount of manure twice a day clean and give them fresh water three times a day. During the cold I give peanuts and some more little mixture. That oil seeds and some cod-liver oil about the food they could use during the severe cold.

THE PRESS SAT ON TOP.
I know the press wants to bring news. Bad news or good news does not matter. Misery is good for headlines, such as the treasurer ran off with the cash, disaster flights is also fond of the press, doping does it always very good and pigeons for extreme amounts sold are now a hot topic, understandable. But we as fanciers wants also sometimes read that we have again brought together a large amount for one or another charity. There is probably not a sport that does so much for charity as pigeon sport. And what have we achieved? For our sick fellow creature a lot, but for our sport as good as nothing. On things like that is no attention spend, if the press would do this would be very positive for our pigeon sport and that we can use best currently. It would be good if the newspapers in several countries a little more attention would pay to the sport. Our sport is still by a lot of people unknown. Of course they have ever heard of pigeon racing, but what it really means they do not know. Is it ourselves to blame or a bit by the national news media? We can write good stories about our wonderful form of spending free time in our pigeon magazines but we will not go along. We must convey our sport in many other sports magazines, until we get some notoriety. Now people still think that pigeon’s only poop on the laundry or that you give them a letter in their beak to bring it to another country. So far we have progressed and that after 150 years of pigeon sport!

POSITIVE AS LONG AS IT IS POSSIBLE
Pigeon sport loses members, every day some. Nothing new! From the organization's various attempts are been taken to improve something, probably wasted energy. A child interested in our hobby is fine, but don’t try to let them practice pigeon sport. Yes, maybe a dozen flights in one year and not during the holidays. Participating in the whole program is useless. That brings a lot of problems in a family where the sport is (too) unknown. Our main target is the group 40 years and older who live together or are married, and the many gray men who no longer work. To prevent the sport has too much infringes on the family would be perhaps more thought to keep races on Wednesday so the weekend is for the family or other sports. Do you know how frustrating it is that fathers and grandfathers who keep pigeons almost never watch on Saturday to the sport of their (grand) children? We older fanciers are accustomed to race in the summer on Saturday with pigeons. For new members is that a bigger problem than we think. A whole week work and then at the weekend not going to the campsite, hold on! Probably there are more supporters for midweek races than we think. We should at least consider some of these races can be organized. I remember that our sport from Sunday to Saturday went. Many fanciers stood on their hind legs and many would drop out and who do you hear about it now? Together we can ensure that the game and the atmosphere in the club are optimal. Within the clubs, we can jointly work to keep our hobby attractive, both in sporting and financial terms. Many current members are the 70 passed, let's stir it. We should cherish them because they are the ones what the sport is all about and still does. They are the people who spend (all) their free time on their hobby and their club and all for a fee of zero. Yes, a cup of coffee for the trouble, partly because of that the sport has grown and remained affordable for the working man. Volunteers, they are (almost) no more and therefore the pigeon sport landed in heavy weather. Let's enjoy it while it is still possible. Wacky amounts for pigeons count down and castles of lofts are not the main things in the sport to succeed. Look at the season to all those little unknown fanciers who in simple lofts all those great men weekly to do the tie. Performance is not for sale, you have to work hard for it.

NETHERLANDS STANDS ON ITS HEAD.
Although Belgium is the birthplace of pigeon sport has the Netherlands over the last decades become the leading country in this global hobby/sport. Recently the Netherlands got still the world's press with the most expensive pigeon ever sold. Up to 250,000 euro’s was counted down for a hen with the name "Dolce Vita" that may live her further pigeon lives in faraway China. If the weather permits the Netherlands will soon appear on the front pages of all major newspapers around the globe. Why?
Netherlands is besides a leading pigeon country also a skate country par excellence. If it starts freezing during the Dutch winter a quite large proportion of the population gets the jitters to go skating. Especially the northern part of our country with has many ditches, channels and canals are very suitable for making beautiful rides on skates. In this situation, the Netherlands has now ended. Everywhere is currently skating, ice fun for all ages! But the best is yet to come.

ELEVEN CITIES FEVER.
When the Netherlands still had a national competition for youngsters from Orleans (France) there was talked of "Orleans fever". All pigeon minded Netherland lived to that flight, and in the golden years of the sport there was a participation of 180,000 youngsters. It was the biggest competition in pigeon world! Experts (whoever they may be) have managed that this race after over 50 years could no longer be held for youngsters because it would be too far (average distance 550 km). Much has been written and spoken about the cancellation of this wonderful race to no avail. In my opinion is one of the finest sporting events within our sport the neck twisted, sorry but true. There are now daily talks about "the trip of trips." As the weather forecast looks now the coming weekend the "Eleven cities tour" will be held. A skate race over 200 km starting and finishing in Leeuwarden. In the early morning depart the race skaters in the dark and given the excellent quality of the ice insiders think that this heroic journey this time by the fastest skaters in six hours is discarded. After the match skaters go 15.000 tour riders on the road with the intention to be back at the midnight hour. All this is going to earn the "Eleven cities tour mark” as a souvenir of this monster tour. The event is directly to follow on the TV but that will not deter thousands of skating fans to attend this grueling event live. At this moment it is not certain that the journey continues. At some places the ice was not thick enough. Safety is for the more than 15.000 skaters a very high priority, the big problem is that many more skaters entering the ice and the organization must not think that the ice collapses with all consequences. I hope that next time I can tell you how great this race is run and what the name is of the new hero, because that's the way the winners of this grueling journey over 200 kilometers go through life.

BARCELONA
Within our sport the eleven cities tour can be best compared to Barcelona. Also Barcelona with its international participation has become in pigeon world "the race of race". The winner and his pigeon may both certain as heroes go through life. For me, this international race should get much more publicity that would be very good for the promotion of our sport. Or will there be another bunch of so-called experts that the distance finds too long (for me 1200 km) which through also this flight to the afterlife is helped. If I would have to say, this weekend the eleven cities tour and then it may rain hot water. The skaters have enjoyed and the fanciers can prepare more and more for the start of a hopefully nice but not too easy race season. Within not too long the youngsters come for the first time outside and it is not nice when there is still snow. However it is still mid-February and until mid March we still have chance of snow. On the days it is also nice to see that we already are on the way to the spring. Previously I paired, when I was playing together with my father, around 18 February. If you came home from work you could still release the pigeons. However, we are increasingly earlier starting breeding and that has advantages but also disadvantages.

BREEDING
The breeding season has its ups and downs, that's part a little to the sport. If it all happens by itself is not good. There should also always something negative happen, that's good for your mentality and your character. If it’s equally against you hear all the fanciers groan. Do not expect there are only in your loft setbacks to be processed, that's at all lofts. I have a young cock, now a yearling, who from childhood every day sits down on my knee or shoulder. With such a pigeon you have a slightly different band as with most others. After feeding I still had a few grains of food for him and he knew it because when I sat in my corner, he was within a few seconds by me. What happened I do not know, but one day he found it necessary to visit his neighbors in the breeding loft. I was lucky I soon discover and lay their eggs under another couple and lay to be sure in their dish two bricks eggs. Each time he flew wrong I took him and put him in his own breeding loft. He had soon realized he did something wrong and after some days it was over. Meanwhile, all pigeon’s have youngsters and now he performed again to fight his neighbors from their breeding loft and then sit down on their youngsters. That was pretty irritating to me so I did not take him from that wrong breeding loft but hit him out. With such a dolt, I can not longer remain calm so I threw him at last through the loft. Within seconds he flew again wrong. You will probably understand what’s going on inside. The upshot of this is that through all that stuff you scare the other birds and he (once the darling of the boss) really do not dare to come near me. Note, he will pick me back in the summer. I see in him he will arrive a few times early and I suspect he will harass the boss by not readily enter, yes really I see him doing. Time will tell. Maybe he never flies a price as he thinks; why should I do my best for such a boss? Nice huh pigeon sport, don’t you think?
Until next week

NEW LIFE
According to the forecast winter is just beginning. The next few days the temperatures go at night to -7 degrees and in the day it will not reach above cero. This morning everything was white outside. A beautiful sight, yes, but for me it does not. I think it supposed to snow in Austria and Switzerland. Both countries are the Dutch winter sports country of choice; I like more heat (it will be something to do with age).The winter breeders had this year luck with the weather. No cold days or nights, and as far as I know there are everywhere good breeding results. Exceptions are always there, but it is often more to fancier than to the pigeons. Pigeons should be well prepared for the races and the same count for the breeding season, we should not think too easily. Who wants to book good results in all respects leaves nothing to chance. Pigeons must be in prime condition and certainly not too heavy. Once the birds are put together after 10 days the first egg has to be hatched. Summer youngsters, older females and couples who are not deeply in love from the first day may be a little more time. Indicative of the health is the number of unfertilized eggs, as there are too many, over 10%, there is usually something faltering health and it’s best to consult the vet.
By me the planning went something different so I paired all my birds (18 racing and 12 breeding pairs) on January 2. That went fine, but after 65 years I still managed to put two cocks together. The cock that I had taken for a hen has been sitting for months between the hens and has its "beak" not opened. Furthermore all pairs have hatched right on time and currently fly the egg shells around my ears. Of the 30 couples 2 infertile eggs, 1 egg dented and one young hen has not lain. Of my top five breeding pairs I put the eggs in other birds and they are now again for the second time on eggs so it goes all the way I want. With the cold nights ahead I squeeze him a little now I have so many little bald youngsters lying. I'm only assuming that the pigeons know better than I how their children to keep warm. With reasonably good weather I open in the day in the breeding loft the windows. At night everything is closed, I do it mainly to hold the temperature as much as possible and to maintain the humidity. I live in the polder with regard to water which through we often suffer from fog. A dike protects our habitat. Without this dike the water was up to our gutter. For many foreigners this is something frightening, for us the most natural thing in the world. We do not know better! The Netherlands has always war with the water which is our greatest enemy. How the youngsters lie I can not say because they are only a few days old. In any case there are enough and that's a good sign.

SEPARATE BEFORE THERE ARE COMING EGGS AGAIN.
Breeding pigeons I have to breed of and that they should do as much as possible. From 5 of my best couples I keep at least 5 for myself. The other youngsters get a new owner and the same goes for the third and fourth round of the breeders. The racing pigeons get, once the youngsters are 18 days, separated and a few weeks later paired for the second time. Why do I do? As soon as the youngsters are 18 days one youngster went with the hen to the young pigeon loft. The other stays with the cock. The hens I give the first week they are apart with their youngster full bowl all day. So they can eat all times of the day, that the youngsters see and therefore they start quickly a piece of the pie. After one week it is done with "full house" because the hens have more attention to a friend than they are still very concerned about their young. Once I see that there are two females show interest in each one of them goes directly to the hen’s loft. If the early youngsters are 28-30 days old (it has to do with the night temperatures) the hens go away from them. The youngsters have to save themselves and get the first period certainly not little food at their disposal. Youngsters have to learn as soon as possible to eat coarse food. Because I have almost every year at least 50% yearlings my birds are paired for a second time. I do this especially to learn the yearlings good what their territory is. It struck me that if the pigeons for a second time are paired those young guys are so passionate that they are after a few weeks separated already forgotten their breeding loft. The yearling cocks fly after all that moves and that caused several fights. If you not pair for a second time, and there are quite a lot, you run the chance of fighting a lot and that I want to be right before the season avoid. I pair my birds at a way that they are one week before the first official race start five days breeding. From the moment they are paired for the second time there’s also driven wherever possible. A week before the first official race the pigeons join as "nest pigeon”. Saturday evening I remove the eggs and on Sunday afternoon the hens went to the loft where they spend the summer further. The first three races the cocks and hens are together one hour. On the day of return they are allowed to dusk seven hours together and that remains so throughout the season. I do so to keep them paired the best as possible. From the fourth race I show the birds 20 minutes. Only if the pigeons get two nights basket I don’t show and that system is just fine to me.

ANOTHER WORLD RECORD
Gea and Pieter Veenstra have sold their loft empty. Or so everyone thought until in the Northern Times, a daily newspaper that appears in their environment, a message saying that the family Veenstra’s wants to become the largest pigeon fancier in the Netherlands. A building permit for expansion of the loft would have been granted. So, no sale because of back pain, visit of the tax or a threat of bankruptcy, all these stories were like that one article refuted. It is true that many fanciers around the world are put a bit on the wrong foot and therefore sums were offered for the Frisian pigeons that were not thought possible. Only 25 of the 245 Veenstra pigeons stayed in the Netherlands. Only Eijerkamp Jan Hooijmans and Young Lin (which would reportedly also a Dutchman) were capable to buy a pigeon over 15.000 euros. The whole circus went away for 1.899,300 euro’s. Never happened before, an absolute world record! If we assume that even by the greatest champion only 20% of the pigeons earn the stamp "good", which means that 80% is not belong the absolute top and there was in this marathon sale than an average of 7.000 euro’s counted down. For that amount you can enjoy five years as a couple on vacations. That's not all, because after this successfully total sale there will fly in august 400-500 birds again around the "Dallas area" of the Veenstra's. The "later" youngsters of 2011 are retained and breed up a storm. The pigeons which still have to go to their new bosses should surely have been brought at least two youngsters who have a ring from 2012. You'd think that the sport is becoming more popular in the Netherlands. Nothing of that, on at least 5 years is 50% of the current Dutch lofts empty. The once large and popular pigeon organization with nearly 100.000 members will continue with at most 5,000 flying lofts across the country. How do you affordable? And how will it be in 2020?
Partly because of the excessive transactions it’s almost done with 125 years pigeon sport primarily intended for the common man. These people have indeed made the sport great. The olden days are over, the end is in sight and that time will never come back!

IT’S DONE WITH THE VILLAGE GAME.
Unfortunately the sport is going backwards in many countries. Fewer fanciers mean less pigeons in competition and that is quite obvious in recent years (in Holland). Fewer birds in the race and a game area that remain unchanged means that whole groups of fanciers on the short distance races are almost outplayed. Location is an even more important role and influence of the wind is such a large impact that the short distance game is almost impossible, and just that game was the base of our pigeon sport. Especially in Belgium and the Netherlands participating in these flights is by far the largest. The ordinary working man (it was the sport for 90% off) could in his village indulge themselves every week. There was tension, everyone played with a few birds, there were some pennies to earn plus that many of the inhabitants of the village also experienced joy at the return of the pigeons. On Sunday morning you saw everywhere people staring in the air to see the pigeons coming home. The sport was very popular, had many admirers and even more practitioners. It's almost over, especially the short distance that is influenced by location and wind direction. In addition, in recent years is also added an adverse factor, that’s the large number of pigeons from mega lofts. The large groups of pigeons that race to the same direction attract other pigeons and cause a false picture of the list. When in my area weekly 450 fanciers joined the races it was not a big deal. Most fanciers came with 12 pigeons at the start which caused a large spread in the area. Of those 450 fanciers are now only about 150 left and at the end of the season there are not 75 anymore. Its right those men with the large numbers that mainly these last races of the season greatly influence. So be it, they do nothing wrong because everyone is free to deploy as many birds as they want. This major change is the main cause that particular the one day long distance races has increased significantly. The sprint or the "village game" get of the track and the fanciers who will continue step more and more over (forced) to races from 350 to 600 km. On these races location and wind has lesser impact. Though I dare say for certain large metric every Saturday morning before the birds arrive where the early birds will fall, yes of 450 km too. When the distances become longer than the spread is greater so (almost) everyone is likely to get an early pigeon.

MORE MIDDLE DISTANCE
Changes are not always improvements. Within the Dutch pigeon sport the last 15 years quite a few changes have occurred. Conclusion: more and more disgruntled fanciers. Game and technical management the sport is in heavy water. Instinctively, I think there is no salvation possible. The pigeon sport in its present form is doomed. It seems advisable that the national government is primarily committed to the current members. Cherish these people and stop all the changes that led so far only to an overall deterioration of our sport. The sport is still insufficiently responsive to the contemporary lifestyle. Pigeon racing is in its present form is no longer a game of this time. The sport requires too much of the family. It is not a family sport as is sometimes claimed. It occasionally happens that the family is interested in the hobby of dad. The national government would be committed to all those gray men to let them in their recent years of their lives still to enjoy their pigeons which they grew up from childhood. Youth and beginners are not there anymore, now or never! There are over the years so many others and perhaps more fun stuff added that requires not so much time and a big part of the weekend whereby you can’t watch the sports of your children/grandchildren. As long as the sport still exists it seems prudent to consider a shorter flight program with in particular more middle distance races. A pigeon can easily do every year 15 of such races. The games with the youngsters can be start earlier (May) up with the old birds which (hopefully) prevent big losses. Very important it seems to me to insert late July or early August a summer break of two weeks. Anyone can play with the same birds as any old pigeon can easily finish races of 100-600 km, there's really no need for other pigeons. On overnight flights I would not talk about this time. That really requires other birds and without doing those practitioners too short, let me say that these fanciers are totally different. It is important for these men they have their pigeons home. The other racers are more concerned with the competitive element. A flight of 100 km should not be open 10 minutes, it would not be good. At 500 km is a concourse contest of half an hour sufficient. It does not take longer. The real long distance men can seat for hours in their chair waiting for the pigeons. The majority can not and will not. Waste of their time!

LONG DISTANCE PIGEONS.
Pigeons that have to race 500 km and more are soon called long distance pigeons. I am of flights with a distance of more than 500 km never been a fan. I did and do not like to join these races. Several years ago I decided to purchase some birds for these distances. I had success and good results on a long flight you will stay longer than a victory on a short flight. For me, every victory is nice, though it is 50 km, especially when you clock an early bird with tailwind I find fantastic. That is much harder than early run with headwinds. Most of us think otherwise, I do not. Think about how difficult it is for a pigeon to play at very large numbers on a flight of 100 km five or ten seconds ahead, that’s almost impossible. The whole platoon thunders on such flights almost simultaneously over the measurement. Look at the results, there is usually at such fast race a group of birds that fly faster than the large crowd. That's great! Everyone will understand that at such flights you don’t play five minutes ahead. Something does happen by very fast races that are open for half an hour. The fastest pigeons make then more than 120 km per hour so you would think that it is so viewed but none of that. It has nothing to do with quality but with the situation that at different height is other wind and even sometimes instead of south / west a little more west and you notice that at the contest period. Returning to my long distance pigeons, I've discarded them this year. I have kept two and let that exactly two of my best ones are in short and middle distance while siblings for several years in a row have responded well at the middle distance. I think it largely lies in the way of care. That's why I keep telling the boss is the most important still than the pigeons and the loft. Those who do not agree with me should feel free to sound the alarm, then at least we have something to discuss. Good luck with the breeding and all youngsters that are growing up well; fly with them!

WINTER
It's winter but it says it all. The Dutch old-fashioned winters of the past no longer exist, the climate is changing. During the Christmas holidays in the Netherlands it was 10 degrees Celsius, almost unimaginable. See at all Christmas cards for one hundred years the most beautiful scenes of snow and ice. During that period, you can skate, but this year we could almost sit outside. Out of the wind and in the sun it was just warm by our standards. We are not yet as only winter began on December 21 and ends on March 21, so we can get enough ice and snow. On the days we note that it stays light longer and unnoticed we are well going towards spring. In many lofts are the first youngsters ringed and the oldest of them going the next days to the young pigeon loft. At some lofts the youngsters at the age of 18 days are transferred with the hens to another department to avoid the racing hens start laying a second time and that we do not want. Once the pigeons hatch for the second time the flight mould will start but this we want to stop as long as possible to stop to avoid in the middle of the season trouble. If the mould starts too early the birds are during the nicest time of the season too far gone. The best part is that the first pin falls in early June so that the program pigeons without problems until mid-September can be played. Long distance racers have different rules. These fanciers are still in their hibernation. They mate only in March, do not play with youngsters, and if they do then still in August. Long distance players are not so fond an interested in the game with the youngsters. The program players are different people, often very fanatical, passionate and nervous. Once the season starts they should be standing there. In the Netherlands we have almost no chance to train the pigeons. We want to do, but in March it's usually too cold or too rainy and risk of snow is also possible. Anyway, in late March and early April the league will begin and who wants to reach something should from the start finish all weeks in the snout of the list. It does mean that from that moment the pigeons have to be in a good condition and they should have the necessary training miles behind them.

DO NOT IMMEDIATELY PLAY ALL THE CARDS

HUNTING
It is currently very busy in the loft. The breeding and racing pigeons are one week together and then starts the crowds. The cocks begin to hunt (some do it after four days) and most hens have from that time no rest. Once they fly from their breeding loft, the cock goes after her and grants her no peace. She can not even walk on the floor for some to pick up, she has hardly time to drink and by the grit tray she is as long pecked by her cock that she can do only one thing and that is fly back into her breeding loft. Only then the cock leaves her alone. Do not think the hen stays there for a long time. None of that, she flies several times a day, and every time the cock emerges on top. One of my hens had after six days her first egg. It is now the eighth day, and almost certainly will now also a few other hens hatch an egg. They are now a long time on the nest and then you can assume that the next two days most of them have the first egg in the breeding scale. Sometimes I feel sorry for the hens as they get absolutely no rest, there are nasty cocks that do very ugly to their woman. Yes, until they are in the breeding scale then they caress each other. I even have some cocks who not allow themselves time to eat enough. Today I took some fierce racing cocks in hands and I noticed immediately that they felt quite lighter than one week before. I hold fast to the saying "a good cock is not fat." Once they sit a few days to hatch, they soon turn back on weight. At this time it is not wrong to observe and even a little help them. Because the (too) bright males do not have one second rest I feed them in the breeding pens. If you do not then you become disturbed because around the feed tray it’s a group of teeming pigeons with no rest in it. They fly back and forth from their breeding loft and forgot to eat. Because the hens have no time to pick grind and / or red stone you get a little dirty manure. That’s why I throw every day a little grit in each breeding loft as well all pigeons get for lunch some small seeds in their box. It will all know that the birds after eating the act of love begin. If you feed the pigeons on the ground than the males get almost no chance to enter their hens. If you feed them in their breeding loft there’s more time and opportunity. If you don’t then you run the risk that (perhaps) too many eggs are infertile but that has nothing to do with a lower health.

ENLIGHTEN
The breeding pigeons are before pairing lit, the racers from the time of paring. That's because the breeders would be paired between Christmas and New Year and the racers still January 15. Because of my back I really could not pair the breeders. I decided then that I would pair everything together on Monday, January 2, a big job where I’ve been doing most of the day. I wonder how big the difference will be between laying the first egg to the breeders and racers; probably it makes little or no difference. I know more next week.
As soon all the birds have two eggs I stop directly to enlighten; now I light up until at night 10 hours. Once the pigeons have two eggs I throw every day some tobacco steal on the floor of the loft. The pigeons go building their own nest, and I like to watch. There are some that make towering nest and there are some who have nothing to do. Then the boss makes sure there is enough nesting material in the dish. The weather can at this time of year so capsize. It's still fairly soft, but the end of January and February are not for nothing the coldest months of the year mentioned. As fanciers we must ensure that young pigeons than lie cozy in a warm and well-filled nest. No heat in the sense of central heating. It may feel cold in the loft, but not damp or drafty. Then you can bring some warmth in the loft only in order to ensure that it is not too damp. By me, the first eggs hatch in late January this year and it can be quite cold with night temperatures below freezing. I put the lamp on from noon four until half past ten so the birds early in the evening can still carry their youngsters. I do to prevent the youngsters go with a poor filled crop into the night. I make sure my youngsters always lay with a filled crop by feeding the old birds three and sometimes four times a day. You know that after every feeding the parents feed their youngsters and that promotes the growth of our new little champion.

THE SAME BREEDING LOFT
Every year I discover that you should never change an old cock’s breeding loft. This year was again the case with one of my best breeding cocks. He is now 7 years old and is due to its excellent pedigree and also because it was a summer youngster from his first years in the breeding loft. He has never seen a basket and because I have every confidence in, he went straight to the breeding loft. This year I found it necessary to give him another breeding loft, left from his previous. In that particularly breeding loft remains for several years one of my best breeding hens and in to stay in the right sort this two had to go together. What I have come to do so, don’t ask me, but what misery I have. Every time flies die cock in his previous breeding loft, though I do not know how many times I have to catch him there. First gently and later I threw him out again and nevertheless he flew at his former breeding loft. Now I'm releasing the couple alternately and if both breeding lofts are open I have immediately the puppets dancing. I assume that it is over soon. Once they have eggs it become all different. However, it remains careful because if my old breeding cock somehow gets bored once again he could find his old breeding loft with all its consequences. The pair that remains in his former breeding loft immediately receives two rock eggs so nothing can be fought broken. The father and mother of my seven year old breeder are namely Champ Astro and Cocotte, both good for each 6 first prices (are no longer in my loft) but were two absolute top racers who could easily compete with the birds we see today on the internet for amounts of 50,000 euro or more, but if you see what these pigeons had performed THEMSELVE than shoot the tears in your eyes and you wonder whether today's fanciers can still good reading. Years ago it had to be Tourniers or Delbars. The famous Janssen pigeons were my whole life a popular race that also not went out the door for an apple and an egg. The only difference was that the pigeons were each good, although many Belgians think differently. Even then there was already talking of jealousy. But it was perhaps the best race of the world. Those days are over. Unfortunately, because there is now looked more too fancy names and pedigrees then quality and performance. Today, on Internet many "paper" birds are sold for astronomical amounts. If "Bin 17" is on they are already worth a fortune. Fortunately there is still a difference between commerce and performance. You can bet real players never ever such ridiculous amounts have counted down for a pigeon. They know in a different and more economical way brings in much better birds in their own champion colony. The person who engaged in commerce almost performance nothing and great champions, let say the real pigeon experts, are more concerned with performance than with commerce. They know too well that you can buy a dog but not the wag of his tail.



THAT IT MAY BECOME WHAT WE EXPECT.
Pigeon sport, for years a sport where 90% of participating pigeons disappoint. So that leaves 10% who do comply, an easy calculation for everyone to understand. This would mean that by everyone only 10% of the birds care for fun. With only fun you do not come far in the long term. Fun you can experience by the homecoming of the birds even though they are so late, but you will not go along. The point is that we have to lay the performance bar every year a little higher. This elevating is not that difficult, the point is that we also deliver. The goal that we strive is to achieve and this takes 100% effort. But unfortunately, even with only 100% effort, we are not. The point is that 10% of the birds that we have in our loft are real winners that in the breeding provide high quality descendents that are just as good as themselves. This sounds nice, but unfortunately there is no such thing. Look at the various national competitions in which sophisticated computing systems is determined where the best birds of the country live. Of the many thousands of birds that join annually to the races only a handful of pigeons are eligible to participate under the set conditions. Then I'm not even talking about the number of pigeons that are eligible for a prize. The same goes for the fanciers, less than half percent (in the Netherlands we have only 20,000) of the fanciers is eligible for a reasonable classification. Are therefore almost 20,000 fanciers disappointed? It seems so. Especially after you have read the above you would be able to immediately stop the pigeon hobby. Fortunately, there are for all those fanciers who are competitive busy possibilities enough to play in the spotlight. This can be on club level, combination or several associations. There may play a larger area, regional, provincial game is also possible (Netherlands has 12 provinces and each province has its own championships), so plenty of options. For all those men who want to achieve it’s important that they are among the top three of the club. If not, then they can completely forget it in a larger ensemble. Yet others, each in their own level, can have fun with our hobby. This is fortunate because otherwise we wouldn’t have more than 20,000 fanciers anymore. That's why I started this article by saying "that it may become what we expect."

THE FIRST YOUNGSTERS ARE RINGED.
Today Tuesday 3 January we could collect the rings in the club and there was an immediate opportunity to wish each other a happy 2012. Some members were even on January 1 at the door from the administrator to pick up their rings because they had youngsters that needed to be ringed. This can happen because there are always some hens that after six days lay their first egg  (pairing date November 26) and then on January 1 it’s a little panic because then the youngsters are 10 days and it is difficult to get a ring. Usually I belong to those persons who need the rings on January 1. This year and last year was not the case. Now I pair one month later, last year between Christmas and New Year, this year I put race and breeding pigeons on January 1 together. Now I write this, the breeding boxes are still closed and I've seen all the birds are paired properly. Not a fight, just a couple was not so nice to each other but when I put one day later the breeding scale with nest materials they found each other nice and started immediately the love game. I am confident that if I put some breeding boxes open there will be no fights or birds flying in the wrong breeding box. The young cocks are already weeks in the breeding boxes and two nights I have them locked up when it was dark. The next morning I noted who was sitting where. Every time that I've locked them they were in the same breeding loft. I have young cocks as much as possible coupled with old hens that last year remained in that breeding loft. I have a few pair’s yearlings and from them some hens need to learn which breeding loft is her. My experience is that they very quickly fly after the cock. They are also the first from which I open the breeding loft so they have every opportunity to fly in the right loft.

FROM WHAT PIGEONS WE GO BREEDING?
Everywhere you read, breed only from the best! That’s easily said. Poor fanciers that just have ordinary pigeons. What must they do? I think it start with the selection. Our pigeon sport is certainly not a cheap hobby, so taking into account our wallets we certainly have to decide to keep not more birds than is financially feasible. Not too soon thinking that a bird is a good one because his nest mate, aunt or even a half brother has won a top position. Everyone defines for themselves what birds may or may not continue. I can not get enough attention to select heavily because even at the loft of the greatest champion remain also a few very good pigeons and that number is on the fingers of one hand to count. Unlike all the auctions, either in the hall or over the Internet, where only champions or top pigeons are offered for sale. Make sure there are only pigeons at your loft that stay easily healthy and meet your requirements. These birds are also worth to breed. Well I recommend during the breeding anything but straight to do away. Misshapen eggs, youngsters who are unable to come out of the egg, youngsters that remain in growth, youngsters are beeping all day, youngsters with wet manure, whit not good ingrown feathers, youngsters lying next to the nest, away with it. Leave them in this time of year with their parents until they are 28 days and make sure they have from the 21st day a bowl of feed in the breeding loft so they quickly begin to pick similar with their parents. Beware that once the hens and their youngsters are placed in the young pigeon loft not mate with each other. This problem occurs especially in lofts where the hens all day can eat whatever they want. That’s why I am not in favor of full house, I'd rather feed three times a day because the hens after each feed carry their youngsters and therefore have less need to lie cuddle with another hen. If they later are on widowhood they seek their (old) friend again and ruin the widowhood game because they also encourage others to mate. Enough for this week, good luck with the breeding because good breeding is a good omen for a good season.


BEST WISHES AND A HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL 2012.
Another year passed, and when we talk about the sport 2011 was a tough year. But organizationally and sportive often ran it wrong. The decline in the number of fanciers becomes every year worrying. The directors show too little vision for the future; they make too many blunders and therefore more and more dissatisfied fanciers. The weather gods were not favorable in 2011, many difficult competitions, (unnecessarily) large losses, especially among the youngsters. An additional problem is that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep the birds healthy. Which it sits? Various causes, most are known to us. There’s too much tampered with medicines, and out of season fanciers throw many drugs in the drinking water or over the food. I think that the quality control of the food is insufficient while healthy grains are the most important component of our pigeon hobby. So I can go on. However, I want to remain positive. With all that negative stuff we prove our sport a disservice. Looking back to the past is fun, especially when you get older, but it has no sense. We now live in 2012 and whether we like it or not, we need to practice the sport anno 2012. The sometimes insane commerce is here to stay. If you ask me, it can not stand. The crazy high prices that are international counted down for racing pigeons are no longer in proportion to price / quality and bring our sport to an all time low. Add to this the rising cost to participate in competitions we come to the conclusion that it become for a large group of fanciers a priceless hobby. We must not forget that in many countries this hobby is just a wonderful form of free time spent for the common man. It is too easy to say that this group than has to keep fewer birds. Everyone wants the weekend still see some birds coming home. To sit and wait every week for three or four birds is not satisfactory.

BACK TO A SMALLER NUMBER.
I've never been in favor to care many birds. I've never had a lot of pigeons, but I do have too much every year. Every year I announced that I would keep fewer birds, but there was little or none of that. Do for me I have now the problem rigorously addressed. To 12 breeding pairs I must have enough for an annual number of promising youngsters and with 18 pairs racers I have enough to do every week for a good result. I went back to a smaller number to get a better overview. The fewer birds you have, the earlier you see in positive and negative sense certain situations. It may be that it is easy to notice that there is something wrong with the health or shown at the right time that pigeons have exhibit additional form. A smaller number of birds not only express the cost but requires also less care time and that time can you can spend on other things. Fewer birds mean less likely to fear of disease and if it still does happen you will not need so much medicines (including less money to spend). There will also be more time to observe birds and it gets you further along than shit crabs. Not only me but also other fanciers seen that the performances not improve by keeping more birds. Many do return to a smaller file. This means that the competitions (still) going to be smaller. When I look back at 10 years, the number of participating pigeons to 2011 is more than halved. This decline we will notice in 2012 more. The positive result is that the quality of the participating pigeons will be better, so more competition and excitement. In our country is spend a lot (maybe too much) attention to the large numbers of birds that participate weekly by mega lofts. I have never determined how many pigeons were used by large fanciers. I fly every week against a few thousand birds and whether there are 100 of Jan, 200 or 300 of Peter or Kees I found totally unimportant. But gradually I think differently. The play areas   remain as large while the number of fanciers is noticeably less. Just by that the large numbers of birds from one fancier get a major impact to the competition process, especially when those men on the flights to 400 km also are in the right "pull". Then for many fanciers it becomes difficult to play against. In that situation surely the law of large numbers counts: "The more lots, the greater the chance of a prize."

TO EARLY CHEERED.
Five weeks have passed and still my back pain has not disappeared. Two weeks ago I thought I was rid of the sharp pain in my back. I saw it all the way back down, but that was short-lived. The cure comes with ups and downs. Luckily I have good help, because I am still unable to care my pigeons, but I'll go more and more to assist. My plan was to pair the breeders immediately after Christmas, but that has not happened. I have postponed until January 3 and then I pair all birds at a time which give me even more opportunity to lay some eggs from the breeders by the yearling racers. I now have one week before I go pair my pigeons and I really hope been freed from my aching back. If you do something wrong you realize how great it is when you like in yourself. If nothing is wrong with you yourself you worry about an egg with a dent in it. Now I think it's me dented some eggs worth as I am off of my back pain. After selecting my breeding pigeons I had a hen on, actually two but one has never laid eggs. She was in my breeding loft as she assembled a formidable list of achievements and because she had never laid eggs she was a good bird for other eggs to hatch. As soon I lay an egg under her she immediately starts breeding. Now I do finally say goodbye to her. For the other hen I have purchased a formidable cock. I would not purchase anymore! I do nothing else then bringing back my number of birds and still I come back home with a pigeon. My son insisted to come but because of my back I certainly would not go. He persisted and I yielded. So, in a hurry the sales list studies and there were a number of pigeons that I'd be interested in. At least, I wanted the pigeons certainly in the hand check. My preference was for a Heremans cock from the same bloodline that I already have some very good descendant from. It remains a good feeling when you finally take home that particular bird. Ah, therefore you are a fancier; you can sometimes change your mind. I am excited about my new acquisition, and if he will make me also happy with some good descendants than it’s good. I wish you all success with the breeding and hopefully it will become in all respects for all of us a very good year.


IN SUCH A WAY YOU CAN FORGET IT.
It is winter, not cold and that works in favor of those that have the birds already on eggs. A while ago I spoke to someone who had paired his pigeons; unfortunately they came very irregularly with eggs. He assumed it was because there sat paratyphoid among and immediately I asked him if he had cure against it in October. Yes, but he had instead of 21 days only cured 6 days. That was according to him sufficient. Hatched the birds so poor by the paratyphoid? As he talked, I found out that he was intended his pigeons to pair mid-January. Because he heard that other sport friends had paired end of November he changed his plan and paired from one day to another his birds. They were ready he told me and without any further preparation he had put them together. He asked me to come and watch and I had not really feel. A nice guy, he was, unfortunately not a real champion. He was more the type  winter champion. At the bar always the loudest voice, but in summer when it really matters, always the wind against or he does not live in the migration of birds. Always an excuse but I think he is always lying to himself. He said he regularly had early birds who came not inside. The strange thing is that he never suffers from raptors, except on Saturday when his pigeons are not daring to come down. Such figures also think that they are dealing with an idiot. They are so stupid that they do not notice. Such figures are not to help. They can give what they want; they never will perform and dare to say to others that you never give anything good. However, I leave to make a loft visit. It was agreed that I would come coffee time, first drinking some coffee and then to the pigeons. When I walked with him into the yard was the first thing he said to me: not just look at the mess, I have not time to clean the lofts. Well, then my day is largely spoiled. After I had drunk two weak cups of coffee we went to the lofts. When we arrived near the loft the race pigeons flew almost through the windows of hunger. Also no time to feed them, I asked him? True, he said. I am more concerned with the breeders. The moment I stepped inside the passage of his loft, I knew it already, everything shut tight and absolutely no ventilation. In the breeding loft were a number cock’s whit plugged up nose feathers on the ground. There was no life in and on the floor lie at least ten pounds of food. They need to eat properly. That's right, I said, but a little less will not hurt and giving the racers perhaps a little more seems to me a lot better. He did not respond anyhow. I first got his best breeder in the hands, limp as a rag, too heavy, probably never had a bath and a dirty nose too. With these birds, I am so ready and placed her on the floor. She could barely get into her breeding loft. He wanted to give me more birds in hands. I said forget it, so I can see. I could not bring to say what he did wrong, wished him luck and hoped for him that the second round would go better. I drove away with screeching tires. When I got home I soon put my pigeon loft slippers on and went to my loft where I've been enjoying my own birds for an hour. What a difference! Only then you will understand why so many fanciers have nothing of readjustment. They delve into anything and can not even afford to care their birds regular. Also the new season will be for this man a disaster. For now he has a few months to pretend he will beat in 2012 everyone.

IT CAN ALSO DIFFERENT
A week later I went unannounced visiting a very strong player with national recognition. You can come when you want, you'll never surprise them as they have in the early morning cared their birds and everything looks neat and clean. I like that! All breeders had eggs within 14 days, the hens were sitting on the nest and the cocks were all in their breeding loft. When we got inside there was not one of his place, only when the boss some pigeons pulled their beak they came to live. The cocks stood and waited so to speak until their boss came for a game fight. Of these situations I can enjoy intensely. I call it: keeping pigeons at the highest level. The pigeons shone on me. If the boss some threw some peanuts on the ground surfaced the cocks, and did not know how fast they had to fly back to their breeding loft for defending their territory. Twice a day the boss fought a bit with them and that motivates them enormously. I am convinced that his widowers come quicker home for him them than for their female. At the loft, the climate, the atmosphere and the birds I could see that this great champion will have a good breeding. We all know that a good breeding guarantees a good season. At everything it was to note that it would become for this fancier, with such care and accommodation and such high quality pigeons, an easy game.

PIGEONS
Just as I know anything about medicines, I know nothing about pigeon food. I assume each his specialty. About pigeon food is much to do. There are significant price differences and I think that will come through the variety from which various mixtures are put together. There is "generic" food but most food stuff is marketed by reputable firms. I choose for many years the well-known firm Mariman which I think they have composed a sophisticated blend of high quality. Of germination I have totally no knowledge of, Mariman (and other companies) do. I make myself not worry about. I also think that the more grain composition, the better it is. It is up to the boss to determine the quantities of food that he provided to his pigeons, because feeding is still an art according to me. As a fancier you have to see when the birds have enough. Yet the quality of the food is never the same. Barley is not always barley and maize is not always maize. What I mean, corn and other grains in our food are not always cultivate on the same farm land and are not always from the same country. There is always quality difference. That’s why I trust my feed supplier. I assume that they buy for your and my birds a responsible quality. Each quality and mix has a price tag. My experience is that the more diverse the culture mixture, the less problems during the growth of the winter youngsters.
I wish everyone a pleasant New Year and till next year.

Bert Braspenning

COD LIVER OIL
If I read or hear about cod liver oil I immediately think back to my childhood. Every night before going to bed my mother was ready with a tablespoon of cod liver oil. When I think back the chills runs still over my body, what a terrible bad taste! Fortunately she kept in her other hand a spoonful of sugar that had to eliminate the bad taste. Cod liver oil was good, not only because the doctor said, everyone thinks because in the winter months a lot of advertising was made. Why it was good the parents probably did not know. If the doctor said it was healthy then everyone took it for granted. The children who now occupy not have a difficulty because there is given a taste on. Now, after 70 years I still use. No, not for myself, please don’t. The pure cod liver oil I give during the winter breeding to my birds. Cod liver oil (vitamin D) is good for forming a solid bone structure. I give it 1x a day. In the evening I put a small bucket ready for the next day and throw a shot of cod liver oil. I stir it briskly together until the food slightly shiny. Every year I buy a new bottle of cod liver oil because it is perishable. That is why I ever prepare always for one day food with cod liver. I know there are fanciers that throughout the year do cod liver oil over the food. They claim their good performances owe to the regular use of cod liver oil. Personally I think this is a bit too much of a good thing since sunshine ensures that the body of humans and animals creates Vitamin D. If we besides cod liver oil also occasional kale, carrots or other green vegetables administered, our future champions will certainly have benefit of it. In addition, grit and red stone should not be forgotten. It is best to give it fresh every day. Do not forget to provide the nest scales of sufficient stuffing. It prevents dented eggs plus the young pigeons lie comfortable in the sometimes violent cold. I am not in favor to make green house of my pigeons. In the fall many fanciers put their birds in a total open aviary and once they are paired heat is brought to the loft. In a dry, draft-free loft it may freeze as hard as it is freezing outside. We do must modify the care and services. The pigeons do the rest because they know it much better than us.

NOT EASY
All year everyone could read between the lines that I would hold fewer birds and maybe even stop. Never had I had problems with the number of pigeons I had in the loft. Previous years I had so little space and that’s why little birds. I longed to keep, just like other big and strong fanciers, more birds so I could match or even beat them. If you are young, motivated and enthusiastic, you can manage all that work easily. If you later take a good look at the performances have improved so much it’s only partially true. If you look at all what you have to do and if that weighs against the performance than it was with a small number of birds just as good. There’s much less work, lower costs, better view and in the width a better quality pigeons at the loft. Racing with more birds and the same performances it’s on the flight day enjoy more, especially now we have electronic clocks. You see all the birds come home, to me that’s over and over again something I get bubbles in my stomach. In the first place the match exciting, then the way the pigeons come home. One is already in the loft before you have seen him very well; another makes a fantastic dive so you hold your breath because it looks like the bird with such a high speed will fly to death. Then there are those flights with just three or four at a time hanging over the loft and shortly after crowding to go inside. I enjoy it intensely, especially the arrivals when you are surprised. You have calculated what time the birds can come and then suddenly there’s one fifteen minutes earlier than you had expected. Goosebumps and palpitations I get. Later the excitement will it be yes or no an early pigeon? My experience is that when you are surprised it's usually early! So in 2012 fewer birds and that was certainly no easy task. I have because of my own decision to keep fewer birds unfortunately doing pigeons away whereat I've had lots of fun and that’s not easy. Emotions play a major role. Yet I have put through. I can only hope that my birds to their new owners will care for pleasure and just as by me will perform as well so every weekend is a celebration weekend. In the loft are 6 breeding boxes empty and in the breeding loft 12. That is very rigorous, but if I wanted to on going for the win I think this is the best solution. If we have in the end of May 2012 about 8 flights behind us I know if I've done well or not. After a time I thought to stop and now my back pain is bearable I get more and more sense in the new season. Mid January the racers will be paired.

AN ARTRITTION WHICH I’M RESTORED.
Today, 14 December 2011 was the day my son would help bring everything ready for the breeding season. For three weeks I could barely move, the therapist had to come to pass, and that did not help really. At least it took me much too long, but it did go forward step by step. Today I had to work. Painkillers and muscle relaxants taken and ongoing. That was not much because my son did 90% of the work. Loft burn, breeding boxes clean, hanging box perches, in short everything for the race and breeding season is regulated in one day. The miracle passed, my pain in the back largely disappeared that day. Well, I was so exhausted I’ve slept 3 hours together. I feel I'm on the right track and everything looks right a lot brighter. Let's pray that is better every day than I know now that it will be a nice Christmas with the children and grandchildren. The young males may pick a breeding loft and the breeding cocks are already in place. Only two newcomers have yet to win a permanent place. Between Christmas and New Year the breeders will be paired and I have high expectations. Years I have not had a breeding loft with so much performance pigeons.
We all know they do not automatically give good descendants. Yet I keep it on that the good one come out of good ones and if you have so much good pigeons at your breeding loft  then the average quality should be higher than in any other situation. Let us hope for the best.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.

IT’S A BIT DISAPPOINTIG

QUESTIONS
As the racing season is over and the winter breeding season I receive daily many e-mails with questions. Most questioners I do not know. I know nothing about them. I do not know how long they play with pigeons, I know nothing of their results but I notice by their questions they are beginners.
It is not easy to give a sensible answer if you do not know how someone deals with his hobby. Against most questioners I say: Read my weekly column since all aspects are covered. It's almost impossible to answer every mail. It does not mean that I never answer emails, I certainly do. Further I try a whole year to write everything at a way everyone knows how I go on with my pigeons. That way is not everything. It's just one way and fortunately there are many ways to have fun with our pigeon hobby. In this period it’s going about the preparations of the breeding season. Every fancier should know that the breeders should be cared just as good as race pigeons that would join a big race. They should not be too heavy and in very good condition. Too old birds are not suitable for winter breeding and late youngsters either. The prolonged the days with artificial light is not bad but not necessary. What is really good to let the young cocks first choose a nest box before pairing by replacing them to the young pigeon loft. I open the nest boxes that are free so they can pick one. After one week most males are sitting in a chosen breeding box which gives benefits by the pairing. If the hen from the past season is still there she will be usually the new partner of the young male. Only when it appears that it are brother and sister than I will not allow that pairing. I will also not allow a paring when I definitely do not want it. For the rest I think it's fine who goes with who.

JUDGE AND PAIRING
In the breeding loft it’s different. Here I decide the pairing. It's a rarity by me that two pigeons two years or longer sit together. It does appear that after three years I put again the same two birds once again together. You will understand why. This is mainly because this particular couple have a little extra put to the world, then they get a chance to repeat. For years, it was the most normal thing in the world to break all breeding pairs, even if they had given such good youngsters. Therewith I try to avoid I get too many brothers and sisters in my loft and ending into a close inbred situation. I'm given up a little because I am doing more to reduce my colony then worry about the future. The great pleasure gets a little away. No, not at home I enjoy every day my pigeons. This is especially the associations, the return of members and thus shrinking the number of birds in races that takes part. The competitive feeling is gone. Then the jealousy and the commercialism that increasingly dominate through what our wonderful hobby loose its gloss. However, I look forward to go next week to my son to make a last selection. This will be a day with the taking pigeons in hand, discuss together, try to get everything to perfection and try to assess at the end of the day having the idea that there are only top pigeons left in the loft. A week later keeps the club that my son is president its annual show. All members can let judge 4 pigeons (young and old cock, old and young hen). He decides who has the best in each category and he also determined who has the best four. Over 35 years I am in the white coat crossed the country to judge thousands of pigeons. A few years ago I stopped. I could no longer bring up to leave and come back home in the dark. It was a wonderful and unforgettable time, but I was getting more look up to heavy fog, snow or slippery road and have therefore my white coat hung on the peg for good. For some friends I want on request sometimes select some pigeons that go to the show. That's what I do for my son Marco because he wants as president and son of a judge obviously good for the day. He may well judge pigeons, however the latter assessment he still leaves to his father.

ROOM AUCTIONS
Now that we are a number of years in the computer age the longing for the old-fashioned and cozy room auctions increases. Every Sunday morning going to a sale where birds were sold for such reasonable prices that everyone, rich or poor, could do an offer and at the end of the morning went home with a new champion. Mainly the discussing of the new acquisitions was an experience in itself. Everyone was hopeful and even then as now it was often only an illusion that you had bought. Only the amounts were different. By Internet these auctions are largely lapsed and therefore the weekly meetings with many sports friends. I think that has facilitated that fanciers no longer go visit each other. We see each and speak each other anymore, the regular social contact is so completely gone and just that was in my eyes "pigeon sport".

BEAUTIFUL AND GOOD.
I have sought all my life to breed pretty as well as good birds. I can intensely enjoy my birds every day now that they are beautiful. To look at my birds is an important part of my hobby. Among both men and women are in my eyes a number of valuable pigeons in which I have every confidence. I notice, now I have 36 fewer birds than usual I enjoy more because I need much less time to spend cleaning the lofts. It is a pity that I have for the umpteenth time pain in my back so I've been for over a week not by the pigeons. I have proposed that if the weekend the pain has not gone despite everything I just go to the pigeons. I MUST see them! Soon they will be paired, the breeding pairs are composed and the racers are more or less allowed to choose their own partner. Advantage of "early" pairing is that the temperatures are not low and that the youngsters are more than five months old when their first races begin. They are usually by smallpox and measles in other words they have the teething troubles behind. The disadvantage of winter breeding is that you again soon after the season have a loft full of pigeons.
It depends what you choose!

FORUM
The months after the racing season are for most fanciers usually quieter but I notice any of it. I'm much busier than in the race season, but different. In the race season I'm definitely six hours a day working with my pigeons, which has now been reduced to one and a half hours a day. Now there's every weekend something to do if it comes about pigeons and I would still like to be there. Frankly, it is also less, but by my fanatical son dragged me anywhere. Nice, because I increasingly see myself back. In all these events is often a forum. Sometimes instructive but if there is a vet in the forum I run immediately away. As a forum exist out of five people and there is a doctor at than the other four are hardly addressed to say something because almost all questions are about medicines, diseases and more of that kind of misery. I'm question a long time off when the fanciers once become wise. How often is it not written that good racing has nothing to do with a vet? I know several doctors who race pigeon and it is only a few that race strong. As strong racing had anything to do with all sorts of remedies they would make out the service. Pigeon vets are only for making sick birds better, that is their specialty. There are also manufacturers, importers and suppliers of all kinds of remedies that improve the breed, the birds mould better or get better manure. There is a lot more of that stuff that we do not need. Many use it because they are fooled by many devious ad texts. The only thing that matters is a good manager, a good manager has namely always good pigeons and a good loft, and otherwise it would not be good manager. It is that simple! The past weekend was another pigeon day with everything and anything. Unfortunately there were no birds to visit and a champion’s day without pigeons is like kebab without meat. The reality is that the pigeons receive little attention, but if top birds can be seen there are many fanciers that still pay attention to them. As I write this I had to think back to the Olympiad in Poland this year that was held in January. Crowds in the thousands of viewers walked past the cages where the best birds from various countries were exhibited. Usually there is not so much to see to these top. However, it is interesting to have seen them. You get therefore also more confident in your own pigeons because they look exactly the same. The forum where I spent last weekend has little or no news. All forum participants gave their pigeons feed from a different brand or even used five different types. One showed the birds never, another for half an hour, and on the day of homecoming they stay together all day. One had every day "something" in the water, the other two times a week. There was no one that just gave clean water every day. One cleaned his loft twice a day, others twice a year. One never gave barley; the other is crazy about it. It's nice to hear everything but not more then that. Some fanciers have put themselves on the wrong track by forum members because they hear so many different options that they ramble of the jump and then you get the pigeons never in top form. If all goes well not change anything until it's not going well then there must be sought to improvements. It is best to first look at you instead of the feed tray or the pigeons. It is usually the boss who makes mistakes and not otherwise. There are still many fanciers that manage to make of a good pigeon a bad one but there is nobody in the world that can make from a bad a good one.

ANECDOTE.
It's been many years ago since I started drinking coffee every Friday morning by Jan Loots. He and Jan Kuyzer were my main competitors in the speed races and I wanted to know what these men did differently than I. Jan Kuyzer worked then and Jan Loots was almost always home. His loft was full of Janssen pigeons which he purchased from Henk van Boxtel Kaatsheuvel and Leen Klopman Zaandam. These two fanciers played excellent only with the pure and direct Janssen pigeons. In those years there were plenty of good birds, but no better than the almost unbeatable Janssen pigeons. Every Friday one hour of "milking" and then I get the birds in hand from which Jan thought they were good. Jan was a nest player and each round his racers had to rear up two youngsters. The loft was always full of food and especially house sparrows flew off and one to take it away. Jan sold that food from an unknown brand at home and gave it also to his own pigeons. Bags of 25 kg for 10 guilders (this is euro 4.50). Who said the food has become in all those years not much expensive? In those bags was also 2 kg of dust but in spite of that the birds performed great. When I hold Friday morning some of the racers in my hand I almost fell off my chair in astonishment, they were so heavy. They were hard to lift! My first thought was "that one gets tomorrow's hits like bubbles." And then he made another rash you dizzy. What I am saying is that all this fuss around means nothing. It's the boss who can deal well with his pigeons. It’s about useful birds that with a simple treatment also can play the head and Jan had those pigeons. He could also draw on well-stocked stores by Van Boxtel and Klopman, he had that advantage. However, it was sometimes that Jan had a bad race and he could not stand it. Two days later there was a bag of dead pigeons on the street that go down with the garbage truck, as rigorously he went to work. This great champion is far too young deceased, but he sure made that especially in Noord-Holland fanciers succeeded with his Janssen pigeons. Even now l specifically pay attention what kind of pigeon the middle distance or short distance races wins. Frequently the sort of Jan Loots is in it. The last years before his death he purchased different kind, and without him being aware his spectacular play disappeared. Harder ten hard pigeons can’t fly, Jan thought so and that was the biggest mistake he ever made.

DEADLY FUNGAL.
A year, 200-400 people in the Netherlands gets a severe lung infection caused by an immune strain of the fungal Aspergillus. This strain was not before 2000, but by using fungus pesticides this fungal is on the rise. If we extend this picture to the frequent use of antibiotics against many pigeon diseases we see that this can no longer carry on. Perhaps it is too late and will be in pigeon land more new diseases arise. Back to nature is the only solution!

THE GOOD FEELING
We select over the year but this month is the period that we have to take the last jump. Which one should have to leave at the last moment, and which should remain. That is for most of us tough. It's not easy doing pigeons away that we have at least one or two years daily cared and then just run short to in 2012 again be allowed to keep the honor of the loft high. For the hobbyists among us it’s different, they do not wrong at all to keep a little extra pigeons. For the category of fanatics it’s different. Both categories consist mainly of men who have homing pigeons as a hobby. One category sees it really as a spending of free time and are satisfied with any price their pigeons win. The other group wants more; the pigeons have to perform and if that fails the boss will rapidly sais goodbye to such birds. This group is the greatest; by them count especially the competitive element. Joining races speaks a lot of people. However, there's nothing more annoying than participate in races and never win a prize, there is no man happy. So, that’s why it’s important to improve the quality of your pigeons but that's easier said than done. There are plenty of good birds for sale, especially if you look on the internet. However, it’s about results and championships and they are not for sale. They also not come from bottles, pills or powders. Results are achieved only by one hundred percent commitment and professionalism. To become a professional you should very good listen, read much and breed many especially from the better birds. The basket will tell you whether you have the right cock put to the right hen and thereby you need some luck. It is always said that you should put top against top and good against good. However, there are many examples of pigeons that have achieved formidable but never bred a useful young. I say deliberately useful because top you might bred once in seven years and most of us never do. So we have to look more into the category of useful birds because by those we experience the most fun.

TOP PIGEON
If you have once in your life the luck that you possess a real top pigeon on your loft then it’s at long term not as fun as it looks. Yes, for commerce it’s fine, fortunately there are many people in the world that count down for a performance pigeon, and a normal pigeon too with a prestigious pedigree crazy high amounts, and you can have a lot of fun with it! A good friend used to tell me these birds right to sell because it's been only an egg. And if the buyer also wants the parents, fine, because there are very few good (breeding) pairs that produce several top pigeons. A real top pigeon is not right at the beginning of the season a top pigeon, which he/she is to extent the season progresses. By the weekly performance it becomes a good pigeon and later in the season it becomes a top pigeon, but then it becomes difficult. The mindset is changing; first it was no problem to let the pigeon participate, but the better the performances the more difficult it becomes to let join the pigeon again and again, especially if there is interest in the pigeon. There are examples of fanciers that had such a pigeon and were so scared that they get every evening the pigeon out from the loft and into a basket placed under the bed. They dared the pigeon in the end not even let go, afraid she would fly against something. If they then also ask the owner if he kept in mind that as a valuable bird may be sick too (with all its consequences) than he get crazy. Conclusion, as soon as possible sell and with your wife go on a nice holiday.

BREEDINGLOFT
A good bird deserves as soon as possible a permanent place in the breeding loft. However it is very risky to put a top pigeon in the breeding loft; let somebody else do it. If there is really interest in a top pigeon, you know those amounts which have another half year to work, do it away soon! There is certainly another promising breeding bird that have proved on the races he/she can win early prizes, that kind of birds are definitely worth to breed of. How often do we hear that youngsters from top pigeons get lost from the loft or not coming home from near? Of course there are other examples. Let me just say that if you have a real hit on your loft, were others want to count down lots of money you have to sell them whenever possible. If you wait too long (there are also plenty of examples), then such a pigeon becomes suddenly worth far less because other top pigeons come in the spotlights.
I have always the habit to give pigeons that won a first prize in the ensemble the following year a place in the breeding loft. I've never regretted it because I have every year annual good breeding results. There were also couples that bred not one useful pigeon while they had flown the stars of heaven. You can give them during the season another partner, but my experience is that it usually does not work out. The point is that you must have a kind of pigeon that performs well and well inherited. In the 65 years that I've got birds I’m still looking, it is so difficult. By much breeding and give the better pigeons even three times a year another partner you become in a shorter period more to know about the breeding value of your pigeons. That way you are close to the ideal and with that method I join over 50 years for the main prizes and the same goes for 2012.

AGAIN HALAMID.
Never before I received so many e-mails as when I wrote that I use Halamid against trichomoniasis/ canker. Everyone wants to know more. Halamid's been 60 years in the trade as a disinfectant for poultry lofts and cattle sheds. (Look on Google where it is read in several languages). It's actually not for consumption. Yet I use it for years. I should point out, I've used for years and then a long time not. Do not ask me why I'm stopped. Probably there was a better way that was promoted by the vet in advertisements. For several years I use it again because it works against the e-coli bacteria. I do that on Sunday and Wednesday in the water, 1 teaspoon per 8 liters of water or I will make the tip of my finger wet, dip in the Halamid and rinse into the drink tray with 2 liters water. There are fanciers who work with double drink trays. The used trays are cleaned with a Halamid solution and then put away upside down to use them the next day. Once the trays have dried there’s on the inside always something Halamid left behind. It's an old cheap method that in the year 2011 seems to work just fine.

FANCIERS ARE PEOPLE OF TRADITION

Pigeon sport was years ago a sport for people of all ages. It was mostly the hard working people who, after finishing work, had a lot of fun with their feathered friends. Especially the stories that were told in the club room had to eat. The fanciers were never spoken about their hobby. It was always about pigeons and everything to do with it, diseases was rarely spoken about. It was quite natural that pigeons that anything was wrong within the soup disappeared. Space and money for boarders was not there. Feed was ordered in 5 pounds, more money was not available because there was still smoked a cigarette and by a cigarette in the club belongs a beer. In the feed store was like the barber told the latest news, as well on Sunday the preliminary list hung in the window. Whole groups of fanciers came there together to see who the winner was and to see if they had some payback. It was played for money but it suggested not too much. The people were happy when they had earned feed for the next week.

MANY FANCIERS WHO WERE PLAYING WITH SMALL NUMBERS OF PIGEONS.
Almost all fanciers played with small numbers of birds wherefore also because of the spread everywhere could catch an early bird. This was also because of the lute of the leg had to be removed before the bird was registered. If three came at once it took over 30 seconds before three were clocked. Nobody was "played away" because only a few pigeons were clocked. The fanciers themselves felt when the contest was over and thus had even no longer to clock. For years this was the image of the sport. The times changed, not the sport, until the computer came along. I still remember the night there was an instruction given to the fanciers to explain how the participation list had to be filled. The time of crosses set was over and with it disappeared also the money game. The computer made sure the fanciers have no longer a full week to wait for the results, which was now already in the mail on Tuesday. Older fanciers hit the track and when the electronic clocks appeared it went in the sport downhill. Older people did not understand anything and did not have the money to buy, for that time, the expensive electronic clock.

SPORT MUST MOVE WITH THE TIMES.
It is quite normal for each sport that it goes with the times. For the pigeon sport it was not so normal, yes it does for the sport but not for the older generation racers. They dropped out. The number of members fell and those who remained start to keep many more birds. The specialization came and that is one reason that more fanciers said goodbye to our sport. For years there was only one race every weekend on the program and almost everyone was joining. Now there are so many races that it is impossible for the little fanciers to participate. Due to the large number of races also the activities of the associations increased. Let's not forget that the sport also has its existence due to the large group of volunteers who week after week entirely disinterested perform all work. It is remarkable that these are usually no the strongest players. So I have every admiration for all those workers that for a cost of a cup of coffee care we can practice our sport. Who would have thought that in each household more than one computer would be and each pigeon club also started using the computer. It used to be quite normal that after one week the complete results gained control. Now the fanciers grumble when they have to wait two hours for the results.

ELECTRONIC AGE
Because we electronic clock the gate is of the dam. More and more fanciers come every week with large numbers of birds. Nice and easy now, you do not have to catch a pigeon; they register themselves and if thirty at a time arrive they sit down within 15 seconds in the clock. That’s fun for the fancier but not for his teammates. Because there are fewer fanciers left the migration of the birds has also changed, there is less spread and there where most pigeons live the migration will be. Those who do not live in that line will get tougher. Now the races are over breaks the conference season and there will certainly be much discussion about the predominant game of the mega-lofts. It is thought of everything to make it these large group fanciers harder, every year something new is invented and every year the group dissatisfied fanciers is growing.

DOVECOT

WHICH ARE STILL THERE?
The youngsters have not affected. After a beautiful spring the Dutch weather turned completely. It became too hot and then it did not stop raining. For the youngsters it’s deadly. The inexperienced animals were given a real baptism of fire; many could not handle and stayed away. Of course there were thereby promising pigeons whereof I know that their owners have looked for weeks to the loft in the hope that some came back, but none of that! I am convinced that among those fanciers, who are after such a disastrous season, wanted to throw in the towel. However, pigeon fanciers knowing they think two weeks later luckily very differently. The pigeon sport turns on and who participate into the races has a chance that birds remain. Like a crash belongs by cycling sport so belongs losing youngsters by pigeon sport. But fun is not! There are fanciers who feel totally devastated because they have too few young birds left over. They therefore can not select as they like. Here they might be failing by keeping pigeons which are hardly worth it. These will still be there for whatever. There are probably at most lofts, even if many are left behind, still too much. it's about which there still are. Anyone ever lost a good or promising pigeon should not mourn too long because it does not help anyway. Check out the positive and enjoy the remaining pigeons, because you have to be moving forward. A good pigeon is never nice to lose, that you are not just forgotten. But a promising youngster, what do we know of? I have plenty of times held a pigeon from which I was convinced that it would be good. You know the kind of birds, there is at every loft one or two of them. These are birds that you a complete month's salary dare to wage. Good thing I never did, I have long been bankrupt. This is to indicate how difficult it is to determine in advance what the exact quality of a new champion is in our eyes. I still wonder if there excise "experts" who before the race and/or breeding value can be determined. I at least don’t know them and I do not like fortune telling.

STRIKING.
Now that we are all busy with the selection also the descent plays a role. When I look at my own loft it strikes me that it are every year the same lines where always the good birds come from. It’s interestingly that the youngsters from the best talents are often disappointed while the parents of such a top pigeon have given more good ones. You just watch, the children of top pigeons are often useful but no real hits. It is them who usually produce another hit, and some even give a few highlights. If so, you can years ahead. Also striking is that some birds can stand the heavy and difficult weather better then other loft mates. Everyone knows a little which pigeons perform well with real pigeon weather and which with dark weather. You have to choose for yourself. Because I am a fan of fast races I choose for pigeons that perform well with "pigeon weather". That's why I've never been in favor of the long distance races. I primarily will not wait long and secondly you are often very dependent on the weather. But a performance achieved on a distant flight speaks also to me more. I have pigeons that won one or more first prizes from which I can not say on which race it was. A victory over a long distance race will never forget. It is also striking that long distance pigeons as a youngster not easy arrive until there’s a difficult flight and then they arrive just as first. That kind of pigeons are also coming longer after, sometimes they come home three weeks later. With my kind of fast pigeons it’s not the case. They must be home the same day or next day before twelve hours, if not I can almost certainly write off.

SELECTION
Selection is not easy but very important, especially for those who want to perform. The coziness player it does not make much difference; they experience the sport less competitive. For the other group that participates weekly for a good result it’s different. These are almost mandatory to select heavy. But what is heavy select? If it only comes to performance than almost all youngsters can be gone. It's only a handful of youngsters that win every week prize. That's great, but says not much. Of course I keep a pigeon that its price has not missed but I should add that the pigeon certainly a prize 1:100 have been rate and a price 1:50 and the pigeon should appeal to me. There are pigeons that have joined all season and not win any prize. Especially with such a tough season like 2011 these pigeons appeals to many fanciers. I do not have confidence in these pigeons. I have nothing to only home coming pigeons! What I notice is the construction of the pigeon. I love well-built birds. Cocks have to be a cock and hens a hen. I should not have to guess the sex that should be seen at a glance. I'm talking about birds that have finished the big mould, only then they are maturing. They must have silky feathers, a good eye expression, a smooth wing and tight rump bones. So I select for years and have achieved that I almost never breed a poorly constructed pigeon. The descent is always enjoying myself because I only breed of pigeons in which I have every confidence plus they come from a family where several generations of winners occur.

LESS PIGEONS.
My loft design I change nothing. I have two divisions, each with 12 breeding boxes. Until last season they were filled each year. So I have many years played with 24 couple’s race pigeons but that will change. I was well on the way to become a slave of my pigeons and it shows when you get older. I was a big part of the day only busy with my pigeons. I have a loft in the garden with summer youngsters, on the ground floor of the large loft two divisions with 12 breeding couples and a great aviary in front, next-door a small department with aviary where I could accommodate 24 birds. Above, by the racing pigeons I have three divisions for the youngsters with a total length of 10 meters and 10 meters aviary. On the southeast side of the loft live the old racers, also three divisions. Of this two divisions with 12 breeding boxes and a department for 24 widow hens. It comes down that I every day 55 meters loft and aviary had to keep clean and I did it always on my knees. I've never calculated the exact distance what is in the 65 years that I have pigeons. I do know that I am the last 20 years have crept over 400 km, that is for me to and from Brussels. The number of racers will be brought back to 18 couples, of the breeding pairs 10 remain, and the three divisions for youngsters go back to two so I can race with 40 youngsters at the door. The willingness to continue in 2012 is there and plans to make the competition difficult too. Unfortunately I have been with the selection still not out!


CARE IN DAYLIGHT.
Season over means rest in the loft. We do not have to do more than ensure that the moulting pigeons lack nothing. For many easier said than done. The days are getting shorter; the working fanciers going from home in the dark and come home at night. That means there is less opportunity for many to spend time with the pigeons. They are forced to use artificial light. I am not in favour of, but necessity knows no law. If it can not otherwise there’s nothing left then using the lamp. Those who are in a position to take care of the pigeons in daylight, I suggest you do likewise. As the days get shorter, our pigeons moult, Mother Nature takes care of. It is best to keep that rhythm and time to care them. Look at the wild birds; they also have only the opportunity during the day to find food, except the birds of prey who going at night. Before the days with low temperatures dawn they are all equipped with new feathers and ready for winter. With our birds we have to take into account the quantity of food we provide daily. In the summer my pigeons get daily twice food, morning a little less because they have to bridge to the night only nine hours, at night is 15 hours. Recently I switched to the time that I care in the winter months. That’s in the morning 10 hours (9 hours from the end of October) and in the afternoon 5 hours (4 hours late October), between the two of meals is thus only seven hours. During the day they do not need as much food as in the evening because then they have more than 17 hours to bridge. However, there is a clear difference between day and night. During the day the birds are, especially after the great moulting, more active than when it is dim. Then they rest in peace, they need less food. Yet it is good to especially during the cold winter months to take into account the long nights.

PERFORMANCES ARE CRITICAL?
They are certainly important. It is part of the selection. Yet we must not totally overestimate performances. It is important to know under what circumstances the performance is achieved. The 2011 season is not history as an easy season, but what the wind concerned it does. In the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and England many times we had to do with tail wind and that usually means high speeds. For many it is not easy to clock at high speed an early bird. That's the reason why I love just fast birds, but there is also a disadvantage. When we get in 2012 several times head wind, there are usually many other birds first. During the selection we will properly take this into account. It may be that many future champions are selected out because the performances were below par in 2011. The performances of youngsters play for me never a significant role. By yearlings it’s very different, they must have played 50% rate, if not then I have to say goodbye. This does not mean that they would not have good performed with other wind. It is important how they get home. Pigeons that regularly total "flew off" arrive home are worth nothing. Pigeons that always fit but always arrive late are worthless. I attach enormous importance to birds that at very high speeds win early prizes. If they can, they grab their price also with headwinds. That sounds strange, but it's true. I'm talking about flights of 500 km and just these flights I prefer. If there are more headwinds next year it will be particularly noticeable in the one day long distance races. Pigeons that in 2011 have performed well at these races will have it very difficult to obtain. I can remember one year a good friend of mine raced with his wonderful Janssen pigeon’s tremendous at the middle distance. There was none to lead and he was by far the first. Unfortunately the following year only misery. Mostly dark weather and headwinds, pigeons came "broken" home, and from his long distance pigeons he had at the end of the season two more about including one of the worst of the eight the previous year. One year everyone was talking about a champion and one year later he was again the talk of the day, only now in a negative sense. Here we can see that the Janssen pigeons then were able too much, especially when it's convenient. It is striking that my Janssen pigeons with head wind also are able to race to the head but I've never tried the long distance with head wind. My experience is that their tank is not big enough; he is after 6-7 hours flying empty. As a result, many of these birds stayed away. I always say, my birds have been at home the same day or else the next day before 12 o’clock, aren’t they yet I can write them.

HEALTH.
I can not emphasize enough that only healthy birds call the shots. But I am convinced that a good boss is important too. A good fancier has always a good loft with good pigeons, because otherwise it would not be a good boss. Someone with "look" of pigeons, someone with feeling will almost never buy the wrong bird. That same man will always have better breeding results than others. The same man will always play slightly better than the competition because he just sees more of his pigeons. Then it is not surprising that it is always the same that end by the champions. A good fancier dares strict selection; he knows all too well that strong play involves a rigorous selection. By strict I mean by knowledge. First, look at the bird and everything that you think a good bird is to identify. Only when you are done with the assessment of the bird you may look at the pedigree. The reverse order I recommend everyone down. The selection is under way with me and frankly I'm still not finished. I know how much race and breeding pigeons I persist this winter. I will not deviate from it because I want to make things easier. Although I am not quite finished with the selection I have already all breeders vaccinated against paramixo. They are paired at the end of November. This week I started a 21-day para/coli cure (Dr. van der Sluis) for ALL pigeons. That will be the only medication during the winter season. The breeders will not get a cancer cure in December when they had hatching eggs. I do twice a week a fingertip Halamid into the drink tray of 2 litres. I make the tip of my finger wet, dip it in Halamid and rinse in drinking water). Easy, does not suffer from cancer and very cheap!

Many of you know that besides pigeon sport cycling have also my big interest. Over eight years I have practiced the sport itself and then I landed from one administration to another.
Since my 70th I have been going to reduce the administrative functions, but continued interest in both sports. Last weekend was held in Copenhagen the world cycling championships (in 2012 in the Netherlands and hope there "live" to be). Most interest was given in the professional riders and because of the flat track the sprinters were this time in benefit. Without the other sprinters to short we can say that the English rider Mark Cavendish is currently the fastest man on the bike. He became with help of his teammates winner of the World Cup and wears the rainbow jersey. I am convinced that many fanciers around the world naming one of their pigeons to Cavendish. In the Netherlands we had in the past Leontien van Moorsel. She cycled a beautiful honour roll together and many hens were named after her. Now we have in the Netherlands Marianne Vos, only 23 years and 39 victories this year. During the last World Cup she ended for the fifth time second and also after her is already named several top pigeons. So we all have our favourite athlete were we mention our better birds. Cycling and pigeon sport have a lot in common. I know several old riders who are after their sporting career started with pigeons. The competition take place as a cycle race with pigeons; sometimes ends a flight in a mass sprint, other times there will be a leading group and another time wins a pigeon forward. The whole pigeon season can be compared with a big stage race like the Giro, Vuelta or the Tour de France. The fancier has multiple functions; he is team leader, coach, mechanic and team doctor simultaneously. His task is to ensure that one or more of its riders (pigeons) weekly finish in the snout of the results.

BACK TO NATURE.
A hot topic in the sport is and remains the loss of (too) many youngsters. Much has been said and written about. It is our common task to cooperate to improve this. It starts at home. I am sure that many fanciers make the sport still too difficult. They look too much into, distrust the champions and make the mistake of thinking that success or better game come from a bottle. We all start to think more of good pigeons instead of drugs, especially those with antibiotics. Fanciers use appropriately and inappropriately heavy antibiotics, do not respect the rules and muddle on. The more we give this stuff the better it go they probably think. Fortunately there’s worldwide more and more attention given to the irresponsible use of (heavy) antibiotics. Antibiotics are in medicine world a great invention and prescribed by a doctor or specialist a fantastic drug. In the hands of unskilled persons it is a danger. Within the livestock sector there’s by the government tightly controlled because it is necessary to reserve antibiotics for people. Veterinarians may not immediately use the heaviest mean; further they should just treat sick animals, not the entire groups. Many fanciers make themselves guilty by that too. Is there a sick bird the whole family is cured and that is exactly the biggest problem. By frequent administration or antibiotics existing bacteria become immune and new bacteria will arise. It is important that we have the alarm bells ringing in terms of (excessive) use of antibiotics. It will improve the health of our birds and therefore reducing the losses. Besides that we must select very strict (especially on health and performance). Too many fanciers still think they clean a good bird. Therefore much less or bad pigeons populate the lofts. Come on! Do not be afraid, you don’t clean up as quickly a good one because in most lofts there are not handfuls.

WINTER BREEDING.
For the first time in years I did not to winter breeding. I don’t regret. You do not have so quickly a loft full of pigeons. After thinking for a long time that was the only benefit. Winter breeding has several advantages. When the pigeons are coupled end of November we have no low temperatures yet and that works to the advantage of pairing. The youngsters who are born during the Christmas are at the start of their race season half years old and usually have teething troubles behind. Previously, winter breeding has also the advantage that the youngsters with a "full" wing started the races. By the dark or lit method this does not benefit anymore. During the race season, the winter youngsters become sexually mature, make love and make a nest and all that together provide even more motivation. Disadvantage of winter breeding is that they ask much attention. It is especially pay attention when they are released. Suddenly upcoming fog or snow could cause loses by the loft into hands. I also think that winter youngsters (they are actually late youngsters) are a little bit stupid because of the inexperience. Another disadvantage is that there is much needs to drive with these youngsters. This costs time and money. The most annoying thing is that if their season starts with a bad race the losses are big and that all the work you have done is for nothing. Often the youngsters of the second round will come well. With a good flying season, with good I mean good pigeon weather, you have more fun from the winter youngsters that in their year of birth can play on nest or widowhood. Worse weather than we had this year is almost impossible and because of that I choose this time to winter breeding since 2012 probably will be the last year that I go 100% against it.

WINTER SEASON.
Previously, the winter called the off-season. That's over. This month the first celebrations begin, one month later the first shows and in that same month will be also held the major national events. Yes, we are well occupied. Then there are the local activities and let us not forget the meetings. I have already within the first proposals. They are almost identical to the proposals made 25 years ago, only the names of those who have submitted proposals are different. Means there is nothing new under the sun. However, everything will be discussed in the clubs and that often involves more than just raised voices. The fun of winter activities I found the many room auctions that have a reunion-like character. The phenomenon Internet has completely reduced that to almost zero. On request I have together with my son Marco a room sale in Dublin. Last year there was because of heavy snow none of that, that’s why we have this time the sale on Sunday October 30 with the intent to keep Jack Frost.

THE MOULT
We are on the verge of a very important period in the sport. The coming months will be spent much time by the organization. The winter months lend themselves perfectly for. That does not mean that the birds are now the season is over no longer need attention. Right now, the pigeons get it heavier than in the racing season. The big moult starts and that takes a lot of the pigeon’s body. The better the condition, the easier the moulting will proceed. Nature determines when the moult begins. Despite darken or enlighten, nature can only partially be influenced. If I look at my own loft the big moult has begin. I have delayed the moult to enlighten them from late July until the last flight. Many fanciers lit the lamp from morning 6 hours. I do not. My birds are lit up at night until a quarter past ten. And it works fine. By the way, enlighten is by me something of the last 8-10 years. Before I had never done and then flew my birds on the natour as hard as now. The last 25 years I am not left among the top three. I too have swayed me a little that you absolutely have to enlighten to take the top prizes. I'm not going to change. Maybe I do not dare, because I have a reputation to uphold on the natour. It would also be necessary during the last races of the season to drive a lot with the pigeons. So crazy they didn’t get me. I never drive with my old birds. Yes, the first two weeks before the new season starts I ride as much as possible, but no further than 30 km. The same applies for the youngster, which is usually easier because at that time of year it’s often good weather. This is usually not the case during the early spring. For natour I’ve been once away with the cocks because they had sat still for three weeks. I never ride during the races. I am a strong supporter of rest and everything else at set times.
I keep me on regular times even though the season is over. I have the times of the treatments changed. Not all pigeons are going out every day and when they do it’s only in the morning. They are fed all at once, which means that I am in the morning start at half past nine and in the afternoon at half past five. At every turn, I stay in any department ten minutes so I have in a week several times observed the pigeons. With feeding I’m very soon ready, that’s while summer the most time-consuming work. As long as the birds are moulting I give them a little less feed than during the race season. Pigeons that are something too heavy moult irregularly and thereby hold down many small feathers. The food I give is still the same quality as in the racing season. But I have added 10% linseed and I continue daily throughout the winter to give some peanuts.

UNRECOGNIZABLE.
Now the youngsters have grown up every day a few old birds fell spontaneously in the moult. It looks like it snowed so many feathers are there. Some pigeons are completely bald so they are unrecognizable. The heavily moulting birds do not look, but through my glasses, they looked perfectly fine because they moult perfect. The breeders are already separated from mid-July and begin again to be beautiful; they have the big moult almost behind. Previously I let them be together until the end of August to satisfy the requests. I’m stopped. It is nice to sell until that time pigeons but it comes at the cost of your breeders. Yes, even at the cost of your absolute top pigeons. Of these birds you need for yourself as many youngsters as possible; the youngsters would actually by other birds to be raised. Your toppers should be cherished, they should only lay eggs or fertilize, and the rest must be done by the nurse pigeons, especially if you want to breed again late November. Last year I did not winter breeding, this year I will. If you mainly on further races want to excel with the youngsters you can do best with pigeons from at least 6 months old. Despite my age, I want in 2012 still once again flame with the youngsters and I go for the championship sprint, middle distance and natour. I'm talking about the titles in my club. In relation to larger game titles you first should be one in the club. When you end up there third then you can forget the title in the department. In the department the competition is killing and to claim the title everything must go well plus a bit of luck.

BY THE YOUNGSTERS SHOULD HAVE DONE A LOT.
The races are over, which concerning the youngsters I would certainly still play. There are some who still have 6 old flights, and you know the coverts are only covered if the sixth pin is gone. In their loft, the nest boxes are closed, dark corners are gone, in short it is a lot less pleasant for them. That way, I hope that the instinct to pair disappears. This is even less if they soon are "bald", they have less attention for each other. I also do them as much as possible in the aviary. Fresh air (no drafts) is the best and cheapest medicine. At night they may go in and I close the windows. They come out irregularly, only the regular feeding times are held. Between my youngsters are also two summer youngsters. When I had put them in there were completely out of tune and I thought several times to get rid of them. The early youngsters looked at that period beautifully. Now the roles are reversed. The summer youngsters are much further with the moult, they begin to be beautiful again and you see them mature. That same thing happens later with the early youngsters, their metamorphosis, I really enjoy. They are lighter in colour and slightly larger. The young cocks are real men and the hens look like beautiful young girls. So far it has not. There will still get a lot of feathers be rectified. Not only in the loft but also the garden is full of feathers and it's a big job to keep it tidy. In the loft I have put in several places a wooden bulkhead slant against the wall so as the pigeons fly up the feathers blow behind the bulkhead. In that way you can every few days clean the feathers in one. If you let all those feathers loose in the loft they blow in all directions which I can absolutely not stand. For that matter, I will be glad that the moult is over. It's not mid-December; so long it will take before the youngsters are ready. The breeders sit on eggs to hatch by Christmas. Make sure your birds are healthy and stay. If that does not quite succeed do not grab the medicine pot. Pigeons that can not handle the moult will disappoint at the races. So ... you know ... in that case what you have to do.

ENIGMIC LAST RACE
The last race t 2011 was a representation of the entire 2011 season: SOON FORGET!
In the 66 years that I play with pigeons there has been no season with more than three bad races.
This season stretched the crown, sprint began super, it could not be better. But late June, when the youngsters turn came, it was (by our standards) very hot, but after nothing but rain, rain and more rain. Everyone was ready for the natour, usually pretty races with good weather circumstances. This was true until the last flight. The entire week we heard excellent weather forecast for Saturday, 24 degrees and west winds. The fanciers assumed it would become a rapid race just like the previous weeks. It took a while before the sun showed but once it was the temperature rose quickly. For the afternoon were showers and thunderstorms with hail forecasted. Before the problems will start, the birds have long been at home. Yes, also those of the National Competition. They were instead of south-west wind with south east wind released. The national race from France (488 km for me) was excellent, the fastest birds arrived with over one hundred kilometers per hour and the prices were earned in record time. I played with a blue hen on youngsters of one week the 8th in the national basketing center. Pommeroeul, Belgium (238 km) was completely different. It took more than three quarters before prices were out there. Strange was that after the first pigeons were half an hour at home the whole thing fell silent. There was an occasional bird, and when we had to go to the club with the clock was definitely one third of the pigeons not at home. It was striking that many good pigeons were stayed away. Pigeons that this season had 12 to 14 awards were not there. In the evening with us hard rain, thunder and hail and in some areas fell hail as big as pigeon eggs. The province of Zeeland reported that day one million loss because due to the large hailstones that cared for much damage to plants and almost 2,000 cars. I fear that our pigeon thus had to cope. Two of my best birds were not home Saturday night, the next morning at half past one was my champion pigeon "Sensual" (16 prices) in the loft. She did not look, but I was very glad she was there again. That same afternoon I still walked 10 times to the loft to see if the Fortezza was there. This beautiful blue cock was in 2010, the 4th Nat. Ace sprint and when I write this article (Tuesday) he’s still not at home. You may honestly know, I go by the day sleeping worse because these kinds of birds we can’t and will not miss. There is also another possibility which the birds stayed away en masse. The release point Pommeroeul is very western and by strong south-east winds the birds fly above the sea in no time. Because at a moment there came no more pigeons home, I think many Dutch pigeons have fallen that day in England. That’s why from this place a friendly request to our English friends to care our Dutch pigeons some days and release them by westerly winds. Hopefully, many of them make the crossing to Holland. Too bad the last race went so miserable, no one is going with a good feeling into winter and the doubters who already wanted to quit now have an excuse to throw in the towel.

LOSSES.
The lost playing of mostly youngsters is as old as the sport itself, nothing new so. It's also nothing new that particular by house and at the first flight most birds are lost. I think it has everything to do with inexperience and health. There’s also to much breed from lesser pigeons. It's hard enough to breed a number of useful birds from good pigeons. I do not think it comes from overpopulation. There has been much written about that I assume that most fanciers know that you only may breed from your best birds. Yet the losses grow every year and that has a cause. The exact cause, we may never know, but we must all together work to reduce the losses. This begins for us all on our own loft! I've written so many times and I still do it once again: In the winter months almost no medication. During breeding: throw away misshapen eggs, help a young never come from an egg, who can not cope remain sit where it sits. A young that remaining in the growth, not wait too long to do away. Squeaky and screaming youngsters that stand too young in the nest as soon as possible get rid of. Youngsters with flat and wet manure are going away; I just want dry dung balls which I shoot off my finger. Youngsters next to the nest are usually not fall out but are pushed by their parents, put them back in the nest they are usually the next day beside the nest, a sign that they can away!
Youngsters with pipe pens I do away, the new feathers have to grow in impeccably and have to be silk soft. Dry creaking feathers are a sign of poor quality, with such plumage birds do not belong in a pigeon loft home were pigeon sport is practice on a high-level. Youngsters who only eat small food never come at the right weights; they will always feel weak and are never come in an optimal condition. Also for them there is only one way. Even though I select so hard I still lose too many pigeons to my sense. I am very keen in the field of health, still my birds sometimes suffer from coli, but not smallpox, paratyphoid or paramixo because I vaccinate against in the season and I regularly cure against trichomoniasis and ornithiose. Is there still an individual bird that is slightly wrong (come to me occasionally), this goes away in record time. I don’t wait a day with it.

CARE DURING THE MOULT.
Soon as all the races are over and the late youngsters grow up, I advise everyone to keep good care his pigeons. I let them another five days breed and then they go apart. I bring the mould in motion to give them three weeks in row 1 / 3 buttermilk and 2 / 3 water. The birds can bathe twice a week. During the molting season I put the drink tray on a platform so there can’t wave too much dust or feathers in. The same I do with the grit tray. Grit, they need all year, especially dust free grit. Pigeons won’t eat dusty grit and start produce bad manure. Poor manure indicates that digestion is not optimal and because a bad digestion no good mould. A bad mould can cause poor quality of the new feathers and therefore they have to win their prices in 2012. Only when the big mould is over (that is when the second outer tail feather is molted on both sides), you can let the reins a little celebrating. A cheaper type of food with a little more barley and once a day feeding is not wrong, but I do not. I do release as much as possible the pigeons every day. I will not take risks, with heavy rain, strong winds, snow and fog I keep them inside. Because the days are getting shorter I let them fly only in the morning.
Success



WILL IT BECOME AN ELITIST HOBBY AGAIN?

Over 50 years ago there was only a handful fancier’s that had a breeding loft. Most had 12 pairs with which they participated the competition and that were also their breeding pigeons. It was quite natural that old and young birds sit together in one loft. It was only the bigger fancier that had several lofts where young old and breeders had their own department. They were the same men who pioneered the widowhood, were in possession of a vehicle, each other played the ball so stick with head and shoulders out above the rest. Look at old photos and you can see immediately that the leading players of those days were not ordinary workers. It has been claimed that pigeon sport was a wonderful hobby for "Joe Average". It was not until the thirties of the last century, before, it was an elitist sport. Especially after World War II mainly England, Belgium and the Netherlands got within a few years thousands of practitioners. The moped was introduced so distances could be better bridged. Fanciers crossed the country in search of better pigeons. Contacts were made; birds and eggs were exchanged with each other so the sport became more popular. The membership rose to unprecedented levels. There were even organizations that had a member stop which created more new clubs. Exhibitions were held where a real pigeon expert assessment the pigeons. The audience crowded in front of the cages because everyone wanted to know what the man with the white coat had to tell about the pigeons. You could see that the knowledge of the pigeon was still in its infancy. Fanciers make loft visits and were able to talk hours with each other about their hobby and exchange ideas. It was a very social hobby whereat everyone enjoyed a lot of fun. The big reputable fanciers get it tougher as the little fanciers were increasing in width. The money game was certainly one of the causes. They quickly came to realize that you only with good, healthy birds could do for cash prizes. Pigeons that were bet on a couple and brought no money home disappeared rapidly into the soup. To lodgers they had nothing, there had to be worked by the pigeons to maintain a place in the loft. This meant that many families frequently had pigeon soup on the menu. The elitist character of the sport vanished more and more, the golden years (1950-1990) emesis. There was no end. It went so well that they forgot to invest in the future. People were getting better, they went on holiday, the women went to work, there was a car bought and without being aware thus began the decline of the sport. More people were enjoying their free time, they wanted to see more of the world, they wanted no more weekends tied at home because dad playing with pigeons. The sport isn’t hooked on this changing life style so the membership in recent years is gone with large steps backwards. The hobby of "Joe Average" is too expensive and too time consuming. Presumably 80% of the fanciers are older than 60 years. We will be shocked when we heard the percentage of fanciers that are older than 70 years. Pigeon racing is still a very fascinating game, after 65 years I can not get enough. It is unfortunate that everything around it is not as funny. I am glad that I have experienced the golden years. Completely say goodbye to the sport I can not or someone must do me an offer I can’t refuse, then it could be that I say premature goodbye. Bert Braspenning without pigeons, it is hard to imagine.

MEGA LOFTS.
For years the sport exists for 90% of small fanciers, who tried to outdo each other every week, not with a mass but with 10 to 12 pigeons. If someone came with 35 pigeons he was soon mentioned a big fancier. From those little fanciers are not much left. It is quite normal that little fanciers weekly basket 30 pigeons. Recently I read of two very prominent Dutch fanciers who still live a mile apart and both are members of the same club that they are collectively basket more than 500 pigeons. Like them there are more in the Netherlands! It is these men that the sport purely sees as a commercial show and without realizing they dig a deep hole where the pigeon organization no longer can come true. We can propagate what we want but as long as these situations continue the sport will decline even faster than it is today. Birds or eggs trade with each other is long gone. Nice room auctions in the winter where many fanciers were coming don’t exist anymore. The Internet has given it a huge turn on. Abnormally high amounts become on the ever increasing number of retail sites by the rich counted down to the name of a pigeon or a mega loft. About pigeons is not spoken anymore, it's now only to commerce, medicine and pedigrees. Beautiful results and breeding results do not count, or so it seems. The little ones still remain racing in champion style, the mega lofts set on performance much less than in reports suggested. It is always the same fanciers who play well, results are not for sale. There are fanciers who think differently. It's always the same fanciers that spend capitals and achieve nothing, you always see the same fanciers by the vet and always the same fanciers who purchase pigeons for little money with which they strengthen their loft. True fanciers are born, they play with little amount birds year after year in champion style, so that’s the place to be for strengthen your loft. They give you birds that are direct descendants of those birds that had proven they perform well because otherwise there is no room for them in the loft. That is not the case with mega lofts or breeding factories were all nest boxes had to be filled with birds that have achieved nothing themselves. They must provide a fluke on the races or as many youngsters who boldly offered as the best birds of the world. The connoisseurs look through it, the beginner will be deterred to start with pigeons. Especially when they read in newspapers there are pigeons sold for a hundred thousand dollars or more.
Briefly and then the sales madness starts again. To me, we may continue racing until Christmas, because I experience a lot more fun.
Success for the upcoming races!


NATOER.
Originally, the natour was intended to train late youngsters, but long ago that has changed. The fanciers thought it better that the natour counts for the general championship too. The general championship is for many years the main title and for that to win you're almost obliged to join all races. In recent years, the general title becomes more and more weakened as many fanciers had specialized. Some on speed races, the other on two-day long distance and others only play with youngsters. It's only a limited group that fights for the title of general. Currently there’s at the cutting edge raced at the natour. Also there are specialists who still take the last five-speed races to excel, and I am one of them. I think I'm the last 25 years not been away in the first three. This is because I like to play speed races, which suits me well and I have the pigeons for. I prepare well for the natour. It is very important that in this time of year the birds have the feathers perfectly. Enlighten is almost necessary but in the dish a youngster works also well to stop moulting. The number of fanciers that join these races is every week less. But ... the men who can win a championship somewhere still drag along weekly with baskets full of pigeons. So there doesn’t join so many fanciers anymore but they are the strongest players who persevere until the last race. Take it from me that every week is a very fierce battle. It is a game of seconds; the pigeons may by arrival not fly a circle around the loft because every 10 seconds fall in my area 20 to 30 birds, at least last weeks. The weather is good and the pigeons have every time tail wind so they come at speeds over 100 km per hour home.

MUCH WORK AND THE RACE IS OVER IN A SPLIT SECOND.
I can imagine that there are people who find short races nothing. All week care the pigeons perfect, on Friday at least one hour work before all the pigeons are in the basket, then to the club and the next day the race is in no time past. Do you have to do all that work for say the opponents of short races. A little right they are. Presumably we all want a race that is open 30 to 45 minutes. That's good to wait, especially if the weather is nice, if every few minutes a pigeon arrives we rightly speak of a beautiful race. The last two weeks it’s not the case, if there is one there are just twenty. Despite being a very fast race I had made a perfect result. Of the 47 birds won 29 prizes and began against 1766 as follows: 1-2-10-12-14. It also contained three young birds and I was quite happy with it. Because I have only played two youngster races which mean my youngsters have gained sufficient experience. Now they get that during the natour and because the youngsters are coming great I might put a few more on the national derby (480 km) September 10 which is raced as closure of the season.
I assume that what youngsters learn in their birth is important for their future sporting career, that’s why I still play every week.

LESS PIGEONS.
Last winter I have the number of breeding pigeons drastically reduced. Start counting the years; it's all a bit too much to me. After this season, I would only have 16 race couples and 8 breeding pairs. That will not be easy because I have mostly with my hens many ladies who have played at the top. The selection will not be easy but it is never. In the 70 and 80 I played always with 16 widowers and it was fantastic. Several weeks in a row I won 100% price! Why should that not happen in 2012? The only downside is that the brightness of the boss always a bit starts to deteriorate. Fancy a walk-on roll I certainly won’t have.
So then there is nothing left then to keep a small crew of pigeons and as far as possible care for 100%. The quality is there and in the spring I have to try load myself again.
Unfortunately I have to disappoint the English fanciers that count on a sale in the Blackpool weekend. I do no more auctions in the United Kingdom because I think my birds as undervalued. Perhaps because they are offering by LPW for cattle prices, while a few years ago these same people hailed my pigeons directly to the skies as the pigeons of the future. I am very glad that many fanciers have success with my pigeons. I watch it every week after in the BHW. For those who want to strengthen their loft with fast Brassen there’s only one option and that is to cross the canal and come to Wijdewormer to make a choice. November, for the first time there’s a sale in the USA. This will be arranged by Don Hart.

VACCINATING AND CURES
We would like to return to nature. I am also a huge advocate of. Down with antibiotics! It sounds wonderful. Yet we can not without. The point is that we comply with the regulations. Each drug or dietary supplement has a manual and it happens too often that fanciers there depart. They don’t give less but usually too much and asking for trouble. I prefer a very strict selection especially at health. We can also a number of diseases prevent by vaccination.
In some regions is a lot of smallpox. Then I think: 'own fault, big bulge ". This could easily be avoided. This also applies for paratyphoid and paramixo. Vaccinations against that disease are obliged, but do also something against paratyphoid. You can both diseases prevent through vaccination. The month of October is very suitable to cure against paratyphoid and then to vaccinate. Especially for the breeders it is important that they are resistant to these diseases. For them the season starts in late November (winter breeding). The racers can be treated in the spring, let them first good moult. Plan now for the winter breeding season; make sure your birds are ready on time. Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do now. Take the stuff home and leave nothing to chance. Good breeding is crucial for a good racing season. It all seems far away because we are still busy with the races but it only takes a moment and all the birds are busy with the big moult. Make sure they are healthy and that they lack nothing. You can let the reins after the season a little celebrating, do not forget that also a pigeon year last from January 1 to December 31.
Success for the next race.


FINALLY
Last weekend was the weather in the Netherlands us well, at least on Saturday.
Some departments still play a number of flights on Sunday and that they knew. A short race of less than 100 km was more than an hour open before the prices were earned. Most birds came completely flown off home and fell with the wings wide at the loft. For the youngsters, even they are flown in well, are that sort races disastrous. It was therefore not surprising that at a large number of lofts at night many places were empty. Saturday was completely different. Excellent race weather, at fact a too easy race because it rained pigeons. Within four minutes the prizes were earned and that is no fun. It's always something. For me it was good, the weather forecast was excellent, so all the youngsters joined after 3 weeks again this race. I had them taken away Wednesday and with that preparation they had to do it. By specially observation of the youngsters I saw that they were doing well. They trained three quarters without problems and that shows that their health is okay. There are now a number of groups formed, some with eggs so they will be the last three races hopefully more motivated. It was good that last Saturday my first clocked was a young pigeon. They arrived three together, the two old hens kept each other a bit but the youngster flashed inside. Against 2616 pigeons she ended ninth and her one year older sister ended tenth. With 10 pigeons in the first hundred it was an excellent result. Although it was a very fast flight it gives a great feeling when you go with the clock to the club and all the birds are home. Let's hope we will go through the last three flights without suffering. That's good for the sport and the motivation of the fanciers because there are already enough that stop. What would it be great if we are all managed to find a solution.

SUPER FANCIER OR SUPER PIGEONS?
When reading pigeon newspapers sometimes you fall from one surprise to another. There are regularly put down performances that make your mouth water. Almost unbelievable! Frequently the discussion is going about super results or a super pigeon. The most striking is that usually these discussions are going about performance of fanciers from another part of the country, in own environment such performances are not so appreciated. Jealousy within the sport is very high, much higher than sportiness. I know of myself that I can appreciate performances of others very well. Of course I'd rather play first myself, which applies to us all. Every day we do our best to perform on weekends so that we can be satisfied. Some are never satisfied, at least they do occur. If all is well, every fancier should see at his pigeons that they are in such condition that you know you not wait for nothing at their arrival. Appreciation must be there for all those fanciers who only mediocre performance and yet every week with a basket of pigeons come to the club. Appreciation should also be for the superstars among us, they have it better in the fingers than the rest. I also make compelling results and have several times champion pigeons. Those who had performed not well enough had to step down. You can ask the question: Are these poor birds, or did they not perform because they require different care than most of their loft mates? Everyone must ensure that they create a pigeon loft which suit him or her and pigeons that not perform have to go. We simply can not keep all the birds. I am convinced that the birds that will be selected later on are not all bad. One fancier knows to get more out of his birds than the other and that is perhaps the most important. We always talk about good pigeons. There are plenty, far more than good fanciers. Look at the results in the lists. It's only a small percentage fancier’s that have each week several birds up on the first page of the list. Especially in that category it happens every few years a super pigeon is born. Perhaps it is better to say, a super-performing pigeon instead of a super pigeon. There are fanciers that no matter how many birds they have every week perform top. They are born as a pigeon fancier, just as with top footballers, cyclists, boxers and other athletes. The others can extend to a higher level by through training, character and commitment but it will never be really great. Pigeons can be through training, nutrition, quality performance and motivation come to top performances but never without the help of their boss. Is the boss himself a winner in every way than he will for years the slain tipped champion. He will care, select, bred, housed and supervised at a way that he knows everything. It gets then a lot easier. There are also that have for more then 50 years pigeons and still happy with each tail price they win, but maybe they do enjoy their hobby more than these entire top together.
INSANEAMOUNTS.
Soon the 2011 racing season is over again. September 10, the season ends with the last natour race and national derby for youngsters! We can take stock then. What has failed can go immediately. That the season is nearing its end shows also in the commercialism that now requires attention to the sales in the coming winter months. Partial auctions are not as popular. Sales leaders want total sales. That’s understandable, because there is much more to earn. On the other hand it is so that they encourage fanciers who still doubt whether or not to continue stopping. There will also be auctions of individual birds that have achieved a remarkable performance, or about a child of a "top pigeon". Everything is accompanied by pedigrees with famous names but usually not performance. Last I read in the newspaper that a contemporary of mine, just like me, hesitated to continue. He had already sold a pigeon that had won a fourth prize from Bordeaux (1000 km). Dutch biggest newspaper devoted much attention to it because the pigeon went for the paltry sum of 50,000 euro’s to China. That kind of crazy situations, we will experience again several times this winter. Last year there were several "total" auctions, you think what a shame that such good fanciers stop. To my (big) surprise, I read the men this year in the regular results. So a total auction suggests nothing more. It is now some years ago that you could not play for three years after a total sale. The smart guys found a solution by changing the ad text. Auctions were then announced as total sales minus a few latest, minus the breeders or minus the youngsters of that year. Of me that can be restored and away with that devious marketing texts. It would be better for the sport and in any case much better than the profiteer that are now taking place.


A LITTLE SUN DOES MIRACLES.
Again it was a weekend of heavy rain and low clouds. Not ideal for pigeons and definitely not for youngsters. The liberation leaders no longer know what to do; it's maddening. When is it permissible to release and when not. For weeks is rain the big killjoy. Far too many birds stay away, and despite that the youngsters are increasingly responsive remains nevertheless every week too many behind. Too bad the Dutch weather is for week’s upset and that with the releases too many risks are taken. Particularly annoying is that among the youngsters in large parts of the Netherlands much small pox prevails. Yes, even by birds that has been vaccinated. Practice has shown that vaccination against smallpox just by twice is adequate. The summer of 2011 is what concerning pigeon sport a big black spot that we are the best as soon as possible try to forget. Something easier said than done, specially if you have left not even 50% of your youngsters anymore. I had this weekend for the umpteenth time no young pigeons, I don’t trusted the weather so I just put 22 old birds from which 17 raced price to started 2-3-7-8-11-15-18 against 366 pigeons. That was not wrong. It was a pity that the weather was not nice to wait for the pigeons and once they came the prizes were earned within eight minutes. There you are busy for all week. Otherwise it was on Monday, beautiful weather and a nearly cloudless sky. Real summer weather, so clear you almost could oversee the whole world. That we would for the rest of the season, so everyone is going with a pretty good feeling into winter. With that dry sunny weather, everyone is excited. You are going with more fun to your loft, the pigeons look immediately nicer, they are alive and at their way of exercise you can see that they are having fun.

ANOTHER NATIONAL DERBY AND FOUR NATOUR RACES
From this moment there are four weeks to go. Saturday, September 10th are the last two races on the program including Sens which replaced the legendary derby race from Orleans. Unfortunately there is nothing left. That race still be called a domestic race but it is not. Netherlands is now divided into four sectors; all four races are averaged 500 km. It is perhaps more honest, but when we talk about a national contest that means one release point and all the pigeons released at once. When this not happen it's a competition like any other competition. Many fanciers often think back to the biggest derby in the world with up to 150,000 youngsters at the start. I have my pigeons especially for the "natour" repaired. I like these last five sprint races. The short game suits me much better than the long distance races. The coming weekend also my youngsters will participate. They have so far only participated in two races and have not gone further than 180 km. Because they have not been along a few weeks I bring them on Wednesday 50 km away, which should be sufficient for to come home good Saturday. The weather forecast is perfect and because my youngsters very well train I think there’s a chance they will soon tap. To take part this period of the season with good results, the old and young birds have to sit perfectly into the feathers. They are when they are darkened in spring and have now little youngsters in the dish to make sure that the moulting stopped. Those who do not have darkened and the old birds immediately after the last long distance race have left together will have the last two flights major problems with the moult and gradually everyone knows that it's done by winning top prizes.

WHICH YOUNGSTERS SHOULD CONTINUE?
Like me, there are many fanciers that knew little or nothing of their youngsters as they only have joined a few races. Yet there will soon be selected as though it's still been a difficult seasons at the end of September at most lofts are still too many pigeons. By me, the racing team is always supplemented with 50% youngsters (in 2012 that will be yearlings). That 50% is never based on performance, but for body composition and origin. Performances of youngsters are not the main base for me. The best youngsters perform as yearlings usually poor. I just look at the performance as a yearling. Then they have to be allowed to stay satisfy on my standard and that is race at least 50% prize with some top prizes. The selection of the youngsters this year is clearly more difficult because not all youngsters have flown the whole season. Especially the last two flights with two night’s basket and more than 300 km will be decisive for me. The youngsters who perform well at these last two flights are usually the better as a yearling. Do not make the mistake of keeping pigeons based on the number of available breeding boxes. Better a few empty breeding boxes than any breeding box filled along with a number of pigeons which is not enough trust. Note how the moult expires, youngsters who have problems are not worth maintaining. The quality of the new feathers should be optimal, because next year they should take those hundreds of miles. Note also the health; there are youngsters who, after a difficult and tough season, struggle to stay healthy during the moult. Unhealthy young birds moult not well and are for the coming season worth nothing. Within weeks the season is over. There are certainly some pigeons that can leave immediately. Initially this would be old birds that during the breeding or racing season not have satisfied. Pigeons that sit for more than two years in the breeding loft and bred nothing notable may give place to pigeons in which the boss have all confidence. Old birds who have met the standard should remain and the others should make way for promising youngsters. So it goes year after year. Selection is not easy for many fanciers. Not because they can not judge a pigeon, but the boss / bird relationship. A whole year it’s been a combination on the road to success and it is sometimes hard to say goodbye to each other. Anyone who goes for top results will have less difficulty. Fortunately, there are still a lot of fun players who do not sleep. For them, a pigeon is definitely not an object to achieve success; it is especially the animal that counts. There are fanciers who have difficulties to select very strict and therefore seek the assistance of a strong player. It is sometimes very interesting to know why a strong player a pigeons approve or disapprove. Still, I recommend everybody to do the selection itself. The fancier is every day of the year with his pigeons. He knows their behaviour, knows when they edged and knows everything about their performances. Assistance of another may be interesting, but ultimately decided the boss.
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WE ARE SEEKING BUT CAN’T FIND THE CAUSE (YET)
Each year it gets worse! Miles of text are devoted about the growing losses of our young birds. Anyone who thinks anything about the absence of mostly young pigeons put something on paper. In the clubs the conversations are for many weeks about the bad flying weather, but even more about the many stragglers. You know the stories about overcrowding, poor health, heavy mould, darken and medication. Nothing new, but all subjects that almost certainly contribute that large numbers of youngsters can’t find their way home to the loft anymore. The mobile phones, according to scientists are even bigger culprits. There will be some truth in it because it's all senders who pollute the air. Should that really be it it’s strange that the old birds do little or none suffer because their races elapsed without any major problems. Poor lofts, too much or too little in glass, poor ventilation, moisture and drafts, there's still more to imagine. Could this be related to the large losses? Lots of fanciers change / improve each year something to their loft to limit the losses. I think we don’t have so easily a bad loft. Over the years I have been at so many lofts in which in champion was played and I thought to myself, how is it possible? Even in lofts with the front to the north were on the conveyor belt top prizes while the neighbours with a beautiful loft won not a flat prize. Is it then only in good birds? That you believe it yourself? That nagging it’s going in pigeon country just about high quality everyone is sick of as time goes by. The men who claim have as much lower quality as everyone else. Nobody, but nobody has just excellence in the loft. I can not read a story or report of a champion there’s always written that they also are dealing with large losses. Anyway, where live the man who only has top quality? If they exist, why would they breed lofts full of young birds? When it comes to quality, they nevertheless need 10? This also applies to the "eye viewers", who in the eyes of a pigeon can see if it’s a racer or a breeder, and then dare at advance also to say how good the quality of the youngsters will be. All chatter in the room! All that needs to be done to improve quality is to find out why so many youngsters get lost. Therefore, science should be enabled.

WHERE SHOULD WE LOOK?
About everything that is written we may wonder what all those years were done about it. We can write and talk as much, if it abides, we do not put the sport further and digs its own grave. I think there should be a thorough laboratory investigation to all types of grains from which the today pigeon food exist. For the people, there is an inspection. Manufacturers of foods and medicines are required on the packaging what's in it so that we humans know what take and eat. We adults are already immune to certain substances. If they had someone dig who one hundred years ago died and two weeks let eat with us he would certainly be seriously ill and longing for death. We are on our globe with so many people that there are many arts and acrobatics designed to produce enough food or cultivate. The big question is: how and by what means the grains and other nutrients from the soil mashed. There are used (too) many chemical ingredients. Tons phosphate is going by feed. I'm not all that myself. By listening and reading a lot I discover more and more that this matter should be more research done. The immune system against various diseases and the locality of mostly young birds could thus greatly affect. Many youngsters can not recover by itself so fanciers over again revert to a variety of medications or other means to keep or make their youngsters healthy. More and more new bacteria are looming. Millions of euros all over the world are spent around to drugs that ultimately do not help. The birds become immune! Soon nothing will help. It is carrying coals to Newcastle and I think you just as I know such a thing pointless. On pigeon bags should also be something more than just the name of the mix and the expiration date.

HEALTHFUL GRAINS
That should be the basis for good performance and good performance are associated with health. Humans and animals stay healthy by eating healthy. The former "farm birds' that largely had to fend themselves no longer exist. We have all our birds made into greenhouse plants made. On a bag of food and a pot of water we come not far. We have so often told each other it'll come to believe.
Manufacturers were developing many performance-enhancing products that would work. If they exist and we would all be using it anyway one can eventually win. So what are we doing? A less severe race program would certainly also contribute to healthier birds. Look how many on night races there are. Six long distance races in one season are too much of a good. I know the long distance game speak quite a lot of fanciers but too many of those heavy races are not good for the pigeons and not for our sport. It would be therefore much better to have one race every weekend, build a vacation stop and keep fewer far races. Every weekend a long time waiting for pigeons and not going on holiday most people do not like. It will improve the health of the birds and also benefits the wallet of the boss. Finally, it is still a hobby for the working man. Commerce is the cause of the overloaded race program and only a handful of people enjoy on a huge scale. There have to be performed, preferably on as many races because it's good for commerce. This is only to do on mega lofts. The big guys probably forget that to perform well they need the small fanciers. Without these little ones no big winners! The sport is not what it was. Look back to the past is nice but it makes no sense. As it is now is also pointless, because the youngsters remain massive and that’s why many fanciers hooks unfortunately, and new souls won’t come in the way we are now commit pigeon sport.
Where should it go to our hobby? In any case, make it more attractive!
About five weeks it’s all over and we have the whole winter the opportunity to think about how to proceed.


DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLD AND YOUNG PIGEONS IS ENORMOUS.
Almost half years I enjoyed my wonderful team of youngsters. Until they are five months old, I have perfectly taken care of. Everything on regular times and you could see that the birds were in good shape. It is then enjoyable sitting with the youngsters. Sometimes it flashed through my mind: "which one will I lose" and I immediately I thought "not one". What I mean how happy I was. I had bred beautiful with little or no setbacks, everything was with me even the weather but now everything is different. Throughout the spring we were spoiled with beautiful pigeon weather, one weekend was better than the other. Nobody got rid of pigeons and the competitions ran smoothly. Only the first middle distance race from the French place Loan went disappointing.
Such a crash occurs by cycling sport belongs a bad race by pigeon sport.
From the moment the training flights for youngsters began changes the weather. From that moment you could see the big difference between old and young pigeons. Of each flight, or it was of a long or short distance, the old birds came home easily. By the youngsters it went different, they had it hard and their inexperience played their tricks. Is partly because at least 80% of the pigeons do not know where and how they can drink in the boxes. Especially in hot weather this it’s deadly. Thirst creates stress and stress ensures that the device does not work well. Result, many youngsters wander, and when they after two or three days enter a loft somewhere they look not advantageous. Especially since every good fancier should watch that only healthy birds remain in his loft, almost no one is happy with such a stranger and emaciated bird. I am afraid that many of these strange birds thus never return to their boss if you know what I mean.
It's a shame because young birds after a few days of wandering snap back quickly. Precisely why I think it is the duty of every fancier to care those pigeons a few days and release them a few miles from the loft. At this way many pigeons will return to the loft of a delighted boss.
When the youngsters later on came through the big mould and they are really mature they won’t have as good as no problems anymore by all this and they can provide the boss as a yearling a great deal of funny weekends.

YOUNGSTERS ARE DISAPPOINTING.
The weather in the Netherlands is the reason that the entire youngsters program has been confused. Like the birds the released authorized are also confused. Release pigeons with beautiful weather everyone can. It's about how to act when we are dealing with prolonged rain on the flight line, or showers, low clouds, stormy winds, inversion or too high or too low temperatures. The men at the release point have to take sometimes risks. My experience is that when there’s taking risk the races get a strange course. It happen that one fancier has everything home and someone else has lose too much. All this has almost nothing to do with the quality or health. It is not all bad or sick birds that stay behind. Much has been written about the growing losses especially by youngsters. Everyone has to do with and that's not good for our hobby, it is also not good for our image in relation to the different (political) animal organizations.The older I get, the worse I can stand against the loss of birds. I can not stand it anymore and so the enthusiasm to continue with the youngsters dropped to a minimum. I'm not quite sure, but as it stands with again the prospect of bad weather, for me the young bird season is over. Three weeks ago I lost ten and last weekend six. Before that time I did not lose one and then in three weeks sixteen in which some promising young cocks. Of these were two that I really did not want to play because their parents were formidable. It is a new breeding pair which from I still knew nothing. I only know that the parents had performed so well that they deserved a place in my breeding loft. Actually it's my fault that I'm lost. If my birds go into the basket, I darken the loft; I do because I can grab them easily in the dark and am not prejudice about the pigeon in my hand. In the dark, you could very well determine which pigeon feels best and go than in a separate basket. They are my favorites for the next flight. There were also two cocks that had in advance already assigned a place in the breeding loft. I thought, okay just one more time but if you think you are usually doing wrong. Many times I have seen that it really was their last flight. Away and so you can jump high or low, they are gone and usually never come back. I can hit my head but have not done because I had a already a headache and it will only get worse. This happens to me at my age. Fool that I am!

NATOUR.
Many of you know that in the Netherlands at the end of the season "natour" races are held. These are years ago created to train youngsters. From this is nothing left. Today there’s with old and young birds in a competition at the cutting edge fought for the "natour" title. The idea is that I let my youngsters join them. Advantage is that by the participation of old birds the losses of young birds are much less. It is five sprint races and that is perhaps detrimental to the youngsters. My experience is that youngsters in their birth year at least two flights of 400 km or more should have flown. The experience they need as a yearling. The changeable weather is currently the big killjoy and therefore I choose for the rest of the season natour.
Previously it seemed a pigeon season lasted a whole year, now I realize that it already is finished about six weeks and I felt we should have started.

HENK
Henk was floral companies, a familiar figure on his motor tricycle. Along with a few fanciers they held their contests with pigeons, usually at very short distances. Henk was regularly asked to bring the pigeons with his motor tricycle away. He did so willingly and got a nice fee for. So he had on a Sunday with the pigeons on the way to Hilversum, about 40 km away. The weather was not too good but Henk went on his way.
As he drove through the west of Amsterdam, he saw a poster that said that at half past two DWS (in those years a leading football club) play at home. Maybe Hilversum in this weather is too far he thought and five minutes later Henk was standing in line at the checkout for a ticket. From a pub he phoned home to tell he was on his way to Hilversum, and that he would release the birds at three hours. It became fifteen minutes later, because then it was rest. After the pigeons went on their way home Henk bought from his fee also a few pots of beer and a nice fat cigar. Also the second half he followed from the tribune. He had a wonderful afternoon. After he came home he heard from various quarters that the pigeon has never been faster flown from Hilversum to the Zaan as on this rainy Sunday. Henk enjoyed it; he did indeed nothing more than fool the people. Only years later he told me what trick he had done. Of course I could not tell anyone. Henk has been deceased many years ago, his stories live on and this is one of.


ALL THINGS WENT AGAINST  
Poor youngsters! Every week no good pigeon weather, delayed releases, significant losses, other release places, disgruntled fanciers, board members who are threatened with death, madness results because of group release and therefore fanciers that this season quit. It is doom and gloom. The month of July is in the Netherlands in third place regarding to the large amount of rain which comes down almost daily. Only July 1960 and July 1930 were even worse, the month is not over and if this month will fall 14 mm of water July is record of all time. This is fun for the statistics but deadly for our youngsters. That young birds have it by their inexperience much harder than the old birds is nothing new. The annoying thing is that the losses are bigger every year. The organization does its best to prevent this; to date it will not succeed. Within my department has decided to proceed with group releases in order to get the losses within the limits. Unfortunately, it does not help, the losses continue and every year it gets worse. Why? I wish I knew. We can only guess. Health talks certainly a big part, perhaps the large quantity of mobile phones is one of the causes. It is high time that international pays attention to this enormous problem, a clean job for the FCI. The sport has it in many countries not easy and the misery of large losses could be the death knell for our sport. I am convinced that 90% of the fanciers are doing everything to arrive with healthy birds at the start. For capital investment there are made. Means to ensure that the birds become in optimum condition is all wasted money! That does not mean that our pigeons have to save themselves. That can not. If we lack something, we also go to the doctor. We also do with our birds (there are people who think otherwise). Quality is obviously vital. The thousands of pigeons that are born are not all bad pigeons but are certainly not all champions. It should be no problem to a pigeon 400 km fly home. Most birds get lost at short distances and these are really not all bad. By the losses experienced scientists find it necessary to prohibit our beautiful national race from Orleans. The distance was too great. Experience has shown that these men had it not well seen. Our beautiful concourse where all pigeon loving Netherlands was under the spell had been forbidden. Really outrageous that some people the hobby of that time from tens of thousands fanciers have destroyed in part. Maybe it's a nice gesture to the animal protection, but it's still a small effort to convince the people who work for the animal welfare that our birds easily 400-600 km can be bridged. If they are ready, they are fine flown in while most of their peers from very short distances are left behind. Over 50 years ago there was already a regular feature in the pigeon magazines "Where are our pigeons?" That problem has only gotten worse.

WEATHER AND FLIGHT PROGRAM
First was the warm weather the reason that flights were delayed or the birds were unloaded at shorter distances. A flight program compiled for the northern and southern part of our county (division). The weather or local festivities were the cause this month there had to be diverted to a different release point. In short, all good plans did little or nothing. Last weekend we would have our fourth flight, it was the third and my youngster didn’t fly at my distance further than 175 km. Last weekend there were 50% less birds than in the first flight. Maybe the birds are now go by smallpox and measles and are the worst losses behind us. It is desirable because the fanciers want at the end of the season still select. It is not advisable to keep all youngsters. It is advisable for the youngsters to finish the entire flight program. Their year of birth is the best teacher. Let participate the pigeons weekly and assume that if the weather conditions are insufficient there won’t be released. Confident in the discharge of experts is very important; they are not to be envied. With beautiful weather, anyone can release pigeons. In recent weeks, the men that are empowered to release the pigeons have to take now and then risks. For a large group of fanciers they never do well. If the birds two or three weeks successively in the car come home everyone is on his hind legs. If there’s released and there are (too) large losses than are people even threatened with death. What are we all doing? It's a hobby! I’m also sometimes complaining if anything happened I do not agree. But I've learned the people who work for our hobby not to offend, we must cherish them because if they stop our hobby is no longer to pay.

CEES
He was a real pigeon man. He served as a director much for the sport. Through press by his company the meetings in those years invested in his home because he would always "stand by" for the company. They were always festive meetings with a sweet with your coffee and later in the evening it becomes more enjoyable. Cees had a miraculous pigeon, a brick red hen that on every nest position was able to win early prizes. Cees also had a solid statement "good pigeons never die in the loft." He was right because in a relatively simple flight his red hen stay behind. Every day he looked at his loft to see if his "red" was back. Alas! As he rested his top pigeon was gone came from the organization reported that his hen was in a loft in Luxembourg. You understand the pigeon had to come back. Over time there was news that the bird was arrived in Utrecht. Cees was director of a transportation company and had one of his drivers pick up the pigeon. That same day we also had a meeting and Cees told that his “red" would be taken home that evening. There had to be drunk of course! Until midnight the driver came home with the box with the hen. Cees was happy as a child, his hands trembled when he opened the box and we toasted the umpteenth time on the return of the red lady. When Cees looked in the box we saw at his body language that something was wrong. Cees almost fainted. Instead of a red bird there was a snow white pigeon. The ring number is tapped, but the date was wrong. A huge disappointment for Cees, the meeting was immediately over, and with bowed heads we said goodbye to Cees who still with big eyes and mouth wide open without a word to bring gazed in the box.

YOUNGSTERS HAVE NO LUCK

So beautiful as the season started so bad it is now. I have written many times that the youngsters on average have it significantly heavier than the old birds. The big difference is the inexperience of the youngsters, the often high temperatures and let’s calls it the Dutch climate. In the period we were ourselves train the youngsters it was perfect weather. The preparation proceeded by most fanciers to full satisfaction. None were significant numbers of birds lost. It all looked promising. Nothing is more variable than the Dutch weather (weather that they know also in the UK, Germany and Belgium). On the last training flight all youngsters from the association would go in the large pigeon container. The race was cancelled due to high temperatures. The first official race was flawless in terms of losses but because of the strong south winds whole areas were totally outplayed and that's never fun. Especially as it was the first race and if you get immediately a bang for your ears the fun to play with youngsters is far away. The flight from the past weekend was a complete tragedy and we as fanciers had in large part due to our own. The weather forecast was very bad; our national organization gave the urgent advice to cancel the races for youngsters. Various departments followed that advice, not my department. By us the races for old and young birds simply continued with all its consequences. Pigeon racing is a competitive sport and if the flights continue despite warnings it is not easy to keep your birds’ home. Joining always means "own risk", but the fanciers have faith in the expertise of the unloading charge and this time it was miserably wrong.

EXPERIENCE
The competition for old birds went as if nothing was wrong. Although the weather in Belgium and southwest of the Netherlands was not good the old birds cam fine. Striking to me was that my first seven birds were all hens while my better hens fail and hens that in recent weeks not show themselves from their best side now came first. The prices of the competition were earned in 13 minutes.Luisteren

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