BAERT-SIMOENS - TORHOUT 1st NATIONAL LIMOGES 7,230 YEARBIRDS 2018

15 Jan 2020

1st NATIONAL LIMOGES 7,230 YEARBIRDS

Limoges, the classic for the year birds on the long distance happenings, now only two days ago they released at 6h45 exactly 7,230 year birds in Limoges. Ready for their second test after Brive two weeks ago. The winner is to be found at tandem Baert – Simoens from Torhout in West – Flanders. Their yearling cock 3129251/2017 was best in class amongst the year birds. This tandem already exists for 6 years and is a cooperation between Gerard Baert, where the racing lofts are to be found and Freddy Simoens who takes care of all the administration and together they manage this colony.

It wasn’t only the 1st national that was won here as only 9 minutes later a 2nd year bird was clocked and was good enough for a 9th national spot. A nice total result from this colony as they won later on also 8 prizes out of 11 on Barcelona.

This colony focusses especially on the long distance and extreme long distance and they only race widow cocks. The racing team is about 85 pigeons big and are divided over several lofts. During the winter period the pigeons can enjoy their freedom and keep on training the entire year around. They don’t speak about a winter shape but of building up their resistance and keeping up their base shape. End of March, beginning of April they are being coupled to breed for 5 days and this is how the real widowhood can start off.

As preparing races they have Clermont and Fontenay, afterwards the team is being divided over Tours and Bourges and go along to the national and international races. This is also for the year birds who get Jarnac, Limoges, Libourne and even Narbonne in their program and this with different team.

The racing team train twice a day but always split up in two groups as we experience that otherwise the group is too big. So one group trains in the morning at 6h15 and one hour later the other group. In the evening at 17h00 with the same system.

The pigeons on the long distance normally race every fortnight and the ones on the extreme long distance every 3 weeks, this can be sometimes one week extra. The pigeons that went to Barcelona get to rest now until next year.

After the season, that is being closed on Perpignan, everyone is being coupled again and can raise a couple of youngsters.

What do you do to motivate them ?

We don’t like our pigeons to be basketed in a restless way, that’s why they never see their hen or a nest dish before the race. After the race the hens are waiting and can stay together most of the time until the evening. Now after Limoges and Barcelona they could stay the entire night.

Why open lofts ?

At my visit I noticed that one loft is open totally at the front side and the other wasn’t. Freddy’s reaction was immediately that the open loft is much better but that the national victory was won on the closed loft. But according to him the pigeons are much more up against diseases and have better resistance against everything. If they could, they would rebuild all lofts on this system.

Care

We always use the mixtures from Vanrobayes and Doca the entire year around. During the winter period the pigeons get light food but surely not 100% barley or purge. This because the pigeons keep on training during the winter period and don’t have a lot of extra’s during that period and need a bit more to keep their weight.

During the season I use sport mixture to feed them. Before a regular long distance race this is about 4 days and before Barcelona even 6 days. I always feed them twice a day and always enough, after one hour the leftovers are taken away and they get new food in the evening. Day before basketing they always get vitamins in the drinking water and at homecoming we especially make use of electrolytes and glucose to let them recuperate faster.

In a medical way I treated them this year after their 3rd race out of Clermont against trichomoniases and that’s it. They get home really well so we’re not going to bring their resistance down.

3129251/2017 ‘Fred’ Blue cock
1 National Limoges 7,230 year birds

Father 3171256/2011 Chequered Martin Verhaeghe

Gr.F. 3065897/2009 Blue Georges Bolle
           Son to “933/04” Blue ‘Cendré’ super racer x “342/06” Blue

Gr.M. 3227036/2005 Dark chequered Gilbert Deprez
            Daughter to “982/02” Dark x “531/02” Blue

Mother 3032544/2012 Blue ( Georges Bolle via Reno Seys )

Gr.F. 3183695/2010 Blue Georges Bolle
Son to “204/05” Linco x “207/05” Blue
Gr.M. 3064128/2005 Blue
Daughter to “431/03” ‘Barcelona 1’ Gerard Baert

Freddy & Gerard, a big congratulation with this beautiful victory from the entire HERBOTS TEAM.