The final major marathon distance race of the season is, as is the annual custom, Perpignan International. This race proved to be a tough one once again, and with an extra day's delay, the pigeons did not have an easy flight en route. The winner is a 2-year-old lesbian hen from the top Depasse-Lardenoye colony in Wagnelee, Wallonia. She has a fantastic pedigree, and both her mother and grandmother were proven top long-distance pigeons. On her maternal grandfather's side, the line traces back to the old foundation of this colony with the lines of "Frazette" and "L'Espoir".

**Lesbian system**

Stephane has been racing hens in this way for several years. He has tried all sorts of things during the years he has been practicing long-distance racing, but basketing cocks on the nest is not entirely his thing. Hence the choice to let the hens become lesbian and race them together in this way, while he continues with the cocks on the old classic widowhood system. The hens are simply kept loose during the winter and do not go outside. At the end of March or beginning of April, he starts letting them out again, and the start is usually around April 25 to 30. Earlier is not necessary for me; they still have plenty of time to be flown in. They are usually paired as early as April 20, and then he usually lets them brood for as long as they like. The intention is for them to go to the long-distance races when they have been brooding for 10 to 12 days. Should this not work out in the schedule, they choose to basket them with a one-week-old chick. You have to let nature take its course, and forcing things is not an option here.

In the spring, the pigeons also do not always have the choice between the aviary and the loft. The front of the loft faces east, causing cold east winds to blow straight into the loft. In that case, the windows remain closed, and the pigeons simply sit in the loft. If the wind comes from other directions, the aviary is opened, and the pigeons have a free choice. They are trained once a day, and he takes all the hens off the nests in the evening. They are all too familiar with this routine, so training is not a problem.

During the preparation period, they mainly flew a few sprint races first, then a few times middle distance, and then Bourges and/or Argenton. Some flew Limoges and then headed to Barcelona. After Barcelona, ​​they only flew Soisssons once, and I drove them myself a few extra times to maintain the rhythm.

Regarding feed, I mix different bags together; for instance, it is Aidi Long Distance combined with Beyers Long Distance. At the beginning of the year, for the shorter races, I mainly use Beyers Vandenabeele. Medically, he follows Stijn Rans' advice and uses his medication as well. For instance, he goes for a check-up once a month, and the goal is always to treat for trichomoniasis 4 to 5 days before basketing. I am personally not a big fan of treating just before basketing. Furthermore, I also use Giantel products, and the contact with Raf Herbots is always excellent. I find his Herbobeets particularly great and use them in a one-week block leading up to the long-distance races. I can also repeat this in the middle of the season.

Perpignan Winner

BE 24-1014929 Blue Hen
1st National Perpignan 2.953 old birds Belgium
1st Int.National Perpignan 10.658 old birds 

Arrival : 19:17:05
Distance : 795,728km
Velocity : 1079,56m/min