Halle Booienhoven: The last time that we visited family Herbots to make a report was in 2009. Then they succeeded to become for the second year in a row national champion. In 2008 they won the national title by the year birds and in 2009 they were the best of all Belgium on the small middle distance and they won also, this with “Yvan”, the national ace bird title in this category. It all seems a scenario of a fairytale with top pigeons as “Yvan”, “Magnum” and “Power” in a sublime title character.

Fanciers who have ever visited the Herbots  know that it is always a very busy day over there. The business in pigeons goes very well and the moments that the telephone is not ringing can be counted on one hand. It is at the same time impressive and beautiful to watch such a busy family. But…and that I appreciate a lot… everybody who comes for a visit is welcomed with a smile. Also when we went to make this report there were a lot of visitors. Belgian fanciers had to bring some pigeons for sending to China and a small group of English fanciers were there to buy some birds. Lucky that father Filip could make some time free to answer our questions.

Filip…congratulations with again a superb racing season?

Thanks…I’m very satisfied about last season. You must know that after the racing season of 2009 I was a little bit afraid to start the season of 2010. You have to say it like it is. The title of 2008 and the titles of 2009 were all won by superior top birds like “Yvan”, “Power”, “Magnum”, “De Jules” and “Dallas”. But now it comes…all these top birds went to the breeding loft and for  the season 2010 we had to start with a totally new team.  You understand what I want to say. Not that I don’t have confidence in our widowers, but we had to wait. Lucky it all turned well and the new team did more than their best in the racing seasons 2010 and 2011.

With all those new top pigeons on your breeding loft…I suppose you didn’t invest anymore in new birds?

What did you thought…of course we’re always looking for better. Maybe you’re going to laugh but I’m not lying awake of a national title but I’m lying awake of ace birds. If it is sprint, middle distance or long distance…when we know that somewhere there is a top bird we’re immediately there to visit the fancier and trying to buy the bird. So to make myself clear. In 2009 we put our own top birds like “Yvan”, “Magnum”, “Power” on the breeding loft, in 2010 we bought for our own loft the 2^nd national ace middle distance.

This year we invested already in 4 top birds for our own breeding loft namely:

1.       1^st national ace KBDB long distance 2011.

2.       1^st  national Bourges II and fastest bird against 54.010 birds.

3.       1^st national Chateauroux and fastest against 44.908 birds

4.       1^st ace” Rhone Valley” (this on races like Montélimar, Orange and Marseille). That same bird won in 2010 the 2^nd ace. A real top bird for the longer distances.

How was the preparation for the racing season 2011
Filip: “For the season of 2011, we started with a group of 60 widowers, 24 hens on widowhood and about 200 youngsters. After the season of 2010, the widowers got to brood once for about 5 days. They didn’t get any youngsters because breeding means a stop to the moulting. During the moulting period, we feed a moulting mixture with regularly some “4 Oils” and Metioforte (Methionine) over the food.
Afterwards the widowers who survived the selection go to the loft of the youngsters (with an aviary). Their boxes on the widowers loft are closed and the new widowers (future year birds) get their hens, which are used to the boxes and they can brood for 5 days. By this way, they soon get used to the loft. After that brood, the old widowers come again on the widowers loft, boxes are for every bird closed and the cocks can only sit on shelves which are hung up in front of their box.

At the beginning of December, the widowers get paired and they may breed two youngsters. When these little ones reach the age of 14 days, the hens are moved to the young bird loft accompanied with one youngster. The other one is raised by the cock himself.

The second pairing happens March 25th and after 4 days brood, everything is taken away and they are on widowhood. The first training tosses start as soon as the hens come together with their cocks and this of course when the weather is good.  We try to learn our widowers as much as possible before they are trained with the club. Usually for about 6 or 7 times from 10 till 60 kilometers and always released per basket. We don’t release them individually because there’s more struggle when they are in groups.
After the learning period, they leave are basketed for short- and middle distance races.

Here in Halle-Booienhoven, we prefer the races from 300 till 600 kilometers. Nevertheless specialization becomes more and more necessary and that’s why we made a combination with Jos Deno to specialize on the long distance under the name Deno-Herbots and for the marathon races we made a combination with Heller under the name Heller-Herbots.

And what about the hen system?

The hens get paired at the beginning of December. Then they breed two youngsters till the age of 14 days. At that age the cocks are taken away accompanied with a youngster and the hen takes care about the other youngster. Begin of April a second pairing take place. The hens may brood for 4 days so on April 15th they can leave on widowhood.
Hens have less stress during transport and they recover better after a race. In big lines, they follow the same treatment schedule as the widowers.

During the week, they can stay on the “resting section” where they sit on little shelves with a wire in front of them. One hour before basketing, cocks and hens get together in their boxes with a nest-bowl and later on during the season they also get some straw.
After the arrival of the hens, the cocks are locked in half-box before they can start to “love” their partner. Hereby the hens can get by their arrival from a race some rest first. At that moment the cocks are full of energy and he wants to make love immediately which is not always very much wanted by the hens. On Sunday after the race, all birds which had raced, get a relaxing warm bath. Then the warming installation is put on and they relax for as much as they want.”

Can you give some more information about your your bird system?

“The youngsters get weaned when they reach the age of 25 days and then they get a Spartrix and an Appertex. When the young birds are two months old, they get their Paramyxo vaccination and 10 days later a cure of 10 days with antibiotics and their vaccination against Paratyfus.
The young birds are darkened from 16.00 hours and when it gets dark outside, the curtains are opened so they automatically wake up with sunlight. By this method, there are less losses and we hold on to this darkening system from 1 month after weaning till half of June. Next year we will stop darkening one group of youngster sooner namely around end of Mai.
About the racing system…we don’t use the same method with all youngsters. On one section, 25 young cocks get paired to old hens and are raced on widowhood. On two sections, cocks and hens stay together till half of June and then they are raced by the sliding door

At the beginning of April, we already toss the young birds at a distance of about 7 kilometers. Experience learned us that the sooner they are learned, the better it is.

Once the youngsters are trained with the club, they still get some private training flights during the week. Once a week we toss them at a distance of 60 km. The most important aspect of this method is to improve their orientation and the fast start.
Throughout the season, the youngsters have to race about 20 flights among the nationals for the youngsters. Every feathered bird has to leave and this to select them severely. Sometimes only 80 are left of the 200 beginners or even less but that’s no problem. Those that score well are treated very well.
A good advice is that the best youngsters are mostly the best yearlings. We’re more afraid of the “pressed out” yearlings then of a youngster that went into red. A good yearling, which doesn’t start well as an old bird, mostly needs a year of rest, otherwise you have the chance that his career as a widower is over.”

A system in the medical guidance is necessary?

“That’s a fact and we leave nothing up to coincidence. During winter, all Herbots-pigeons get a cure of 5 days against cancer on the first day of the month. Cancer is the mother of all diseases!
The breeders get this monthly treatment throughout the year. The widowers are treated if necessary after each examination (every 14 days) and this in turn with a tablet or in the drinking water. Eventual treatments against coccidiose and worms are only done by the advice of my son and specialized pigeon vet Raf , but mostly there aren’t that many problems. At the beginning of April a 5-day cure against the head-diseases is done.
Concerning the by-products. When the races of 370 – 500 km are on the program, we mix some “Omega” (sheep-fat) with the food and all pigeons get individual a Top-pill, so they produce more red blood cells.
On Monday and Wednesday we give Optimix and Zell Oxygen, on Tuesday vitamins and 4 Oils, on Wednesday vitamins (Aminovit), on Thursday basketing and on Saturday they arrive back home. When it’s a heavy flight, we put some electrolytes in the drinking water two hours after they’ve returned. With a light flight, we give tea.
Theory and practice can be contradictory when it comes down to give them eye drops although we believe in it. These eye-drops clear the bronchial tubes, when they disappear easily it means that everything is clear. Besides when you put some drops in their eyes, you can easily control their general condition. We use disinfected eye-drops. At the beginning of the season on Saturday and Sunday, after 6 or 7 flights on Saturday, Sunday and Thursday, after 12 flights on Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday and the last 4 flights every day.”

SOME RACE RESULTS 2011

Click on a picture above to enlarge