艾斯特·佛瑞卡：威尔森半全国3,301羽冠军（总9,730羽最快速鸽）

The 1st interprovincial race of the year is according to Vierzon's annual tradition, they immediately had a hard race on the program with a headwind from Vierzon to their home base. The best pigeon here was the hen “Hermia” which we find in the lofts of Esther Vereecke in Beerzel in Antwerp. Her yearling hen was the fastest of 3,301 yearlings and the fastest of all 9,730 pigeons released in Vierzon. For Esther and her husband Patrick a nice boost at the start of the season. They are both busy people working for the police, so pigeon sport is viewed purely as a hobby here, but all the free time that is possible is put into it. But if we're both working, it's certainly not easy.

Esther only had 3 old birds and 3 yearlings on Vierzon

Vierzon Prov 1,899 old : 35,208,… 3/3
Vierzon Prov 1,507 yearlings : 1.33 2/3

System racing pigeons

They race here in a garden loft that is divided into 2 sections for 16 hens, one section is chapels with an aviary in front of which they can sit for a whole day. They have the choice between the loft and the aviary, in the other loft are the breeding boxes where they have done winter breeding. The hens are taken away when the youngsters are 17 to 18 days old so that they do not lay a second time, they then move to another aviary until the youngsters are weaned. Then they come back to their loft and start their daily training again, because winter rest is not an issue here. The pigeons fly out here 2 to 3 times a week in the winter despite the problems with birds of prey. The ladies were darkened from March 1 to May 1 to hopefully let the form come a little later, no extra lighting is done here.

If there are hens that are eager to pair, they go to the mini aviary that is located behind the loft of the racing hens. They can then just train with them and after training they move back there.

The partners of the hens do not fly and are always ready when they return home. In the sprint they can stay together until the evening and from the middle distance they stay together until the next morning between 9 and 10 am. We don't keep the pigeons locked up and they just sit loose in the loft.

There is also a box for 10 widowers who will be raced in 2 teams in the small middle distance, as we are now always basketted here for 2 nights. These were also darkened in the spring, but we stopped this a week earlier than with the hens. It is only the 2nd year that we play with widowers and we will see if we get the hang of this system.

The hens train in the evening and the widowers always train in the morning, due to a lack of time. The training is still very good so far and certainly the hens are finishing the hour well.With the youngsters we have an automatic gate that opens in the morning and that way they can go outside. We don't see them flying, but that's how they gain experience.

In terms of nutrition, we use the Beyers schedule, we give Galaxy Light, Energy and Kweek. We also use the latter when we return home if it has been a tough flight. We also give them a protein pill when they come home from a tough race and either Belgasol from Belgica De Weerd or Tolyamin Forte from Schroeder Tollissan is added to the drinking water. During the week itself, Zell Oxygen is regularly used on the feed of Herbots, which they are very much in favor of.

Medically they received a tricho cure before the racing season and 14 days before Vierzon they received ¼ flagyl. In addition, we also use the yellow drops weekly and we have now treated for the airways after Vierzon because we had not done anything yet.

Winner Vierzon

BE 22-6204315 “Hermia” Checkered Hen

     1 S.Nat Vierzon                  3,301p    
     1 Fastest of                         9,730p  
  10 Soissons                              202p  
  38 Quievrain                              535p
436 Prov Sermaises             13,368p
545 Nat Argenton                22,869p

Father BE 18-6125424 17 Junior
Won himself 1 Quievrain 100p – 6 Quievrain 608p – 21 Chevrain 832p – 27 Chevrain 1,538p - 38 Melun 726p – 43 Chevrain 914p

Gr.F. BE 13-6251717 Double 17          
          Won self 4 Nat (z) Bourges 4,016p ( 41 Nat 18,478p )          
          Son of “288/12” Blikske De Blick & Son x “526/12” Pokemon
Gr.M. BE 13-6251106 Lene – Op De Beeck Baetens           
            Daughter of “123/10” Van Leest – Peeters x “NL 827/10” J Poortvliet

Mother BE 19-6145679 Little Ebba
Won 7 S.Nat La Chatre 8,328p – 7 Noyon 598p - 49 Nat (z) Issoudun 1,548p

Gr.F. BE 17-6207064 Brother Ebba          
          “Ebba” won 23 Nat Ace Pigeon Zw.H.F. KBDB 2017 with a.o. 59 Nat Argenton 4,386p          
          Son of “511/12” Zwarte x “140/14” Linda Stefan Steenbergen
Gr.M. BE 17-6153202 Blue – Dirk Vervoort            
            Daughter of “158/14” Brother 7 Nat Gueret 18.588p x “978/13” Blue

Esther, congratulations on this great victory from the entire HERBOTS TEAM.

Buelens Kim