Gerard

Try and get/buy good birds from fanciers racing nearly the same distance as you do. Do not get into these sales "best of the best". Fanciers will never sell their best birds. Ask DNA from the yb and parents. Have the basket to select the birds. Use your ears and select what would be good for your system. Give quality food and talk to the birds.

I strenghten the stock with Kipp & Sohne hen. She's a daughter from 1st int Barca. For next year 20 yb from Jelle Outhuyse (http://www.jelleouthuijse.com/) and Auke Smid(http://www.aukesmid.nl/) will strenghten the loft. Those guys are the best for extreme long distance (Barcelona 1330km up) I do have 2 de rauw sablon (cock and hen), 1 jan aarden cock and 1 harm vd Bij hen for sale right now.All breeders

Only Beaphar Vitalith thats about it.

My main goal is to win Barcelona International. To win another far distance is nice, but not really a goal........

He was on 11 day youngsters when he was basketted.

Before he went to Limoges as furthest 497 miles (800km). Most flights are westerly orientated, which I do not prefer. The plans are to train my birds myself on the easter orientated cities. Some other provinces race from there, so probably my birds can be basketted by one of them clubs.

total of 5900km ( 3666 miles )in 28 races.

As a yearling they will have appr 13-14 races max 700 km ( 434miles ). Overall 3500-4000 km over the season.

Depends a bit on the weather conditions. Like last season the weather was mostly bad, well at the time when I was at home. But yb's go 200 - 250 km ( 125 - 155 miles)

I don't work with the darkness system, because its 2 much work for me but especially for my wife when I am not at home.

All my birds get the 3 P's vaccination (paramixo, paratyphus and pocks) at least once a year. I don't do any other treatment unless really really needed. I don't do pre-treatment just "in case".

No special preps when the yb's go to their own loft. Food is a bit smaller in size, just for a couple of weeks and then eat the same as the older flyers. At the end of the day pigeons eat what they like..........just as humans. You hear fanciers telling "my birds leave no grain", probably cuz they are starving. Mine leave what they don't like. These leftovers go to the ducks in the park. They just love it.

Breeders eat what he flyers eat (Matador) during the season. In wintertime I feed the breeders Havens 4 seasons mixed with Matador rest. Both Flyers and breeders have always feed to eat. I believe that animals eat as much they need. I don't believe in hungering the birds as some fanciers do. Young birds need time to grow, so not much races in their 1st year.

Actually it just took 3 years to go for Barca. Check this, its about he ped thing. http://www.pipa.be/en/newsandarticles/reports/dispute-between-vandersanden-ferdi-veltwezelt-be-limbourg-eric-brussegem-be

Yes, due to my work offshore I am limited in time. Hopefully this changes when my product is going to run on the market. http://www.pigeontimes.com/indexeng.html. Besides that I don't like short distance, to many birds in a short time and all prices gone within minutes. I do think long distance birds are easier to handle 2.