Events since mid-September
 

Let me summarize and return to what has happened since mid-September 2010 (end of the racing season) at Blue Heaven Loft.

After the microscopic and bacteriological tests for all pigeons, I went off for a while ...

Ten days Taiwan have made me sound again. I consider this country as my second fatherland. I've lived there for more than 20 years in the real sense. In the beginning I've also seen a lot of black snow, but slowly, I have been able to turn the tide. The stay in this country is an episode in my life to which I very often think back with some nostalgia.

I was only just home again, when three days Kassel (Pigeon Stock Exchange) were already coming up. Shortly thereafter another week to China (Exhibition in Langfang). This also brought me a lot of fun. Easy if you can speak some Chinese! And so it went ... A stay of three days in Ostend (KBDB days) was next. Sunday morning, return with the train to Sint-Truiden. Two-three days to relax and it was time again ... The new 2011 season was due to start ...

We paired the pigeons on Friday, November 26, 2010. Not only the breeders but the racers as well. In the last few years we have only paired the racers around the turn of the year. So why the change? Tacitus (the philosopher) said it already, many years back: "Varietas placet": Variety pleases ... And that man could know it ...

Here are the reasons behind this change: we have learned from experience that the system and playing all the pigeons on double widowhood make it better to start pairing earlier. And that has its reason as well.

The pigeons that are through the moult, want to form a family again. Especially the hens have difficulties with this. Add to this the fact that living separately encourages them to get lesbian tendencies. Anyone who does not understand this, will without any doubt get into trouble during the next racing season. The double widowhood does not exclude this. And when they are separated again afterwards, these lesbian hens will find each other again with all the consequences for their respective other halves (cocks). This tendency can be prevented by pairing a little earlier.

Our breeders change partners each year. There is much work to get used to the new partner and also to a different territory.

Why do we always re-pair our breeders? Well, I do not believe in special golden breeding pairs. They are rare and if we have one, they still separate and get a new partner in the nest. The reason for this is simple: we want to know as soon as possible who the progenitor is. And that you can only know when you separate the golden breeding pair.

Only on November 28, Sunday afternoon, we brought together our foster pigeons. They know each other and their place and they always have their eggs a few days earlier. Conveniently calculated in order to have them sit on the eggs of the breeders.

You need to make sure the eggs are removed after laying the second egg. This will prevent the hen from closing and she thus remains open to the laying of the second round ... The purpose of this is to get four eggs within 10-12 days and thus probably four children from the same single breeding pair!

My wife Yu-Chin keeps an eye on the downstairs area:  the breeding loft , the boxes and the foster pigeons. Releasing and accustomisation of new pigeons or pigeons of 2009 should be done carefully. It takes time and patience ... but most women have this feature ... I think so anyway.

Dealing with women taught me that anyway.  In the L-loft above the workhouse the racers are housed. The cocks that become yearlings in the year 2011 have chosen their place since late September. The old cocks, so those that will also be flying in 2011, have at that time been taken from the loft and their nest boxes were closed. The light comes on automatically from 16h to 22h and  from 6h to 10h in the morning.

We feed largely in a feeding trough on the floor and yet we should be careful. Some cocks prevent their hens to eat or drink. You must try to prevent this by giving some extra mix and grit in a jar in the nest box.

I also noticed that a lot of pilses of the Versele-Laga Breeding  Sublime stay untouched. I think there is not enough corn in this mix. But that's mostly because it is cold ... pigeons now eat more corn. Once they have youngsters in the nest, the situation changes and the corn will be left for last. Manually matching is what you should do.

Now that we have a period of few sunlight and unnatural breeding, you should add some Vitamins A D3. Because this is an oily solution is, you’d better pour it over the grains, 10-15 drops per kilogram of food. You can get it in any pharmacy under the name of AD-CURE solution (drops).

Here we use Edele Olie (COMED) to add to the food, which contains the necessary vitamins A and D and is more practical to use. One tablespoon per kilogram food, mix well and dry with Winmix (COMED). Simple and effective.

December 4: The first eggs are there .... a gift, says my wife, in this harsh winter. I agree, I’ve never liked going into debate with women, it won’t get you anywhere.

One thing I know now very sure, it's not escaped me in these rather hectic world: women are a gift to men. Women are exactly like pigeons ... the more you train them, the better performances they deliever. Many of them I really loved ... in the beautiful paradise Taiwan, where the trees are never bare because the new life is already there before the old life has died.

THE LOST SON