Johan De Vroe (Moortsele) wins Limoges provincial yearlings

Johan and pigeon racing are a passion that grows on him. He's not always able to dedicate the same amount of time to it due to his role as a farm manager and other commitments, but he still wants to compete and win big. In the past, this was done with more pigeons, in combinations, etc., but for the past few years, he's reverted to a racing system that suits his schedule and possibilities. Achieving top results with a small basket, based on quality yet still maintaining a certain level of craftsmanship, is Johan's current guiding principle.

hens

A very conscious decision was made to only compete with hens, for several valid reasons, including: they require relatively less time and attention than cocks, are more disciplined and calmer to handle, can be basketed every week, and, above all, the development in recent years has shown that there is no noticeable difference in performance between cocks and hens...and increasingly, quite the opposite. The season starts with about 30 hens (yearlings and old) that bred at the beginning of the season. They are trained and flew their first sprint and middle-distance races with brooding hens and a nestling. They are basketed weekly, and when the schedule doesn't allow for a race of 500 km or more, they are basketed for a sprint or middle-distance race. During the peak season (read: now), they still train two or three times a week, once a day. Due to the intensity of the races, it's better for them to recover and rest quietly than to fly laps around the loft. To keep them motivated, they're taken away a short distance on Wednesday mornings and are then brought back to their cock for a few hours upon their return. On Wednesday (or Thursday, depending on the race), they can then eat and drink well before being basketed.

With the necessary quality, they'll succeed.

Everything seems so simple this way…and actually, it's not complicated anymore, but the quality of the equipment is important. Equipment in the sense of the quality of the pigeons, the care, and the guidance. They are fed the Aidi range, Detox on Sunday evenings, then Lady Mix, and gradually increasing to Energy Turbo closer to basketing. Daflor is added to the feed a few days a week and Blitzform is added to the feed for two days. A three-weekly check-up by the vet to prevent underlying ailments and some yellow drops are also provided. This is the schedule used to achieve good results. The pigeons themselves are largely supplied by Geert De Clercq, who since 2023 has annually brought a few hens bred in his high-quality breeding loft to Johan to race them there. Then there are some hens from Nicky De Vos from Asper, and the racing team has been described.

Strong results

The goal is the national long-distance races, aiming to achieve top results with a limited number of pigeons... and that's working out very well! We participated in eight national races, four in 2024 and a few in 2025, and have already achieved four top 15 national results! 2nd National Limoges II 4,689 yearlings

1st Provincial Limoges 1,388 yearlings (fastest in the province)
1st National Zone 1,668 yearlings
6th National Limoges 1 – 13,016 old pigeons
12th National Bergerac 3,180 yearlings
13th, 64th, 70th National Brive 3,491 yearlings
21st National Bergerac 3,157 old pigeons
29th National Tulle 5,912 pigeons
61st National Cahors 5,226 pigeons

Het Vaaltje wins Limoges provinciaal

A beautiful pale yearling hen from Geert De Clercq's breeding loft took home this victory and flew 2nd nationally. Previously, she was a rather inconspicuous hen within the team, but now she suddenly achieved a magnificent performance in this race and caught the eye. She is a 100% Eric Limbourg hen with a superb pedigree. The pale color stems from Remy Speltdoorn's Remy, whose descendants in Eric's loft continue to place top-tier pigeons.

A great victory, a fantastic achievement in a strong season. Johan is continuing to build on his goals: a strong focus on the long-distance races with a loft brimming with quality.

Congratulations from the Herbots team!

Geert Dhaenens