Lyvan Delepine – Woignarue : A season on another planet!

Woignarue, a charming village located in the Hauts-de-France region, is known for its peaceful setting and proximity to the Picardy coast. This small village offers a pleasant lifestyle, between sea and countryside, ideal for nature lovers and outdoor activities. It is here that Lyvan has chosen to settle, enjoying the peaceful setting, ideal for keeping his racing pigeons. 

Here we meet one of the most prominent French colonies of the past two seasons: Lyvan Delepine. After his 2nd national place in Barcelona 2023, he started the 2023 season with a 1st + 2nd national place in the hens in Pau 2024, and two weeks later he won the main prize with the 1st national place in Barcelona 2024! The story does not end there, because on 29/07/24 his winning hen from Pau won the 3rd national place in Narbonne. This excellent pigeon with a 5th international place in Pau and a 9th international place in Narbonne has a great chance of becoming the 1st international Ace Pigeon 2024. 

Lyvan obtained his first license in 1998 and his first season dates back to 1999. The virus was passed on to him by his father and his uncle, who played at his grandmother's, right next to his parents' house.

His installation consists of a loft divided into four compartments, 10 meters long and 2 meters wide. This loft is dedicated to widow hens, widowers and yearlings. He also has a loft of 4 meters long with a 3 meter aviary for young pigeons. In the season, he has 16 widowers, 16 widow hens and about thirty yearlings. This year he has raised about a hundred youngsters. His breeding stock consists of a maximum of 12 breeding pairs. The loft is oriented towards the north, and Lyvan does everything to keep it healthy and dry, without humidity. 

The origins of his pigeons are varied and prestigious: Duquesnoy Olivier, Legrand P and Son, Van Dongen Peter, Rozendaal Félix, Martha Van Geel, Cristi Stan, as well as joint pairings with Ianni Frédéric. The latest additions come from Vitel Éric. In the beginning, he had pigeons from his father, his uncle and Cailleux Philippe. After his move in 2021 and the purchase of his house, he invested in the before mentioned fanciers to start long distance flights.

Lyvan prefers pigeons of medium to small size, with a silky plumage. He likes milking pigeons and reds. 

As for nutrition, Lyvan uses the mixtures of Vanrobaeys and the supplements of De Reiger and Original Process. 

For the long distances, he feeds his pigeons in the last week with four specific mixtures from Vanrobaeys: Bordeaux no. 8, Top Energie 35, Gino Clicque and Marathon Revolutie. As for treatments, Lyvan gives a cure for trichomoniasis and respiratory infections about ten days before the Pau race. In preparation, the males fly every two weeks, while the females, who are widows, fly every week, with a rest period of fifteen days before Pau. The selection of his pigeons is done in the basket, mainly based on their condition upon return. 

Thank you Lyvan for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope that your hen finishes 1st in the international Ace Pigeon 2 prizes and I wish you much success, but you are already in orbit around the earth, you have done everything to ensure that luck remains on your side.

Yannick UNGERER, 02/08/2024