Herbots | Aurillac: Yearlings

The name Poussart needs no introduction. On the one hand, because their loft is located at one of the shortest racing distances in Belgium, their name is always among the first to appear on the KBDB reporting website, and many fanciers start calculating their expected clocking time based on the speed of the Poussart pigeons.
On the other hand, the Poussart colony ranks among Belgium’s very best middle-distance and long middle-distance lofts. They have already won several national victories as well as a 1st National KBDB Ace Pigeon title. A record of achievements that many of us can only dream of.
Last weekend they once again made headlines, not only by winning 1st National Aurillac against 3,516 yearlings, but also by producing an outstanding race result. Just take a look:
2,373 old birds National: 2-3-4-5-158- etc.
3,516 yearlings National: 1-20-55 etc.
They clocked three Aurillac pigeons within 46 seconds on a race of 589 km, with the winner achieving a speed of 1,224 m/min.
Father Olivier and son Justin (who celebrated his birthday) could do nothing but enjoy the moment.

With cocks and hens

The hens are darkened until May 10. From the end of June or the beginning of July, the days are artificially extended again. All partners remain at home and are not raced. This requires extra work, but the loft layout has been carefully designed to make the daily routine faster and more efficient. The section for the cocks staying at home is located between the different hen sections. All they have to do is open the sliding doors so the partners can join the hens.
The workload is shared equally between father and son Poussart, and every day involves hard work, starting early in the morning, often in the dark and even wearing a headlamp at the beginning of the season before leaving for work. This small anecdote shows that nothing is left to chance and that their success is built on dedication and hard work.
The same system applies to the widowhood cocks, which also have a partner staying at home.
The partners are shown only briefly before basketing.
Before the racing season starts, both the hens and widowhood cocks begin flying around the loft in early March. As with many fanciers, they have not escaped attacks by birds of prey, which have already claimed several victims since the start of the season.
At the beginning of the season they use the flag, and once the pigeons are training for a full uninterrupted hour, the first training tosses can begin. The pigeons are trained four or five times before being entered in Vervins, the club’s first race of the season.

Care and medical supervision of the colony

Results like these cannot be achieved without meticulous and impeccable veterinary supervision to keep the pigeons healthy and in peak condition every week. Their veterinary care is managed by veterinarian Vincent Schroeder. Two visits are scheduled every year, while regular telephone consultations are maintained throughout the season. Dropping samples are also sent in regularly so immediate action can be taken whenever necessary. Once again, nothing is left to chance.
In autumn, all pigeons are treated against paratyphoid before being vaccinated. Before the racing season they are vaccinated against paramyxovirus and pox. The young birds are also vaccinated several times. They first receive the RP vaccine, followed by the PHA vaccine and pox vaccination. They also receive a 14-day Paracoly treatment before finally receiving their last paratyphoid vaccination. This ensures that the youngsters are protected as much as possible against the various infections that could jeopardise all or part of the racing season.
During the racing season, the Schroeder medical protocol is followed. After every race, the racers receive medication in the drinking water (for the respiratory tract, trichomoniasis, etc.) for two to three days, depending on the race schedule. Drops are also administered into each nostril. The pigeons are fed Beyers mixtures. A simple but highly effective feeding programme is followed, mainly using three mixtures throughout the season (HI-Digest-Energy, Sport Light and Sport Energy). They are fed twice a day. Grit, mineral blocks and other minerals are also available every day.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – third generation of national winners

Every year, around 30 youngsters from “PEC” (Knesselare) move to Chimay. The National Aurillac winner is one of these PEC pigeons.
His name is “Maurice III” (B25-4108763), and both his father and grandfather won a 1st National race. A unique achievement in Belgian pigeon racing. Let us explain:
His father, “Maurice II”, won 1st National Souillac against 6,085 pigeons at Van Rompaey Carlo.
His grandfather, “Maurice”, also won 1st National Souillac against 7,514 pigeons at Casaert-Sénéchal.
The dam (B22-41507430) of National Aurillac winner “Maurice III” may be even more exceptional, having won 3rd National Limoges against 8,970 pigeons, 9th National Libourne against 4,822 pigeons and 10th National Tulle against 4,964 pigeons. It may sound like a cliché, but the best come from the best.

The entire Herbots team wishes them continued success.