Frans & Gert Rondags shine in 2021 as they stopped in 2020

After their many top season the past years Frans & Gert got a cooperation with the Herbots family to auction their racing team a few months ago. The success of the auction was amazing and Frans & Gert hoped that their racing team 2021 would be up and running again really quickly. 

The team was seriously beheaded by selling top pigeons such as “Boela” – “Nina” and “Rogerke” but the future is smiling to them again and with an iron strong breeding loft they will be able again to fight again against the best of the best on the short distance races but also on the national races where they’ve placed a step up the past season which makes that Frans will focus on these as well. 

We will present once again the TOP 3 of the National Ace birds they won the past decade. 

1 Nat Ace bird short distance youngsters KBDB 2018 with “Nafi” 
2 Nat Ace bird middle distance old KBDB 2013 with “First Lady” 
2 Nat Ace bird short distance old KBDB 2019 with “Boela”
2 Nat Ace bird short distance year birds KBDB 2019 with “Rogerke” 
3 Nat Ace bird middle distance old KBDB 2014 with “Martine” 
3 Nat Ace bird middle distance old KBDB 2017 with “Golden Marie” 

But the colony of Frans & Gert just continue as they were as on the 27th of March with a high speed they win the 1st 19 on Mettet and the week after with heavy headwind they win the 1st 4 on Chimay. Pure top class as we’re used to from them. 

27/03 Mettet 290 old : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25,28,… 40/81
            Mettet 121 year birds : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,… 27/55
03/04 Chimay 372 old : 1,2,3,4,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,20,… 49/78
            Chimay 172 year birds : 1,2,3,6,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,…. 33/53

First prize winners season 2021

BE 19-5098829 “De Neus” Cock
Won 1 Mettet 290b 

Again the golden family that is present in this pigeon: 

Father BE 16-2270576 Son Martine
Brother “427/16” Father “Nafi” 1 Nat Ace bird short distance KBDB ‘18

Mother BE 16-2288751” Sister Nina – Boela
Sister to super stars “Nina” and “Boela” 1 + 3 Nat Olympiad bird Olympic Hope KBDB 2020 

BE 20-3053646 ( Direct Dominique Velghe )
Won 1 Mettet 121b and 1 Dizy 359b 

Grandson “Best Kittel” 1 Nat Ace bird short distance KBDB ’17 

BE 20-5104022 “Zoon Kleine” Cock
Won 1 Chimay 372b

Son to super breeder BE 11-5161640 De Kleine won 14 x 1st 
Super breeder to more than one top pigeon

Frans and Gert how was the past winter for you ? 

Due to the auction a lot different than foreseen, all old racing pigeons are gone. An entire new racing team out of the youngsters of 2020 who raced really well and the year birds 2019 were also kept. So the racing team is a bit bigger than normal, it now exists out of 40 widow cocks and 40 hens. 

To replace our top pigeons of the past years you have to count on the fact that a new top  pigeon arises, but that it isn’t obvious is something we do know. We work hard for it and the pigeons had a good winter. 

The widow cocks were coupled together with the breeders and the raised the first round youngsters of the breeders. This breeding loft still has enough top pigeons, the parents to ‘Nafi’, several sisters to ‘Nafi’ and to the golden duo “Boela” and “Nina”. Off course the father to ‘Rogerke’ is still here and we got a boost on the breeding loft with children from “Boela” and “Nina” who will have to guarantee our future. 

How did it go with the hens ? 

We keep them quiet this winter and won’t breed, they get 50% Gaby and 50% Galaxy Light from Beyers but we notice each year again that at the start of the trainings they are too fat. But after a few weeks of training this is gone. 

Don’t you ever couple the hens before the racing season ? 

Oh, we do, the 15th of February is a very important date for us. We leave the hens in 2 different groups with their cocks to get to know them and can stay together for a few days. Afterwards it’s the turn to the second group for a few days and from then on they see their cock each week for one day. 

I’m an absolute advocate of this as this way they won’t forget their cock and the love for their cock can only grow. Sometimes you have to re-couple as I’m of judgement that they really have to like their cock.. 

I also apply this regime for the widow cocks that can see their hen from mid of February for one day a week but without a nest dish. This only comes as the season starts. 

Due to the special season of the past year most of us darkened their racing team. Are you going to do this this season as well? 

No, if we can start in April we won’t do this again. This has many reasons. First of all, we have in April beautiful races against many pigeons so you have to be ready to compete against the biggest group. This isn’t possible if you’re darkening and second of all we had a few pigeons that had thrown their last pin very late and we don’t like that. We race short distance races until the beginning of August and compete then only with hens on nest on the national races but that’s it. So for us is the regime of 2019 and the years before still the best way to go. 

Where are the racing pigeons during the day ? 

I prefer aviaries in front of the lofts where there isn’t any draft, as I live a bit closed in, it is really ideal for them in the aviaries and are really healthy. During day time I try to keep them in there as long as possible. This is really practical for the hens as they won’t pair up amongst each other like this and we can keep the urge for their box for the cocks really high so they get really attached to it. 

What do you do in a matter of training in front and after a race ? 

In a matter of training it is really simple, they both train 1x a day and mostly late in the afternoon. When they train a full hour, I know they’re ok. 

At basketing all racers get to see their partners. For a light race this is 45 minutes and a heavy race 30 minutes. When they get home their partner will be waiting half box and can sit together when most of the pigeons are home. For the hens it is alternating that they can be with their cock while the other group remains in the aviary. Around 16h all pigeons are being separated and at 17h00 they get their food. Another important detail is that when I show them their partner before a race this is always locked up to avoid chaos on the loft. 

Care

There are no rosters on the racing lofts and twice a day it is cleaned, Frans likes to keep it clean and a lot of time is being put in. 

During the season only mixtures of Beyers are being used. This is during the first races always 50% Gaby and 50% Galaxy Light and from 350km on we use Galaxy Energy and Super Widowhood. 

In a medical way we count on the advice of Vincent Schroeder from Kerkrade and the racing pigeons only had a cure of 5 days against trichomoniases this Spring. 

Next to this we make use of the supplements out of the Comed-gamma, Schroeder Tollisan and Pigeon Sport ( Broncho Clean and Yellow Liquid which is being given 2 days after arrival from a race ). 

Future

Please admire once more their toppers of the past season that raced so hard week after week and where now especially their children will be the future of this golden breeding loft. 

Gert & Frans already see a good future with such quality.