Information

I’m Jo Vangeel and live in Kuringen (Province Limburg). I’m already a pigeonfacier for over 30 years and like most fanciers I started together with my father.  In 1994 I started racing on my own. Now many years later, I decided to start racing in a partnership again. From 2009 I’ll race together with my good friend Ulrich Lemmens. He’s a young guy who’s specialized in breeding all round pigeons, we aren’t going to change much. But we will introduce his pigeons on my loft and try to cross with  my pigeons, to make them stronger. We expect the first achievements in the season 2010. The pigeons will also go in the other direction. Ulrich wants to introduce more speed in his pigeons and is convinced my pigeons are perfect for that. So we take our time and keep in mind that Rome isn’t build in one day either. My lofts keep around 170 pigeons, 20 breedingpairs, 12 racing hens, 20 wedowers and around 100 youngsters.

I builded my loft with the following bloodlines:

Vansweefelt - Soontjes - P. Roosen via Renè Geladi uit Stokrooi
Erik Limbourg via Jaak Koninx en Ulrich Lemmens
Jean en Jos Vanbrabant
Alfons Slaets
Lemmens - Hild

The Breeders are coupled end November to breed 3 rounds. De racing pigeon I pair up in December. In the past I never bred from the widowers, but now I try to breed from my best widowers as well, most of the time with great results. The youngsters system is rather oldschool. I don’t use the darkening system and after a couple of races I race them on the slizedoor. 1 hour before basketing I let them together so they can pair, that’s it. When they arrive from a race, they can stay together till the next day. In Limburg we also have the “late breds”, I try to specialize on that as well, because it’s a very nice but especially hard competition. Because they are bred so late in the year I’m forced to darkening them. This youngsters I race on a nest. The widowers are paired up again in march, than  they can have eggs for 5 days and are separated again than. On the short distance races I always show the hen before basketting on the middle distance I don’t show hens before basketing.  I only do this to be sure they are more peaceful in the basket.

The hens have 2 lofts, I to stay during the week and one to motivate.  In the motivating loft, they also get food and water. The hens always get their cock before basketing and after a race they can stay together till the next day. The feeding system is rather easy. After a race the pigeons get 50% purification and 50% sport-mixture. I always use 3 different brands and mix those. During the week I start with purification and make it stronger every day, so they are in perfect condition at the end of the week.  They also get some extra sweets and pinda's.

Yours in sport

Jo Vangeel