The tandem Eddy Schroeven & Marleen Hermans has been a pigeon colony to be feared in the Diest region for more than a decade. Stunt results in the sprint and middle distance with very high prize percentages are the trademark of the supreme hen team of Schroeven-Hermans.
Middle distance specialists
In the upper right corner of the province of Flemish Brabant, close to the border with the Zuiderkempen, Molenstede is located as a sub-municipality of Diest. The Schroeven-Hermans tandem has been racing here for years in the shorter middle distance. In the last 5 years they have become national champion shorter middle distance old birds and yearlings in this discipline (2021), 1st and 2nd national ace pigeon shorter middle distance old birds (2021) and furthermore 3rd and 5th national champion KBDB, 2 times provincial champion Flemish Brabant and 2nd provincial champion shorter middle distance. We must therefore wholeheartedly admit that Eddy and Marleen belong to the absolute top in the races up to 350 kilometres.
Stock building
The pigeon bug had caught Eddy early on; in the flower village of Waanrode, father was a formidable sprinter. It was therefore pigeons from father Schroeven that started with in Molenstede. In 2008 Walter Grieten from Tessenderlo had an exceptional breeding couple; the children from this couple were unbeatable at speed. Eddy got a son from this couple and it became his first ancestor, namely the "Zwarte Walter". This cock is still the common thread through the colony. With a hen from father Schroeven he immediately gave birth to “Grietje” in 2009; a sublime racing hen with 3 x 1st prize, but also herself already the mother of “Rood Grietje” with 1/1126 and 1/448! 215/10 is also a daughter of “Zwarte Walter”, a super pigeon in the middle distance, with a.o. 13th national Argenton.
A 2nd line was formed by a cock from Kristiaan Hennes (Blauwe Dirk) x hen from Verreckt-Ariën. They became the parents of the topper “Merel”. The “Blauwe Dirk” also produced 1st Olympiad pigeon “Nina”.
The 3rd line is created by 2 sisters from the super hen “Liliane” from Luc Daans. One of them gave the “Edson” ; 6th national ace pigeon by Raf Luyckx, bred in Molenstede. The 2nd provincial Blois and 51/19663 Chateauroux also come from these hens.
In 2015 Luc Christiaens also acquired a full sister of his 1st National Ace Pigeon and a half-sister of the 2nd National Ace Pigeon 2014.
At Pascal Ariën, pigeons were obtained from the line of Jacko, Wacko, Lange Gilbert, Jennifer. Several toppers have also been born from this.
For the heavier work there are still good pigeons from Remy Speltdoorn, from his "Super Vale"
Of course there is also an annual exchange and breeding together with friend Peter Bours. From the line of Speltdoorn, the “Barca hen” flew 2 x very early from Barcelona for Peter. The co-breeding also brought Thoné pigeons to the Schroeven-Hermans loft.
Pigeons came from Ronald Lodewijckx, Roger Engelen and Eddy and Nicole Huygens (Booischot) and from Raf Luyckx a son of “Kleine Lars” moved to Molenstede.
System and medical
After the season the racing hens are allowed to brood dirty until they leave the nest. In the winter, a 10-day cure with Baytril usually follows, followed by a vaccination against paratyphus.
The breeding period starts at the beginning of December. 15 breeding couples and the best old racing hens paired against good breeding cocks provide about 120 youngsters. The first laying of the racing hens is placed under breeding pairs after 5 days of brooding and the racing hens are allowed to lay again. The pilots are allowed to raise 1 youngster themselves and they stay together until the youngsters are about 17 days old. Afterwards the cocks are removed from the loft and the hens raise their youngsters alone. In the meantime, they are ready to wean about mid-February, the hens then go on a diet, they receive a blind cure against trichomones and the vaccination against paramyxo so that the training sessions can start at the end of February. As soon as training goes smoothly, the flag is used so that they are ready to be trained after a few weeks. The hens are also darkened until the end of March to keep them in the plumes a little longer.
When basketing the hens are allowed in their boxes – so that Eddy can grab them more easily – and when they return home the cock is ready, with which they can stay together until the next day.
After weaning, the youngsters receive an 8-day course of “tricho green” and receive two vaccinations against paramyxo-rota (with an interval of 3 weeks) and the vaccination against smallpox. Particular attention is paid to individual basic health. Youngsters who stand out in a negative sense due to bad manure and the like or, for example, who do not train quickly, leave quickly.
In terms of nutrition, the racing team works with the diet and sports mixture from Anthoons and the high-fat mixture from Beyers (on Fridays). Worry after returning home milk and yeast over the feed together with Recovery and Carbosol from Jaap Koehoorn for optimal recovery. Minerals and condition powder from Dr Mariën also contribute to this. As the week progresses, Eddy increases the percentage of sport in the daily feed mixture.
Memorable season 2021
***1st NATIONAL CHAMPION KBDB OLD AND YEARS 2021***
and with the following results:
- Sermaises 29 May 1,107 yearlings: 12th (1st nominated) and 13th (2nd nominated)
- Sermaises 6 June 4,211 old: 8th (1st nominated) and 4th (2nd nominated)
- Melun 19 June 2,212 yearlings: 2nd (1st nominated) and 1st (2nd nominated)
- Melun 3 July 1,450 olds: 5th (1st nominated) and 30th (2nd nominated)
- Sermaises 18 July 2,133 olds: 95th (1st nominated) and 5th (2nd nominated)
- 1st NATIONAL ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB OLDS with LEONTIEN 2095614/2019
- 2nd NATIONAL ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB OLD with ALICIA 2095525/2019
- 4th NATIONAL ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB YEARS with DE 459 2040459/2020
- 7th NATIONAL ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB YEARS with CHRIS 2040501/2020
- 9th NATIONAL ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB OLD with DE 555 2095555/2019
- 12th NATIONAL ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB YEARS with DE 492 2095492/2020
- 1st OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT. H ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2019-2020)with NINA 2076078/2018
- 1st OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT H ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2020-2021) with ALICIA 2095525/2019
- 2nd OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT H ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2020-2021) with LEONTIEN 2095614/2019
- 4th OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT B ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2019-2020) with WITPENNEKE 2095549/2019
- 4th OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT B ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2020-2021) with DE 555 2095555/2019
- 6th OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT G ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2019-2020) with DE 536 2095536/2019
- 6th OLYMPIAD PIGEON CAT G ROMANIA 2022 (SEASON 2020-2021) with DE 459 2040459/2020
- MOMIGNIES 1.3.4.8.10.27.29.57.68.69... /901 old + yearlings (41/51)
- MOMIGNIES 3.5.6.7.9.14.15.17.22.25.32… /2598 old + yearlings (50/59)
- MELUN 6.7.9.15.47.48.50.87.89.127… /6951 old + yearlings (34/56)
- SERMAISES 10.19.21.24.30.32.45.49.56.60… /2364 old + yearlings (47/51)
- SERMAISES 3.5.6.13.14.19.24.26.28.31… /2093 old + yearlings (36/41)
- SERMAISES 3.4.5.6.7.8.12.13.20.23.24.26… /4211 old + yearlings (47/51)
- SERMAISES 6.7.8.11.14.15.17.21.22.24.29… /3238 old + yearlings (25/37)
- MELUN 2.3.4.5.6.7.12.32.38… /3815 old + yearlings (36/45)
- MELUN 1.2.3.4.22.24… /2112 yearlings (15/16)
- MELUN 5.9.12.13.14.18.28… /1450 old + yearlings (25/32)
- SERMAISES 1.2.6.8.9.23.45.54.61.68… /3740 youngsters (43/77)
- CHATEAUROUX 14.62.152.198.250… /18741 youngsters (27/48)
2020
- 20/6 Sermaises – 363 km 2974 pigeons (49/53) per 3
- 3/4/8/9/10/13/14/15/20/21/25/26...
- 27/6 Sermaises – 363 km 2379 pigeons (52/59) per 3
- 4/8/9/11/1226/28/30....
- 04/7 Sermaises – 363 km 4147 pigeons (46/52) per 3
- 5/7/8/9/20/23/...
- 11/7 Sermaises – 363 km 4267 pigeons (47/51) per 3
- 2/3/4/5/6/13/27/29/30...
In 2020 there was also occasional participation in the longer middle distance.
48 pigeons were entered in the national races, resulting in 40 prizes (83 %), including 6/17/26/54/68/80th national:
- Chateauroux 20 800 old pigeons: 7 out of 8 with ao 17 nat..
- Argenton 16762 old pigeons: 8/8 with ao 54/68 nat...
- Argenton 26085 yearlings: 2 out of 4 with ao 80/120 nat
- Issoudun 10603 old pigeons: 7 out of 8 with ao 26 nat...
- Issoudun 18176 yearlings: 4 out of 4 with ao 267 nat...
- La Soutteraine 19939 yearlings: 4 out of 4 with ao 225 nat...
- Gueret 7175 olds: 3/6 with ao 252 nat...
- Gueret 12188 yearlings: 5/6 including 6 nat...
Other championships at a glance
- 1st Provincial Ace Pigeon Small Middle Distance Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 1st Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Old Birds KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 1st Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 1st Provincial Ace Pigeon Smaller Middle Distance Old Birds KBDB Flemish Brabant 2018
- 1st Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Old Birds KBDB Flemish Brabant 2018
- 1st Provincial Chateauroux II 558 Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2019
- 2nd Provincial Ace Pigeon Smaller Middle Distance Old Birds KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 2nd Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Old & Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2020
- 2nd Provincial Ace Pigeon Small Middle Distance Old & Yearlings KDBD Flemish Brabant 2020
- 3rd National Champion Small Middle Distance Old & Yearlings KBDB 2017
- 7th & 13th National Ace Pigeon Shorter Middle Distance Olds KBDB 2017
- 12th National Ace Pigeon Small Middle Distance Yearlings KBDB 2017
