For more than a decade, the tandem Eddy Schroeven & Marleen Hermans has been a formidable pigeon colony in the Diest region. Stunt results in sprint and middle distance with very high prize percentages are the hallmark of the dominant hen team at Schroeven. Since 2022, they have been collaborating with none other than Benny Steveninck from Hamme, as they aim to challenge at slightly longer distances in the future. Every year, a number of young pigeons come to Molenstede for testing.
Middle Distance Specialists
Molenstede, a district of Diest, lies in the upper right corner of the province of Flemish Brabant, just by the border with the Southern Kempen. For many years, the tandem Schroeven-Hermans has been outperforming others in the small middle distance. In the last 5 years, they have been the national champions of the small middle distance for old pigeons and yearlings (2021), 1st and 2nd national as pigeons small middle distance old (2021), as well as 3rd and 5th national champion KBDB, 2-time provincial champion Flemish Brabant, and 2nd provincial champion small middle distance. We must therefore wholeheartedly admit that Eddy and Marleen belong to the absolute elite in races up to 350 kilometers.
Breeding Program
The pigeon bug caught Eddy early; in the blooming village of Waanrode, his father was a formidable fancier. They started with pigeons from father Schroeven in Molenstede. In 2008, Walter Grieten from Tessenderlo had an exceptional breeding pair; their offspring were unbeatable in sprint. Eddy took a son from this pair and it became his first founding father, namely the “Black Walter.” This doffer still forms the backbone of the colony. With a hen from father Schroeven, he immediately bred “Grietje” in 2009; a sublime flying hen with 3 x 1st prize, but also herself already the mother of “Rood grietje,” placing 1/1126 and 1/448! Additionally, 215/10 is a daughter of “Black Walter,” a superbird on the middle distance, with among others 13th national Argenton.
A 2nd line was created with a doffer from Kristiaan Hennes (Blue Dirk) x hen from Verreckt-Ariën. They became the parents of the star “Merel.” The “Blue Dirk” also produced the 1st Olympiad pigeon “Nina.”
The 3rd line arises from 2 sisters of the super hen “Liliane” from Luc Daans. One of them produced the “Edson”; 6th national as-pigeon at Raf Luyckx, bred in Molenstede. The 2nd provincial Blois and 51/19663 Chateauroux also come from these hens.
In 2015, a full sister of Luc Christiaens' 1st national as pigeon and half-sister of the 2nd national as pigeon 2014 was acquired.
At Pascal Ariën, pigeons from the line of Jacko, Wacko, Lange Gilbert, Jennifer were obtained. Many top performers have already been bred from here.
For the heavier work, there are still good pigeons from Remy Speltdoorn, from his “Super Vale.”
Of course, there is also annual exchange and joint breeding with friend Peter Bours. From the line of Speltdoorn, the “Barca hen” at Peter flew out 2x stone-early from Barcelona. Due to joint breeding, Thoné pigeons have also found their way to the loft of Schroeven-Hermans.
Pigeons came from Ronald Lodewijckx, Roger Engelen, and Eddy and Nicole Huygens (Booischot), and a son of “Kleine Lars” moved from Raf Luyckx to Molenstede.
System and Medical Care
After the season, the flying hens are allowed to brood dirty until they leave the nest. In winter, they generally undergo a 10-day course with Baytril, followed by a vaccination against paratyphus.
From early December, the breeding period begins. 15 breeding pairs and the best old flying hens paired with good breeding doffers produce about 120 young pigeons. The first clutch from the flying hens is placed with foster pairs after 5 days of brooding, and the flying hens are allowed to lay again. From this, the flyers are allowed to raise 1 young themselves and stay together until the young are about 17 days old. Afterwards, the doffers are removed from the loft, and the hens continue to raise their young alone. By then, they are ready for weaning around mid-February, after which the hens go on a diet, receive a blind course against trichomonas, and the vaccination against paramyxovirus so that training can start by the end of February. As soon as training progresses smoothly, flags are used so that after a few weeks they are ready for teaching. Furthermore, the hens are still darkened until the end of March to keep them in feather longer. During basket loading, the hens can stay in their boxes – making it easier for Eddy to grab them – and upon return home, the doffer is ready, with which they are allowed to stay together until the next day.
The young guard receives an 8-day course with “tricho green” after weaning and gets vaccinated against paramyxovirus-rota (with an interval of 3 weeks) and the vaccination against pox twice. Special attention is paid to individual health. Young pigeons that stand out negatively due to poor droppings or, for example, do not train smoothly are quickly eliminated.
In terms of nutrition, the flying team works with the diet and sport mixture from Anthoons and a fat-rich mixture from Beyers (on Fridays). After returning home, milk and yeast over the feed along with Recovery and Carbosol from Jaap Koehoorn ensure optimal recovery. Minerals and conditioning powder from Dr. Mariën also contribute to this. As the week progresses, Eddy increases the percentage of sports mix in the daily feed mixture.
Top Rankings 2023
1st World Best Pigeon yearlings 2023
2nd National as pigeon large sprint yearlings
25th National as pigeon large sprint yearlings
28th National champion 1 + 2 sprint yearlings
1st Provincial champion Flemish Brabant sprint yearlings
Memorable Season 2021
***1st NATIONAL CHAMPION KBDB OLD AND YEARLINGS 2021***
with the following results:
- Sermaises May 29 1,107 yearlings: 12th (1st nominated) and 13th (2nd nominated)
- Sermaises June 6 4,211 old: 8th (1st nominated) and 4th (2nd nominated)
- Melun June 19 2,212 yearlings: 2nd (1st nominated) and 1st (2nd nominated)
- Melun July 3 1,450 old: 5th (1st nominated) and 30th (2nd nominated)
- Sermaises July 18 2,133 old: 95th (1st nominated) and 5th (2nd nominated)
- 1st NATIONAL AS PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB OLD with LEONTIEN 2095614/2019
- 2nd NATIONAL AS PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB OLD with ALICIA 2095525/2019
- 4th NATIONAL AS PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB YEARLING with DE 459 2040459/2020
- 7th NATIONAL AS PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB YEARLING with CHRIS 2040501/2020
- 9th NATIONAL AS PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB OLD with DE 555 2095555/2019
- 12th NATIONAL AS PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE KBDB YEARLING 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 young (43/77)
- CHATEAUROUX 14.62.152.198.250… /18741 young (27/48)
2020
20/6 Sermaises – 363 km 2974 pigeons (49/53) per trio
3/4/8/9/10/13/14/15/20/21/25/26...
27/6 Sermaises – 363 km 2379 pigeons (52/59) per trio
4/8/9/11/1226/28/30....
04/7 Sermaises – 363 km 4147 pigeons (46/52) per trio
5/7/8/9/20/23/...
11/7 Sermaises – 363 km 4267 pigeons (47/51) per trio
2/3/4/5/6/13/27/29/30...
In 2020, participation in heavier middle distance races also took place occasionally.
In the national flights, 48 pigeons were set with a result of 40 prizes (83%) with among them 6/17/26/54/68/80th national:
- Chateauroux 20 800 old pigeons: 7 out of 8 with among others 17 national...
- Argenton 16762 old pigeons: 8 out of 8 with among others 54/68 national...
- Argenton 26085 yearlings: 2 out of 4 with among others 80/120 national
- Issoudun 10603 old pigeons: 7 out of 8 with among others 26 national...
- Issoudun 18176 yearlings: 4 out of 4 with among others 267 national...
- La Soutterainne 19939 yearlings: 4 out of 4 with among others 225 national...
- Gueret 7175 old: 3 out of 6 with among others 252 national...
- Gueret 12188 yearlings: 5 out of 6 with among others 6 national...
Other Championships in Brief
- 1st Provincial As Pigeon Small Middle Distance Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 1st Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Old KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 1st Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 1st Provincial As Pigeon Small Middle Distance Old KBDB Flemish Brabant 2018
- 1st Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Old KBDB Flemish Brabant 2018
- 1st Provincial Chateauroux II 558 Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2019
- 2nd Provincial As Pigeon Small Middle Distance Old KBDB Flemish Brabant 2017
- 2nd Provincial Champion Small Middle Distance Old & Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2020
- 2nd Provincial As Pigeon Small Middle Distance Old & Yearlings KBDB Flemish Brabant 2020
- 3rd National Champion Small Middle Distance Old & Yearlings KBDB 2017
- 7th & 13th National As Pigeon Small Middle Distance Old KBDB 2017
- 12th National As Pigeon Small Middle Distance Yearlings KBDB 2017