Spitzenpreize Herbots + Heller, Zweibrücken: 1990 - 2003.

A colony to look up to on the heavy Internationals in 1999
1998 : 7th National heavy-fond champion of Germany

Superstars on the long-distance with total widowship :

Ewald and Elvira are a very sympathic couple that got in contact with the Herbots family at the end of '97. After some consideration these two families decided to become a tandem. The most important aim is to be on the top of the heaviest Internationals, which is the greatest love of the Heller family.
Ewald already played with the pigeons at a very young age. The programme of the German federation rises and their pigeons have to proof themselves every single week. It's not easy to specialise in a certain level. Through contacts with Heinz Seegmuller, who noticed that Ewald always scored high when the competitions were hard and difficult, Ewald started to play on the long distance flights at the beginning of the 90's. The old bases are the Fabry - Van Grambergen - Stichelbout and the De Smet - Mathys pigeons and they did it very well. Some of the first toppers on the Internationals must be the 10th National Pau in 1990. Also in that year the 6th International from Barcelona against 28128 pigeons and that same hen won the 2nd International with the hens. Then there was Marseille with the 23rd and the 39th on the International result against 15000 pigeons. Finally the last International flight in '90, Perpignan was closed with the 54th International.
So I think we can easly say that those who put down such results must be the top of International heavy fond lofts.

The colony :

On top of the garage we see the beautiful lofts of the Heller family with at the back a big open loft. Here in Zweibrücken the pigeons have to stay in these open lofts from half of September till half of March. The reason is because of the numerous birds of prey. They also have two lofts in the garden for their youngsters. These are build at the east-side, so they get the morning sun and they also gave a lot of attention to a good air-conditioning. This means the birds get into a good condition and they stay that way.

The Hellers have a team of about 150 pigeons at their disposal, hens and cocks, inclusive the yearlings. These last ones are all played at total widow-ship and they are kept to do the overnight-flights. Of course the last two years they got a great team of the Herbots-colony. So this is the place to find the best in the world to fly the heavy fond-flights.
The Aarden birds, the Van der Wegen pigeons, the line of the old Doffertje, Barcelona, Lamme. But also from the Dax bird, which won at the Herbots home, a 1st International Dax with the hens. From the Dolle Dream, the 1st Nat. Perpignan '98, 4th Nat. Perpignan '97, 7th Nat. Marseille, 25th Nat. Marseille '96, 59th Nat. Marseille '98, these were all won by this pigeon.
Also from the Super Barcelona '88, that flew the 12th, 31st and 769th Nat. Barcelona. Then beside this, several descendants of the Ieverige-line, which came from the Mona Lisa Carlens 1st Internat. Barcelona. So you see this was a golden oppurtunity to this German colony.

The system : Total widow-ship

Although they only start with the youngsters in August, still they have to get the experience in the year of birth. These young birds are together for the whole season and they are set free for one or two hours a day. From the beginning of August they are soundly trained and the end-flight is one of 420Km. This is the farthest they get in Germany.
As a yearling the birds move to the loft above the garage, where they are coupled in spring and they can raise one nest. Afterwards they are seperated for a few weeks and then in April they can breed for about 5 days.

Two times a day the pigeons get to fly, in the morning from 7 till 8 o'clock the hens get to train and then the cocks get their freedom. The hens and the cocks are loose for the whole year. Therefor thet have three divisions for the male birds and three for the hens. When they see the hens pairing together, it sometimes happens that they have to move to another loft. This is also a good stimulation to find their own little corner. This is not a problem with the cocks. Beside this all it can always happen that some birds have to leave for the open loft for a few days, then they are put into the basket. The most important for those fond-flyers is to keep them calm and let them explode for those long-distance flights. From the end of April they get into the basket till Montelimar, a flight away from the classical program but still within the line of the Rhône Valley so the way the fond-flyers have to follow. Even the yearlings have to follow this program so the experience is the most important.

Over against all this, they have a strong selection, the yearlings have to fly Marseille or Dax and Perpignan. To survive this selection they have to be in the International competition for one of the flights. The hens also get into the basket every week so they wouldn't pair with each other.
To observe is one of the most important things within the total widow-ship. The fancier himself has to notice the way the hens act and have to be stopped in one way or another. Another possibility is to leave the hens together in between but keeping them in rhythm till Perpignan is necessary.
Striking is the fact that when it gets heavy, the hens come forward. It's possible that they fly longer in the evening and they get up early in the morning.

Feeding them up :

The pigeons are fed up to the flight so every two weeks the cocks have to leave home. When they get back at the loft they find electrolytes in the water. On regular times, after a real heavy flight, they are cured against cancer with Trichovit. The first week a light mixture is on the menu, a mixture with beeryeast, milk-powder and wheat germs from the vet, Raf Herbots. They also use the 4 oils, Zell Oxygen and Optimix. The week they have to get into the basket, they get vitamins for two or three days on their food mixed with Optimix.
Also the Badische Corn is used to build up their necessary reserve.

1995 : 1st International DAX with the 992/92

In 1995 they made super results from Dax on International level with the 1st, 6th, 11th, 52nd, 89th, 138th, 157th, 224th, 228th, 317th,..etc.. against 5776 pigeons. This was the beautiful red Dax hen 08228/92/992, played according to the Heller-Herbots method. So was this a proof of the way they play?

1996 :

• Langres 220Km - 2065 pigeons : 1,2,3,4,24,25,26,33,...
• Pau '96 : 9th Nat - 17th In.Nat. agianst 6496 Old
• Dax '96 : Nat. 2266 Old : 11,14,... IN.Nat : 6491 Old : 239,265,...
• Perpignan '96 : Nat. 2355 Old : 49,227,...

1997 :

• Beaune 317Km : 1291 Old : 1
• Pau In.Nat. 6689 Old : 10
• Dax Nat. 2419 Old : 17,111,278,...
• Marseille Nat. 6487 Old : 36,163,187,...

Some super pigeons of the last years :

Ludwig : 08228/96/1

His mother is a full sister of the 1st In.Nat Dax '95

Jessica : 08228/96/18

Rudi : 08228/96/144
55e Worldchampion 1999 Very Long Distance

Monica : 08228/96/47
20e Worldchampion 1999 Very Long Distance

Armani : 08228/97/191

Bill : 08228/97/207
57e Worldchampion 1999 Very Long Distance

To end all this, the beautiful results of 1998 :

• Montemilar 584Km : 1247 Old : 8,12,15,30,32,47,48,...
• Poitiers 604Km : 13326 Old : 48,...
• Pau Nat. : 1335 Old : 32,282,...
• Barcelona Nat. : 3273 Old : 296,391,467,496,...
• Dax Nat. : 3133 Old : 11,20,59,60,100,...
• Dax In.Nat : 10511 Old : 12,22,72,74,132,...
• Marseille Nat. : 8088 Old : 46,58,129,178,...
• Marseille In;Nat : 19968 Old : 78,101,254,459,...
• Perpignan Nat. : 2952 Old : 6,64,271,396,405,...
• Perpignan In.Nat : 16025 Old : 112,1081,3479,...

THE END