Ronny Menten (Rummen)
1st National Ace bird great middle distance KBDB 2020
For some years now we know what the pigeons of Ronny Menten from the Flemish Brabant Rummen are capable of, but this year we have added a little extra. These are the all saying figures: 4 x 1st provincial, 12 x top-10 national and 66 x top-100 national. The competition has the conscience…no discussion possible…both with old, yearlings and youngsters it was bad cherry eating with the Menten pigeons. The highlight of the season was achieved by his super hen “Corina” because she captured the title of 1st National Ace old birds’ great middle distance KBDB 2020.
We wanted to know more and especially for the readers of Siegel’s website, and we went in the direction of Biesemstraat 84a.
Was the crucial base for this super season already set in Winter?
I already do this for several years but I feel good about it, during winter time they come out once to twice a week to train at ease and this is how I maintain their condition and they don’t have any winter fat that they need to train off after winter. I just keep them busy, so they do not fall in a winter sleep. They did not breed during wintertime and after they went entirely through the moulting, I gave them the new Beyers mixture Enzymix Recup 748. I feel good with this mixture and the pigeons train well on it.
How do you prepare your racing team?
So, they never breed in Winter, I couple them in function of the start of the season. This year it was different in comparison to other years, but I tried to do the same. End of March the racing team that is on total widowhood were being coupled and let them over breed. The righthand loft I race on double widowhood, so 2 hens that are paired up to 1 cock. The old hens could breed here for 5 days and the yearling hens got to know their cocks during training.
Did you darken the old birds as well now due to the later start of the season?
Now for the first time I did yes, I started beginning of April and kept this until 4 weeks prior to Bourges I. From then on, they can race like that, but I do not lengthen the light.
Do the hens pair up or not?
I keep them day and night in a big aviary where they have loads of space and do not really feel like pairing up to each other. Should there be one and if she does not get home good, she will be taken out of the racing team.
Which things did you adjust in comparison to other years?
The pigeons on total widowhood got straw on the breeding loft at the start of breeding. I noticed that they rather made a nest in straw than to lay in the boxes. This is how I got cocks that do not have a fixed box at all and got couples laying everywhere in the straw. The motivation amongst each other on the floor gets bigger and maybe that they motivated each other like this. I try to race on the chaos system so that each week something else can happen on the loft, but I left them do as they pleased.
During the feeding the hallways are being cleaned out twice a day and I just feed them in the hallway, never in feeding-boxes or something like that. It is also the case over here that they train hard and those who train hard are hungry, so it is a cycle that is always moving and which gives you really well trained pigeons that can take on without a problem 400-500km weekly.
How do you do that in a matter of training?
At the beginning it is once a day until they really know well who must go on which loft and make a full hour. When the season approaches, I switch onto one hour twice a day. They do this without hesitation and when they take off during 40 minutes on Wednesdays you know you are in a good position. They also get a bath on Wednesday and when they plunge in with a lot of eager you can basket with a peaceful heart.
The day of basketing is different each day or not?
Yes and no, I try to keep a bit to a fixed schedule in a matter of timing but in a matter of motivation I try to adjust the loft along the season continues. This is how the get food between 16 and 17h. I do this every day so normally they eat well. If not, I try to postpone everything for half an hour or an hour until they eat. You must feel what the pigeons need and eating on the last day is especially important to me.
After feeding I leave the old hens of the double widowhood together with their cock for half an hour, when I take them out I leave the pigeons of the total widowhood together and they will be together for half an hour when I’m finished with the first group. When I took the first group, the 2nd range of hens can sit with their cocks for half an hour and during that time I take the pigeons of the total widowhood and when I’m ready there it is time for the last group and this is how they all got motivated during half an hour.
With the group of the chaos system I use extra motivation week after week, I put even more boxes on the floor so that they can look for their own territory and things like that. Motivation is one of the most important things in a matter of top racing next to training hard.
At arrival from the first races the pigeons of the total widowhood the pigeons just fly in between each other and choose themselves where they want to sit. This is not at the same spot each week; I have pigeons that do this, but the pigeons know or feel best where they want to be. It is really all about feeling well on the loft, which is especially important for the young birds. The other group of the double widowhood do not sit together that long as I always must leave them with their cocks in two groups, afterwards it can be for several hours that they can stay together. I surely do not want to demotivate any hens and the goal has always been to shine on the national races. Now there was from the first official race a middle-distance race (Melun) on the program which made me believe that a top season was possible.
Guidance
The racing pigeons got in Spring Beyers Enzymix Recup 748 until they raced 200km, this is perfectly doable with this mixture. Afterwards I switch onto to Beyers Galaxy Light and Energy Plus for the heavier work. The last 4 x it is only Energy Plus mixed with Brilliant Beyers and after each training they get pealed peanuts together with candy.
When the pigeons get just as this year week after week a national race, they get directly the first day after the race Galaxy Light and no Recup mixture will be given anymore
For the extra products as support I especially use the Röhnfried products, Blitz together with Carni Speed or Carni Speed together with Hexenbeer, BT-Amin Forte and Rotosal together with Mumm at arrival in the drinking water. At basketing I always give C.M.K. from Brockamp.
In a matter of medical guidance, I always go for a check up to Raf Herbots from Velm. The pigeons have a check-up in Spring and during the season every fortnight. This year they were treated in Spring during 14 days with Cosimix and vaccinated against paratyphoid. They also got a cure against trichomoniases that period and then it was waiting until the week prior to Bourges I where they got something again. When there is something found during a check-up we treat again, otherwise not. The airways are being treated once a month from the moment the national races start. In a matter of vaccinations, the old pigeons only get the obliged once against paramyxo and paratyphoid as mentioned above.
Young birds
After his top season with the old and yearling pigeons Ronny Menten wanted according yearly tradition perform well with his youngsters. As Bourges was postponed for 14 days due to the hot weather, he chose not to race the 1st National race out of Chateauroux but hit from Bourges on. When you then can close up with a 3rd and 4th National Chateauroux against 15,322 youngsters on the very last race and a 6th National Bourges against 28,551 youngsters you know that he has once again a super yearling racing team ready for next season. ‘Mister Bourges’ is becoming more and more ‘Mr National’.
Top 100 + per 100 National youngsters on 3 national races
3 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
4 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
6 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
29 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
45 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
55 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
57 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
67 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
94 Nat Argenton 23,280 youngsters
101 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
106 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
134 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
140 Nat Argenton 23,280 youngsters
147 Nat Chateauroux 15,322 youngsters
160 Nat Argenton 23,280 youngsters
173 Nat Argenton 23,280 youngsters
175 Nat Argenton 23,280 youngsters
203 Nat Argenton 23,280 youngsters
254 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
255 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
257 Nat Bourges 28,551 youngsters
How are the youngsters being prepared for the season?
They get in Spring just a vaccination against paramyxo and small pocks. I do not like too many vaccinations. I rather take care of the fact that they like being on the lofts, train and eat well. When this is all on point the condition will follow automatically when they race the kilometres which are the correct distance for them from 400km on.
In a matter of food, we give them in Spring Beyers Enzymix Recup 748 in the morning and in the evening Galaxy Light. The goal is mainly to get experience on the national races which count as parameter to be able to become a part of the yearling team. Mostly the sexes will be separated about 14 days prior to Bourges to be able to enjoy a maximum of 6 weeks of the widowhood. They especially did short distance races in preparation of the national races; they did 2 middle distance races with in between again short distance races. Once they are on the national, they go there week after week and get the same guidance as the old pigeons.
Toppers of the season of 2020
BE 18-3003778 “Corina” Blue hen
Breeder: Gino Clicque
1 Nat Ace bird Greater Middle distance old KBDB 2020
1 Nat Ace bird Greater Middle distance old (5 KBDB races) 2020
3 Nat Argenton 16,762b 550km
10 Nat Gueret 7,175b 580km
32 Nat Issoudun 10,603b 496km
33 Nat Chateauroux 20,800b 520km
119 Nat La Souterraine 9,469b 584km
Father: BE 16-3144152 Son Mario 152 – Gino Clicque
Gr.F. BE 11-3172003 Mario – Gino Clicque
Won himself 1 Nat Limoges 7,221b – 88 Nat Argenton 7,046b
Grandfather to 2 Nat Limoges 10,788b – 14 Nat Ace bird LD KBDB
Son to “BE 03-643” Rode Ridder x “BE 08-511” Chequered Pierre Ameye
Gr.M. BE 15-3050609 Lucia – Gino Clicque
Won herself 2 Nat Agen 2,932b ( 2 I.Nat dv 2,016b – 16 I.Nat 9,043b )
½ sister “Red Filip” 2 Nat Cahors 7,140b – 6 Nat Souillac 5,282b
Daughter to “BE 09-071” Young Lucien x “BE 11-197” Blue white pin
Mother BE 16-3142114 Daughter Red Filip – Gino Clicque
½ sister “Golden Star” 1 I. Nat Ace bird hens over 3 International races
Gr.F. BE 11-3008153 Red Filip – Gino Clicque
Won himself 2 Nat Cahors 7,140b – 6 Nat Souillac 5,282b – 56 Nat Libourne 6,658b
Grandfather to 1 Nat Ace bird ELD KBDB 2018
Son to “BE 09-071” Young Lucien x “BE 09-490” Didi Design
Gr.M. BE 11-3008317 Blue – Gino Clicque
Daughter to “BE 08-856” Son Bijter x “BE 08-836” Daughter Zidane 836
BE 19-2036258 “Golden Lady” Chequered hen
4 Nat Issoudun 18,175b
15 Nat Argenton 26,085b
171 Nat Chateauroux 22,476b
Nestsister to “259/19” won 45 Nat Issoudun 18,175b
Father BE 18-204328 Special 328 – Menten Ronny
Brother to 14 Nat Bourges 23,854b
Gr.F. BE 14-2315309 Brother Miss Avrilla – Menten Ronny
Brother “Miss Avrilla” 5 Nat Gueret 16,262b
Son to “BE 09-137” Witte Avril Jos Thone x “BE 06-618” G Verbruggen
Gr.M. BE 13-2185606 Sister Special Eye – Menten Ronny
“Special Eye” won 18 Nat Bourges 18,864b – 31 Nat Gueret 12,516b
Daughter to “BE 12-815” Olav Veulemans – Perilleux x “BE 12-512” Daughter Golden Pair
Mother BE 18-2146622 Golden 622 – Menten Ronny
Gr.F. BE 16-2115081 Golden Tulle – Menten Ronny
Won 1 Nat Tulle 9,586b ( fastest against 17,035b )
Son to “BE 13-730” Presly x “BE 14-383” Golden Belle
Gr.M. BE 15-3050983 Blue- Gino Clicque
Super breeding hen
Mother to “Super Alicia” 6 x TOP 100 National – 8 Nat Argenton 22,712b –
21 Nat Argenton 19,592b – 46 Nat Chateauroux 14,955b
Daughter to “BE 13-989” Grandson Super Prince x “BE 12-792” Daughter Pacha
Congratulations from the whole Siegel Team
Loft
Winner
