Dirk Van Dick Visit, Belgium 2014

They change the doves regularly. (One of the best breeding females of Klaus’, a sister of “Daisy” has spent 3 days in Dirk’s breeding and now breeds in the lofts of Team Florea Sorin from Bucharest). Taking into consideration the doves that Mr. Sorin already has from Klaus Stieneker, Jan Hooymans and Gerard Koopman, doves that are inheritors of the Van Dick line, the visit at Van Dick was an absolutely normal thing, just like the order of 20 squabs of the best doves and breeders the latter has- including at least 2 offsprings from the famous “Di Caprio”-, order that Mr. Sorin made.

The doves were not the only topic for discussion at this visit, as Dirk is very fond of cage birds, just like Mr. Sorin. This year Mr. Sorin will send Dirk 5 champion slavujar canaries , as a token of respect; Dirk was very impressed by their singing, as he watched some films with them on Mr. Sorin’s site. Thus, there were long talks between the dove fanciers from 3 countries (Belgium, Germany and Romania), about the same topic: the dove. *Dirk: “In 1988 I bought Belg 88 – 6240603 at Gummar Leysen’s auction.

This one was a son of Gummar’s best birds from those years, Belg 86- 6114203, a dove that won the 1st place 11 times , as an yearling and had been declared a County Ace . I had him mate with a female from Marien-Royberghs, Belg 89- 6202092. This female was an offspring of a family of Aces. From this pair,” Rambo”, Belg 93- 6621023 was born. In 1994 this one won the 1st place 3 times, in the powerful county of Antwerp and so, I kept it in the matca. This one was mated with “Het Laatje” Belg 90- 6652120 and so, 2 offsprings were born as sons of the 2 doves: “Bourges” and “Kaanibaal”- Belg 95-6246005 .

”Kannibaal” was thus nicknamed by my good friend Eddy Janssen , like the legendary Belgian biker Eddie Merckx, nicknamed “Kannibaal”, due to the way he was overcoming his opponents. *Dirk:” Due to my experience I reached a conclusion that during the summertime, we should not have more than 30 Celsius degrees, because higher temperatures are an extra stress for the doves and less oxygen.” * Dirk:”From that time when “Kannibaal” became a National Ace, our phone was ringing continuously, 365 days per year, and we have visitors every day.” *Dirk:” My widowed doves are trained 2 times a day for 40 minutes, in the morninga at 7 a.m. and in the evening at 6 p.m.. Right after the training we feed them.

The widowed females are flying only in the morning in the first part of the season, right after the males. After the offsprings become widows, the adult females are flying around the house, together with the female offsprings, these ones motivating the others to fly more and more intensively. Before the season I organize 5 personal trainings from 60 kilometers at the most. *Dirk:”I let the offsprings fly “in the darkness”.

Beginning with the 1st of March , they have the light only between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thus , the doves are kept till the beginning of May. As for the males offsprings, they are taken away from this program earlier, at the beginning of May, because some of them will fly with the big team , for the National Races for the offsprings.

If I keep them in te darkness too long, there’s a risk for them to shed their feathering.” Thomas Gyselbrecht admires the best yearlingthat Dirk had in 2013; that dove became a County Ace. *Dirk:”Kannibaal” was a very special pigeon, with an exceptional territorial instinct. It always had its pigeon box down, on the down line and thus, the floor of the loft was 100% controlled by it.No other male could get closer to its box, because it was the boss and that was its territory. When he was fit, he was always moving around.

All day long he was moving, he was singing and flying in the loft. It was bloated like a balloon, and he was training itself round the aviary like a fanatic. Its arrivals were always spectacular; it was entering the sputnik directly from its flight.” *Dirk:”Regarding the motivation, “Kannibaal” taught me an interesting method. Under the last line of boxes there is a space of 30 centimeters height.

There I keep the nesting and other necessary things. During the week before the last flight of the career, I saw Kannibaal trying to enter and explore that space. As if the loft and the box were not enough. About one hour before its last flight , I opened the door of that space and I allowed it and its female to enter the space. From there I took it and embarked it.

After that stage it became an Ace for Middle Distance Belgium 1996!!!” *Dirk:”It’s important for me that every offspring should be able to fly within 8 stages , with distances between 300-400 kilometers , and that with top results. Only this matters for me. If the offsprings stay in the transport basket every week-end, then only the best will remain for the final race. For the last years, I have very tough selections for my offsprings. The offsprings fly at the beginning two stages of 110 kilometers, but I don’t consider the timing, as I consider these just trainings.

After that, they participate in 2 stages of 220 kilometers, one of 300 kilometers, and one of 365 kilometers. The offsprings that don’t get top places are immediately eliminated from the race. After that , the best offsprings participate in 8-9 stages for Middle Distance races, with distances between 300-400 kilometers.

After these flights, the best females take part in the national stage ,with distances between 460-600 kilometers.” Together with a son of the legendary “Kannibaal”; Together with a young breeder from 2013, one of Dirk’s favourite females, a crossing of Van Dick’s and Hooyman’s pigeons; Together with the legendary “Di Caprio”, the next “Kannibaal” in the breeding aviaries of Dirk; It is well-known that Dirk never sold his Aces.

 

Yet, after long negociations, Mr. Sorin convinced Dirk that at the end of the season, he should sell to him the best pigeon from 2013, a dove that will fly this year, too.

 Team Florea Sorin promotes the pigeon sport at the highest level!!!