The 2024 season was looked forward to with excitement and some uncertainty, after a brazen theft in the previous autumn had led to the loss of 21 racing hens, including the best in the RV and the third best female in the RV. This left only 16 females to travel. An attempt was made to set up a reception committee for the traveling birds using late young birds and some animals from friendly breeders. But it worked as usual and all titles in the RV were won except for the best ace female. The travel performance was 74%. This meant that a percentage of over 70 was achieved for the 12th time. In the RegV, the animals won the 1st RegV yearling championship, the RegV championship and with the '49' and the '41' they provided the best yearling bird and the best yearling female and with the '83' the second best yearling bird in the RegV. The Fröhlingsdorfs were monthly champions twice in the magazine Brieftaubensport International. They started with 59 young pigeons and still had 53 after the sixth flight. This led to the first championship in the RV.

The course of the year was as usual. In mid-February the racing team was paired. All pairs raised two young. After 14 days they were separated, one young bird moved with the females in their compartment, one remained with the bird. From March 1st they were allowed to fly freely, initially without being forced. In April the team was taken away for a maximum of three times for 10 km.

To ensure their health, products fromRöhnfried were used. Three to four times Witches' Beer, one or two days of Blitzform on the day of return and one day before starting Bt-Amin forte, as well as K+K Protein 3000. All products are given over the feed and, if necessary, dried with herb-vegetable mix or brewer's yeast.

Closely connected with the Fröhlingsdorf loft is the name Josef, the bird that, in addition to good travel performance, has anchored its powerful genes in the line. He is still alive and is getting his well-earned retirement. In order to avoid too much inbreeding, Georg is always on the lookout for matches for the successful line. New additions are made every year, but it is very difficult to find the right one. “Only a few of them hit the target,” is our experience.

What advice do you have for less successful sports fans?

“First of all, look for the reasons in yourself, in the way you keep them and in the pigeons. Things only started to go better for us when I changed and improved the ventilation. And then you have to be lucky enough to get good pigeons.”

How did the 2023 racing year go, and were there any special events?

“In summary, one can say that the 2023 season was characterized by strong easterly winds at the beginning. However, this did not affect the racing performance, which was still an impressive 72 percent. The losses were within normal limits. At the beginning the top prices that had been present in previous years were missing, but this changed over the course of the season. The young pigeon races also went normally with low losses. I vaccinated my pigeons once with RP, which was sufficient for the young pigeons.”

What changes have you made compared to last season and what is your conclusion?

“Basically, I took part in the 2023 racing season again with both birds and hens. I did not make any changes to my system and stuck with the tried and tested. I have no plans to change anything in 2024 either. The performance was more than satisfactory, so there is no reason to make adjustments.”

Which Röhnfried products are particularly important to you and how do you use them?

“The products that are crucial for me during the racing season are Blitzform, Carni-Speed, Bt-Amin forte, Hexenbier and K+K Protein 3000.

I give the pigeons Carni-Speed ​​six times a week to improve their condition and encourage them to enjoy flying. During the week, the pigeons are given Blitzform twice and Hexenbier four times, which strengthens their vitality and immune system. Blitzform gives the pigeons clean throats, clear eyes, snow-white nose warts, shiny plumage and pink breast meat. At the beginning of the week, the pigeons receive K+K Protein 3000 to replenish the protein reserves used up, promote muscle building and strengthen the immune system. This is supplemented by Bt-Amin forte. This combination gives the pigeons optimal flight behavior and a perfect down moult.'

Which event was particularly successful for you in 2023?

'The most outstanding pigeon of 2023 was bird 03318-22-1441, which achieved 13/12 prizes and 1068 AS points. It was also the best bird in regional association 407. The young bird trip was completed with an impressive travel performance of 54 percent.'