Jelle Jellema also writes history in 2019, having a season that the vast majority of pigeon lovers dream of. He managed the performance to finish in the top 100 at every long distance race that was hosted by ZLU or NPO. With the third prize in Barcelona, ​​the sixth in Narbonne, the sixth and seventh in the NPO Perigueux, the name of Jelle Jellema is becoming more and more known in the world of pigeon fanciers. His numerous top results have led to a number of important titles in the championships.
As many of you may know, for many years, Jelle raced with her father Ultsje in Steggerda, Friesland, and managed to achieve important victories together. The most important races that the two won are: General International Long Distance 2002, International Ruffec 2003, National Loft Champion Multiday Long Distance 2007, International Long Distance 2007. At these races they managed to win the 1st and 2nd places, which which began to bring them fame among pigeon lovers.
Starting in 2009, he started racing alone in the Nijverdal. The first years were not easy for Jelle, but starting with 2012, everything started to go well, as shown by the qualifications and titles obtained since then.
According to Jelle, there are many factors that determine one's success in the sport of pigeon racing. These factors are as follows, in order of importance:
⦁ Ensuring a good home for pigeons

An important factor is that the place for the dovecote should be positioned facing south.
The length of the dovecote must be considerable (at least 25 meters). This space must be divided into several sections, in each section having to be populated with pigeons on various categories (youth, older racing pigeons, etc.). Another important factor in ensuring good housing is the ventilation system used. The first ventilation system is the storage system (the ceiling is closed and the air enters only through the open window), and the second system is the chimney or chimney (the air enters the corn through grilles near the front of the corn). Jelle initially used the speaker system, but noticed that it was not very effective. Together with Bennie van Dijk and other pigeon fanciers, they managed to modify the ventilation system, namely they mounted panels on the ceiling of each section that could be opened, and the highest part of the roof was opened. At each section they closed the doors, but mounted small hatches in the doors, so that the pigeons could move easily from one compartment to another. Even though the ventilation system was fixed, Jelle noticed that the pigeon was quite dark, which could lead to poor pigeon performance. Thus, he painted the interior walls white, managing to find the best living conditions for the pigeons. If one of these conditions is not met, the pigeons will not be able to perform, even if they are the best racing pigeons.
⦁ Very good care
In Jelle's opinion, a pigeon should always have enough food. Of
that should always be fed abundantly throughout the year. When in high season, Jelle recommends extra portions that contain fatty seeds, such as hemp and peanut seeds. Vaccination is mandatory because it helps pigeons to create the natural resistance they need, so in January it is recommended that pigeons be vaccinated against paratyphoid fever and paramyxovirus, and young pigeons will be vaccinated against pustules. In addition to vaccination, Jelle recommends deworming once a year in April.
⦁ A good pedigree

Currently, Jelle's colony is based mainly on pigeons from Piter

Beerda Beerda (Ter Idzard) and Zwart Goud. Jelle really wanted to keep the exceptional qualities of these top pigeons. For 20 years, together with specialists in the field, they managed to reproduce a top pigeon that would be good for selective mating. For the selective mating he used the Saffier pigeon, which recorded very good results many times. The pigeons resulting from the mating were paired with other top pigeons from pigeon fanciers Arjan Beens, Harold Zwiers and Nico Volkens. Following these matings, success was guaranteed. However, Jelle has the following advice: “If you do not have a top pigeon that has proven its abilities several times, do not try selective mating. Instead you can try crossover; it is the shortest path to success. ”
⦁ Strict selection
As a breeder, both Jelle and the other pigeon fanciers are looking for
pigeons that can fly at night as well as in the morning. A very important factor in this regard is daily training. Therefore, for all pigeons in a pigeon, a strict training program must be organized for them both during the day and at night.
⦁ A good racing strategy
At the beginning of each season, Jelle prefers to compete in pigeons that are in a
12th day of mating. Thus, the pigeon that is in the mating period will want to return home. He also managed to teach pairs of chickens to fly in the dark over time. Jelle never mates one-year-old pigeons, as she has noticed that half of them will not pass the selection he makes, which is true for the next few years. He is aware that 2-3 marathons are too much for a one-year-old pigeon, but a strict selection is necessary to maintain a strong racing team. The ability of a pigeon to fly at night, or at least part of the night, is absolutely necessary to compete with the best. Jelle believes that today's pigeons are able to fly longer distances, but this is not a very good sport.