Jan Aarden Breeding Pairs for 2004

Range: Distance Origins: Visser, Van Geel, Pegel, Ponderosa, Peperstraten. General Usage: An excellent distance line well suited to the longer, tougher races. They are particularly effective when crossed to Janssens to produce general distance racers. Also effective in a three way cross for producing futurity birds that might be called upon to race through tough weather (e.g. Van Loon X (Janssen X Jan Aarden)). Characteristics: Some handle very nicely, but for some there is a tendancy for the hens to be small and for the "backs" to be weak as well as light muscling. They are a later maturing line and so they will sometimes outgrow these handling deficiencies. They seldom fight when their beak is pulled (a common grading practice in California). Wings are usually loose structured, though some will appear tight until they relax in the hand.

We acquired the Jan Aardens for the long distance races.

The foundation birds have come from a number of top sources. Eight birds were purchased from Rick Mardis (Continental Breeding Station) in 1994. A short time later the Aarden flock of Dave Anderson (Utah) was added. Most of these originated from Rick Mardis and Jim Richesin (Turlock, California). In 1997 Jim Richesin's foundation hen was added. Finally, a number of key animals were added from distance specialist Gary Chin (Sloughouse, California) and Larry Ault (Ukiah, California).

We have been careful to maintain separate sub-families as we have worked with the Aardens, along with a composite family that we have built up from the best of the group. Except for a distant Delbar hen behind two of the Chin cocks, all of the source birds have been kept straight and not mixed with other lines. I have allowed this inasmuch as the Delbars are a distance family and many of the base pigeons in Jan Aarden's own loft were the progeny of Delbar's "Klein Lichte".