We are in close contact with the users of our respiratory protection equipment. Their experiences are extremely valuable to us, and their comments serve as inspiration for future developments. For this interview, we visited Jan Karsten, a successful pigeon keeper who, with his many years of experience, knows every aspect of the sport.
Pigeon racing
What is pigeon racing like in the Netherlands and Belgium? Is it a big sport, or not really?
Absolutely, pigeon racing is a major sport. Not only in the Netherlands and Belgium, but from almost every corner of the world you hear about pigeon racing. Unfortunately, it is also a very expensive sport, so for enthusiasts on a tight budget it is not always easy to compete with many pigeons. It is also difficult for young members — they often need help from their parents or other pigeon keepers to get started.
What does a day in pigeon racing look like? What all does it involve?
In summer, when the races begin, I release the cocks (male pigeons) at 7 a.m., then clean the loft, set everything up (water, feed and a bath), and around 8 a.m. I call them back inside. Once the cocks are back in, I release the young pigeons, prepare everything for them as well, and I repeat this with the hens and the breeding pigeons. I am usually finished with this whole process around 10 a.m. Because I'm on disability benefits, I have plenty of time for this. When I was still working I could only give them some feed in the morning because I had to leave early. I often also spend my afternoons on training hours for my pigeons, letting a different group of pigeons fly around every hour.
Lung problems caused by pigeons
Online you sometimes read stories of people developing lung problems in pigeon racing — is that common? And is there anything that can be done about it?
The very fine pigeon dust is the biggest problem, which is why I keep the loft windows open day and night for air circulation. As an extra measure, I also have an extraction system in my loft. Through my former work as a bricklayer's pointer at construction companies, I was exposed to a lot of fine dust, and combined with my love of keeping pigeons I have unfortunately inhaled quite a bit of fine dust over the years. The drawback of fine dust is that the problems only appear after many years, and even then they are often not taken seriously. Especially among older pigeon keepers, you frequently hear that lung problems flare up. With good protection you can prevent a lot, but unfortunately people don't always think of it.
Arbin mask as protection against pigeon fancier's lung
You are a loyal customer of the Kite — you even have two of them! How did you discover the Kite? Have you ever tried other dust masks or face masks?
In 1996 I started having problems with my lungs. My GP referred me straight to the lung specialist and I soon ended up in hospital. After the lung specialist told me I had pigeon fancier's lung, he said I had to get rid of my pigeons and that I wasn't allowed to go home until the pigeons were gone. I was extremely upset and, after some thought, I quietly left the hospital. When I got home I thought about how I should move forward. Getting rid of my pigeons was not an option — the pigeons were my passion. I started looking for a solution and through the company Koudijs in Epe I obtained a 3M dust helmet with a P2 filter. Unfortunately I kept having lung problems even with this helmet, so I had to look for something else. Luckily, not long after, the solution did come — Koudijs started selling the Kite from Arbin Safety Products as well. The P3 filter offers perfect protection against the fine dust from the pigeons. Twenty-five years on, thanks to the Kite, I still have my pigeons!