The Billion Dollar hen represents the best of the original van den Bosch/Janssen bloodlines. The Meulemans dynasty began with a dark check white flight cock (67 BELG 672992) Karl Meulemans obtained from Joseph van den Bosch when mated to a blue Janssen hen owned by Adrian Wouters. (The van den Bosch pigeons, incidentally, were the base pigeons for the Huyskens van Riel.) In The Billion Dollar Hen’s background the Young Merckx and Oude Witoger can also be found, original Janssen Brothers pigeons at their best.

Here is her short pedigree:

In 1990, after a business trip to Notre Dame University, in South Bend, Indiana, I stopped off to visit Mike Ganus. The purpose of my visit was to obtain a pair of Meulemans to cross into my Janssens. Mike suggested I take a small BCWF daughter of the Million Dollar Cock and a grandson of Kadet. If memory serves, Mike told me he had tried a number of different hens with the Million Dollar Cock, but the cock was fussy and would only mate to a granddaughter of Young Merckx. Thus, although Mike wrote Meuleman on the pedigree, this hen would be more accurately labeled a van den Bosch/Janssen. He bred seven youngsters from the mating and the little hen was the last one left. The price was a bit steep for my pocketbook -- $1,000 - but I trust Mike’s judgement and the Billion Dollar Hen has rewarded me with many excellent offspring.

Over the years I have given as gifts, donated to auctions and sold for nominal amounts many of The Billion Dollar Hen’s youngsters in the hopes they would find themselves in the right hands and build a reputation. This bloodline is under-appreciated among racing pigeon enthusiasts, however the reputation is growing steadily. The Billion Dollar Hen bred one of my best widowhood cocks, de2000, who won:

• 8th vs. 2900 old birds 281 Lofts 300 miles
• 17th vs. 4570 old birds 415 Lofts Northeast Union Race 400 miles
• 31st vs. 3684 old birds 324 Lofts 200miles
• 44th vs. 2609 old birds 243 Lofts 400 miles

He also won futurity money and club diplomas as a young bird. He was always 1st or 2nd to the loft.

De2000 is also one of our best breeding cocks. One de 2000 daughter we flew won a 1st club. A second daughter has proven to be a great breeder for Gerald Hebert, producing Ace Old Bird, Ace Yearling, and Ace Bird of the Year in the Michiana Combine along with Racing Pigeon Digest Ace Pigeon honors when flown by Harold Lamons, as well as multiple diploma winners. The sire to the Ace Pigeon was a Hofkens.

A grandson of the Billion Dollar Hen that is the result of a cross with Hofkens is tearing things up in the North Texas Concourse as a yearling this year (2002) for Hilmar Sibley. After three races the grandson has won seven club, combine and concourse diplomas, and is in contention for Champion Bird.

Another grandson that was bred from a Billion Dollar Hen son and one of my Fabrys won $1,000 in 2001 for Steve and Linda Joneli in Washington.

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