A message for beginners

[Pitbull]

Well I thought i would share this experience as i am new to this myself.

If owning a BOP you should know your flying weight and hunting weight. When I first got my MHH I found that his reponse weight at first was 1lb 4oz His flying weight was 1lb 3 3/4 and if I knocked off another 1/4 he was catching the rabbits. eventually trying too bring him up a little but not working. Anything over 1lb 4 he would just sit in the tree.
Last week I thought there was something wrong about him..there just wasnt that spark about him...so I had just gutted a roe deer and thought I would crop him up to the max as much as he would take, after atotal gorge I weighed him at 1lb 11oz. gadually brining him down the last coupla days I thought i would be bringing him down to the same weight, but today out flying he was 1lb 4 3/4, and looking at his reactions and feeling his keel i will probably be able to go another 1/4oz. Good quality food plus a rest I think has given me a far fitter and heavier bird. I also should mention I never feed my bird DOCs, but what he catches, and what i shoot, rabbit, chickens, etc etc
I dont know if this is of any use to anyone but maybe something for the newer people to consider.

[Sprout]

Don't under estimate DOC's - nutritionally there is nothing wrong with them and more balanced than a lot of food items. For beginners just getting birds going or manning etc feeding rabbit/deer etc can be dangerous as most will only feed the muscle - this isn't a balanced diet and will only be balanced if the bird eats the whole carcass (not likely when just starting out as generally weight will be reducing).
I personally think scales are a dangerous item for inexperienced people to have - I have know birds killed by people sticking too rigidly to weight - they were told by the breeder or friend etc that their bird WILL fly at such and such weight so they stick to that weight, not understanding how to judge a birds response and correlate it with feeling its condition. Learn to fly a bird on response and condition, not weight. Weighing is a part of this but totally meaningless unless you understand how it works.

[Coedhirion]

I feed rabbit and Docs, but abot twice a week I give a higher value meal. Either rat, quail, pheasant or woodcock. won't feed shot game as i'm too scared of the pellets. Watch out tho if you push the weight up beyond the tree sitting stage, The MHH will either start to wander as he wont need you, or buzz off completely. HH weights vary so much, tho I found I have to lower my birds weight later in the season as he starts flying check. The quarry gets cleverer and often more elusive.

[Minty]

DOC with supplements...........No problem!

[Pitbull]

i have no objections too people using doc.. i wont touch them, i like too feed naturally reared....everything shot is air rifle slug too the head.... i hate supplements, wont use them on myself farless my bird.... I can see what your saying sprout. but regarding large game, if it was lying dead in the wild a Bop isnt going too be able too eat a whole one. He does imo get a balanced diet, including fur and bone.
The write was was just too say really for those new to the sport that just because you have him to his weight it shouldnt just be kept there. Theres not just one magic number, as the more experienced one will tell you. through the season their weight will be going up and down all over the place.

[Sean]

sprout, i was wonderign about my birds diet, i was hopign u could help.

i feed about 30%steak 30%rabbit 30%chick and 10% of liver and kidney, so long as its nice and red. also give raptor essentials twice a week. do you think thios is a good balance diet? as im having problems finding quail and pinkies

[Sprout]

I'd forget the steak - high in phosphorus and very low in calcium and very little else, feed more chicks. Most chick suppliers should also be able to supplky other things such as rats, quail, guinea pig etc - feeding whole carcass is better.

[Tr1gger]

gadually brining him down the last coupla days I thought i would be bringing him down to the same weight, but today out flying he was 1lb 4 3/4, and looking at his reactions and feeling his keel i will probably be able to go another 1/4oz. Good quality food plus a rest I think has given me a far fitter and heavier bird.

I think ur harris' could prob go up more than a 1/4 but still take it slowly and find out for urself, i or anybody for tht matter cant tell u how ur bird is goin to preform, we can just advise u

I can see what your saying sprout. but regarding large game, if it was lying dead in the wild a Bop isnt going too be able too eat a whole one. He does imo get a balanced diet, including fur and bone.

The BoP in the wild eat alot more than our birds do though as they usually need to fill themselfs, also they will not just feed off the body as it wont hav a hole in it where it was gutted, they will eat the liver and other bits and peices which give a balance to the diet, again somthing we dont let our birds do generally

[Sean]

thanks, i get chicks from the hatchery tho, they dont do quail or anything. but there is a reptile shop in the city centre that do rats, just very pricey, but will be good for the moult i guess ;)

cheers m8

[Tr1gger]

Rats and quail r pricey for a reason, they are brilliant quality food for BoP

[BrianM]

for some reason my birds have never liked rats,,

[Pitbull]

[quote=Tr1gger]I think ur harris' could prob go up more than a 1/4 but still take it slowly and find out for urself, i or anybody for tht matter cant tell u how ur bird is goin to preform, we can just advise u

He is flying really well at 1lb43/4 and we are taking his weight upto 1lb.5oz as he is still very responsive. Shady is a small harris though but if he is responsive then we will go with him and his responses. He has got alot fitter and is making some stunning flights and lofting well. We shall see what we end the year at as we got him late in the season. When he is feed rabbit he always gets bones and fur for casting.

[Sean]

when i say pricey i mean 2.70 and that was last year when i checked lol i bet its up more now

[Tr1gger]

when i say pricey i mean 2.70 and that was last year when i checked lol i bet its up more now

They must be bloody big rats then

[FlameHairedFalconer]

....

[Sprout]

See what I mean, confusing already quoting weights. Forget the weight and learn how to judge the birds on feeling its condition and its response!

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Alright Sprout - my answer above was to illustrate how one hawks weight does or does not change over a considerable period of time. However I will now delete that posting, just in case someone decides its gospel.

FHF

[Sprout]

Sorry FHF, wasn't having a go, thought it was a useful post and what you were saying was right but it just seems confusing to beginners when all peoole talk about is weight.