Moult!

[Steve Wise]

Just a general query to ask how people keep their birds during the moult?
Obviously different people have different preferences. Free-loft or Tethered?
Netti x

[Hobby]

Always think it is a differcult one to justify keeping your hawk,which is used to being flown and hunted, tethered without flying for such a long period. Surely any bird can be free lofted given the right accomodation.

[HawkMan69UK]

freelofted during moult and hunting season keeps fitness up at all times but not all birds allow this could end up with broken feathers... you have to judge each bird on individual basis

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Have to do both as we dont have enough space to free loft everything. Most birds that are tethered are flown during the molt though.

[Hobby]

freelofted during moult and hunting season keeps fitness up at all times but not all birds allow this could end up with broken feathers... you have to judge each bird on individual basis
I agree, but Can a setup i.e a seclusion type of accomodation with barred window not work even for the most skitish of hawks.

[HawkMan69UK]

I agree, but Can a setup i.e a seclusion type of accomodation with barred window not work even for the most skitish of hawks.not quite sure the question prob me being dumb ..but if in a seclusion thers no reson for a skitish hawk if it cant see you...the barred windows mean its not seclusion ,,,,,??????

[Hobby]

not quite sure the question prob me being dumb ..but if in a seclusion thers no reson for a skitish hawk if it cant see you...the barred windows mean its not seclusion ,,,,,??????
Sorry probably not worded very well,
What I mean is that surely any hawk can be free lofted during the moult and this would be the best arrangement for the bird.All the requirement would be is that the accomodation matched the nature of the bird i.e seclusion for birds that would become most unsettled and variations of this accomodation with windows for the hawks that are more relaxed leading to open flights for the most calm.

[HawkMan69UK]

understand now mate and you are correct:supz:

[Harrisii]

my birds are free lofted year round.
why tether if you have the space to give free flight.

[Saker-Sucker]

my mHH is free lofted all year; only on occaisions is he teathered but the Saker is teathered 90% of the time.
I found that she begins to go mental after 3 days lose!!!

[GregMik]

I tether. I find that a freelofted bird left to thier own will become standoffish and more difficult to reclaim at the end of the molt. I also have a weathering yrd and a tall perch in the house. The birds are moved often. Tasha and I have a Passage Gos a Male HH and a Passage 2nd yr Male Red. The Harris could probably be Freelofted and I may build one this spring. I just got him last August and is my first HH. I know of allot of PPL that freeloft as well as tether. It is all up to personnal preference and the temperment of the bird.

Greg

[Hawkmaster]

I personally prefer to moult birds by free lofting them in my current situation, but I must add that in South Africa when we had mainly passage birds we used to tether, for the same reasons Greg just mentioned.

[Kanati]

they are free lofted and i will fly them through the molt. but have one hawk (female harris) that is currently free lofted that will be teathered soon, and needs to stay that way for my own safety. At the moment I cant get near her without fear of death! I think free lefted is the way to go if you can, but all birds are different.