Birds quieting in the moult

[Sean]

How long does it take for a noisey bird to quiet down at top weight?
thanks

[OutFlying]

some don't

[Palmer]

Myn has

[Tim Laycock]

some don't
Especialy HHs

[Berkut]

I found with a noisy harris hawk the best thing was first of all put duck tape round its beak and then cover the whole head in duck tape.The bird looks very strange but it is very effective.:)

[MickeyDredd]

Duck tape is only intended for use on ducks, not BOP!! :wink:

I think you need to go on a course!!

[Barbary Boy]

I found with a noisy harris hawk the best thing was first of all put duck tape round its beak and then cover the whole head in duck tape.The bird looks very strange but it is very effective.:)
there is an operation! called the decrow operation which i beleive is used in the usa , its not illegal in the uk but is "frowned on" so you will never find a vet prepaired to perform it. or you could cut the birds throat yourself? before the neighbours do it for you. lol

[Berkut]

there is an operation! called the decrow operation which i beleive is used in the usa , its not illegal in the uk but is "frowned on" so you will never find a vet prepaired to perform it. or you could cut the birds throat yourself? before the neighbours do it for you. lol
You could aways just pull the head off it.I heard that,s what you do all night when they won,t let you out during your 24hr shift ( sorry different thread )

[Barbary Boy]

You could aways just pull the head off it.I heard that,s what you do all night when they won,t let you out during your 24hr shift ( sorry different thread )
that would be seen as politically incorrect and very inappropriate m8?lol

[Tim Laycock]

Pulling the head off it wont make your Harris quiet :rolleyes:

[GosFlyer]

Pulling the head off it wont make your Harris quiet :rolleyes:

taxidermy will:rolleyes:

[Talon]

You could aways just pull the head off it.I heard that,s what you do all night when they won,t let you out during your 24hr shift ( sorry different thread )

your joking.they wont even give him a teabreak never mind a w*nkbreak.lol

[OwlsFoot]

THINK THIS HAS GONE A LITTLE OFF THREAD :twisted:

[Shaun Byrne]

Sean, have you got him completely enclosed or is he in an open aviary?

[Sean]

well thank use for ballsing up my thread. anyway... hawka he was in an half enclosed avairy, so he could see teh garden but not the hosue, but i took the front of and he can see teh hosue now too, so thats why hes soo noisey lol. any ideas?

[Berkut]

Sean,
Sorry,just thought that as good advice had been given,it would be good for some friendly banter.
All the best.

[Johnny Abbott]

sean harrisis that normally make a noise tend to quieten down as they get to there fat weight.

[Dave G]

sean harris hawks are a chatty vocal bird but the noise ie screaming is normaly caused by the owner in the first month of manning the bird ??? so if this is the case your bird will always be noisey ,my pen is totaly secluded and have never had a problem with noise while in the garden at both fat weight and hunting weight ??

[Johnny Abbott]

sean harris hawks are a chatty vocal bird but the noise ie screaming is normaly caused by the owner in the first month of manning the bird ??? so if this is the case your bird will always be noisey ,my pen is totaly secluded and have never had a problem with noise while in the garden at both fat weight and hunting weight ??we all have our own ways of how we free loft our birds but i dont think total seculsion does the harris any good i did it once with my female when we at the time was short of space she went mental just overnight she damaged her cere and lost most of her head feathers but if you are saying that the bird will be as noisy at his fat weight then i disagree

[Dave G]

no johnny im not saying the bird will be noisey at fat weight as this is usualy when they are silent if they are a vocal bird ???, as for my pen its open on the front end and half and half on the roof ,but the bird cannot see the house or any one in the garden as when i first had him once manned was free lofted but bashed himself about when he saw me in the kitchen or garden ,so i closed the front off and never had a prob since ??? ive been to quite a few harris owners homes and they all have their pens totaly secluded at the front for the same reason ?? cheers dave

[Johnny Abbott]

no johnny im not saying the bird will be noisey at fat weight as this is usualy when they are silent if they are a vocal bird ???, as for my pen its open on the front end and half and half on the roof ,but the bird cannot see the house or any one in the garden as when i first had him once manned was free lofted but bashed himself about when he saw me in the kitchen or garden ,so i closed the front off and never had a prob since ??? ive been to quite a few harris owners homes and they all have their pens totaly secluded at the front for the same reason ?? cheers davesorry mate all made clear now all the best ...johnny

[Dave G]

no worries johnny just hard to say what you mean some times on here lol

[Sean]

thansk guys, ive kept tons of rabbit heads for the moult, so will give him those in the morning , to keep him quiet all day lol. ill try and get a pic of my avairy to make it easyer to understand

[Shaun Byrne]

Hi Sean
IMHO I think its time to go back to basics.

Make sure he doesn't see you with food at all during the moult, that includes him associating your routine with getting fed. You might just be able to break the falconer/food link if you are lucky. If possible open a different side of the aviary and block his view of you and the house. Other than that seclude him, leave him in peace and take him up afresh after he has moulted.

Thats what I would do mate and also what i do with my birds.

[Sean]

hi hawka, i was considering this, but the problem is that my garden doesnt get my sunlight as it is, and i dunno if he will moult well with just the top open, neighbour just finnished an extension :-|

[OutFlying]

If the top is open to light, that will be enough.

[Sean]

well, to be honest the roof aint half opened its a third , heres a pic from the side before i took the board down, as u can see, very little light :(

[Shaun Byrne]

Take him out, open the roof up and put him back in seclusion mate. He wont want messing about with at top weight anyway so just let him get on with it.

[Hobby]

Hi Sean
IMHO I think its time to go back to basics.

Make sure he doesn't see you with food at all during the moult, that includes him associating your routine with getting fed. You might just be able to break the falconer/food link if you are lucky. If possible open a different side of the aviary and block his view of you and the house. Other than that seclude him, leave him in peace and take him up afresh after he has moulted.

Thats what I would do mate and also what i do with my birds.
Just my view but,I think this action might merely suspend the birds current relationship with the handler.I would keep the avery open,with lots of stimilation and feed up the hawk,but I don't believe it is important to hide the feeding element once the bird is at fat weight.I would aim to get the bird in a situation where it is contented,with the handler as part of its world and achieve a quieter hawk by it being fed plenty and with lots of external stimulus.I treat my birds like this and have found that it does break the immature calling habit when their weight goes up,I think the Harris tends to mature through this first moult considerably.I actually handle my FHH throughout the moult and feed her off the glove sometimes. although it should be remembered that the Harris' is a vocal social bird,so some noise should be expected.My bird calls at the wifes cat whenever it is seen and whatever her weight.Please note I am aware that there is obviously more than one way to deal with this issue and the Harris' varies considerably in temperment.

[Tom OGrady]

I Think There Is Little You Can Do Sean About Your Harris Squaking
If It Is Already At Fat Weight And It Has Continued To Squak.some Harris Hawks Shut Up After They Start Killing On A Regular Basis.
Maybe If You Know A Falconer Who Could Look After Your Hawk For A Couple Of Weeks The Change Of Surroundings May Shut It Up But Also If He Has A Quiet Bird There May Be A Risk That His Bird May Copy And Start Screaming.

[Dave G]

tom thats the trouble isnt it if the other hawks starts sqwarking then youve doubled the problem not solved it , normaly a hawk at fat weight if vocal shuts up ??? sean sit tight as hes only just finished the season the other day so give him time to settle at fat weight and get the moult started and he may go quite ??

[ChrisRobbo]

Although there are various methods if you do some basic research into animal behaviour and conditioning it should help alot (Nick fox covers the basics well in his book UBOP).

Basically the hawk associates you with food! This is what it seems from the thread. Does the hawk behave silently when at hunting weight on the fist, box or in the field?

From your threds it seems the hawk is not looking TOTALY inward to you for food as it is hunting. The bird is very intelligent and sees you as an easier option.

The best thing for it that has been mentioned would be to feed the bird up through the molt and try and brake the food association (By removing the direct image of you producing the food).

I believe you can still man the bird throughout the molt but do not bring food into the equation the bird will soon learn that when you bring him out you give him no food.

Total seclusion i don't agree with a harris as its naturally social and vocal but it is vital you break the association now inorderfor him to grow up through his first molt.

Regards Chris

[Shaun Byrne]

There you go Sean, lots of differing opinions and methods. Its up to you to choose now mate but be careful which advice you take, as I said when you first started training Rolf :wink:

[Sean]

hes a little vocal in his box, but totally silent as soon as i take him out to go hunting. ill leave him as he is, but i installed a new shute at the back of the avairy so he doesnt see me put the food in, altho he does see me walk past(will have food covered). hawka i know your one of the most experienced harris hawkers on in, and as ive said before i appreciate all yoru advice. if he consists to be vocal by, say sunday, ill have to put the sheet back up again so he cant see into the house, but only at the side again. i just wouldnt like him to be looked up inside a avairy for 6 months lookign at 4 walls and not flying.

[Shaun Byrne]

Thanks for the compliment mate.

Total seclusion is only if the noise is a major problem and you are desperate for a quiet bird.

Ideally he should have a small high barred window to look out of and be fed through a chute. He needs very little contact with you mate, in fact you will probably find he hates you once his weight is up.

Dont worry, HH are very clever and he will man very quickly once you take him up next season.

Just as a matter of interest my MHH is 3 years old and vocal as hell at top weight and free lofted. Bow moult him and he is TOTALLY silent.

[ChrisRobbo]

I agree that if the noise is a major problem then total seclusion is a method that may work.

I personally am ok with a bit of noise so i do not use this method, i have a barred window. But i can remember a thread about neighbours complaining so if needs must then it is worth a try.

There are different opinions on the amount of contact with birds during there molt including total seclusion in a dark place. It comes down to what suits you best but stick to one method as life could get very confusing.

[Sean]

seems this was
MOVED TO CORRECT SECTION
without notice

[Dave G]

sean my male harris is silent in the weathering all year secluded as to was open fronted but bated when he saw me as he got excited on going hunting but never makes a sound ?? untill i box him up still silent put him in the motor still silent start the motor up and he sqwarks after a few minutes he shuts up that is untill my mate jumps in the motor and starts to talk ??? then he is a bit vocal in the field but i would say no longer than 3 minutes which i think is pure excitement ???

[Sean]

guys i weighed him today, still silly tame. but weighed in at 1lb 8.5, so he has still and ounce or two to go. will give him a pheasent leg in the morning and another on saturday, that might get it up

[HawkNorth]

Sean as said by RHH he will be quiet once hes up in weight
it takes a while to get him there

[Sean]

:D save a fortune on earplugs lol