feeding rats etc

[TCake18]

sorry to bother you lot but i am new to falconry. i have heard that when feeding the hawk rats and mice you take all the in sides out is this tru or is it a falacy thanks fro your help

[Hawkmaster]

If the bird is in moult the guts only makes a mess so I remove it. During flying too as it is messy on the glove. Most will not eat it anyway.

PS Also cut off the tails.

WELCOME to the site!

What birds you intend getting?

Paul

[Talon]

on large rats i take just the intestines out .as the birds usaly pull them out and flick them on to the floor.so saves me the job of scrapping them up of it.
but small rats and mice i dont bother as the birds eat the hole thing.
i just throw them in full.

[Sean]

Hey HM, ive been told to feed whole rats, rolf eats it all too, is there any probs with this? i also feed him the tails

[TCake18]

If the bird is in moult the guts only makes a mess so I remove it. During flying too as it is messy on the glove. Most will not eat it anyway.

PS Also cut off the tails.

WELCOME to the site!

What birds you intend getting?

Paul i have got a mh

[Talon]

Hey HM, ive been told to feed whole rats, rolf eats it all too, is there any probs with this? i also feed him the tails

sean it wont do the bird any harm.as when they catch rats in the wild they have tails and guts in them.
its that not all birds like to eat the guts.although.some will.
as i said it just saves you from cleaning them up later. allso dont think there would be much nutrition in the tail and guts.
when theres better parts of the rat to eat.i allso gut my quail just the intestines though.

[Sean]

cheers m8

[Hawkmaster]

Ye' if your bird eats them, when it is at fat weight then fine let it eat the tail, but as some birds get to the fat weight side of things they tend to leave them.

The other thing with tails is they put no goodness into the bird. I would rather my bird eat the rat meat, rather than tail.

But as said before, if they eat it all that is OK:D

[Mr_Colin]

Also I was told to remove the tail of a Rat so if you are going to use Ferrets then this will help with the bird not think a ferret is lunch. Dont know if this is true, just something I either read or was told.

[Hells99]

There's a lanner i know who only eats the front half of mice and only white ones :-|