View Full Version : Merlins anyone?
MattSpar
02-05-2006, 09:57 PM
I've just had my first merlin hatch today. Is there anyone else with eyass merlins this early?
M & J Raptors
02-05-2006, 09:59 PM
I've just had my first merlin hatch today. Is there anyone else with eyass merlins this early?
first gyr/merlin hatched today.
Merger
02-05-2006, 10:11 PM
My old peregrines would of hached by now if I still had them, but this is very early for merlins, they would be ready for flying last week in june,, excellent for those who know about merlins!!!
Jack Merlin
02-05-2006, 11:16 PM
I've just had my first merlin hatch today. Is there anyone else with eyass merlins this early?
If it isn't a trade secret, what are you feeding? How many eggs are you getting in a clutch?
MattSpar
03-05-2006, 07:02 AM
If it isn't a trade secret, what are you feeding? How many eggs are you getting in a clutch?
I'll give details later JM. Some may find it interesting, especially you, I think.
MattSpar
03-05-2006, 04:24 PM
If it isn't a trade secret, what are you feeding? How many eggs are you getting in a clutch?
No, No secrets.
My birds are fed my own home-produced quail with chicks as backup.
What you may find interesting is that the clutch (originally of 6, with one being thrown out of the nest and found to be rotten) were incubated under a broody pekin bantam. I have both still-air and fan-assisted incubators, and use both for my quail production, but I have hatched thousands of eggs under broodies since I was small boy (a very long time ago), from quail to goose, and most things in between, including such things as rooks, jackdaws,and even starlings. Therefore I have complete confidence in this method.
All five eggs were seen to be fertile when candled, with one, presumably the last to be laid, a couple of days behind the rest.
As I type this, four have hatched, and the fifth is pipped. Thus far, the hatch has been textbook. All have pipped exactly to time, the first four within an hour and a half of each other. Pip to hatch time averaged 50.5 hours. The final hatching stage taking from 45mins to 1.5 hours.
The eyasses are strong, healthy, have so far been fed twice, and feed easily and eagerly. There have been no unretracted yolk sacs, nor any other problems. No assistance was either given, or needed at hatching.
The adult pair are currently incubating a further five eggs in the second clutch, and to be frank, I can't wait to get them too, safely under another broody, this time to be replaced by dummies, as I intend to return some of the eyassas.
I'm well aware that one swallow does not a summer make, and that things can still go horribly wrong, but by 'eck, I feel pretty damned good at this time.
GaryPCO
03-05-2006, 06:08 PM
a friend of mine has had a clutch of american kestrels hatch yesterday....
Merger
03-05-2006, 08:07 PM
Well done, mattspar, you will have no trouble moving these early merlins, if you decide to sell them, you will be the envy of many breeders on here Im sure!!!
Talon
03-05-2006, 08:13 PM
yes well done matt.looks like you have got your self a little clutch of gold there.
execellent good on you matt an friend has got a merlin male and was offered £700 for it about 2 months ago so your in for some money if you sell them
joey
Jack Merlin
03-05-2006, 10:19 PM
My old peregrines would of hached by now if I still had them, but this is very early for merlins, they would be ready for flying last week in june,, excellent for those who know about merlins!!!
Is it early? Not disputing what you say, but we used to reckon wild eyasses were ready to take around the 30th June. All that was needed was a good pointer to find them in the heather!
(In case anyone is wondering, that was back in the days when I could get a licence. That would have been when MattSpar was a lad<g>).
LeighJauncey
03-05-2006, 10:47 PM
In case anyone is wondering, that was back in the days when I could get a licence. That would have been when MattSpar was a lad<g>).
Don't be silly - merlins hadn't evolved when Matt was a lad! - Havng said that - I watched the four eyasses being fed earlier via the wonders of video conferencing and they certainly do look healthy little beauties!
MattSpar
04-05-2006, 01:23 PM
Don't be silly - merlins hadn't evolved when Matt was a lad!
As I've said before Old Boy, with friends like you, who needs enemas?
Harris
04-05-2006, 01:29 PM
They looked like this when mat was a lad :yawinkle:
They looked like this when mat was a lad :yawinkle:pmsl hes not that old is he lol
do many people on the forum fly these beutiful little falcons have only seen one fly and was brilliant at taking skylarks only seen it take one but the flight was execellent.
joey
Blaze
04-05-2006, 02:47 PM
Any pics you can share with us Matt?.....
Adam
MattSpar
04-05-2006, 03:10 PM
They looked like this when mat was a lad :yawinkle:
My God! I bred those! How did you get hold of that photo?
MattSpar
04-05-2006, 03:13 PM
Any pics you can share with us Matt?.....
Adam
How's this?
Jack Merlin
04-05-2006, 03:13 PM
My God! I bred those! How did you get hold of that photo?
Get the beggar for breach of copyright!!
Oh, now I think about it, that would be time expired...
My God! I bred those! How did you get hold of that photo?pmsl:lol:
MattSpar
04-05-2006, 03:21 PM
Ok, now you've got me going, so indulge an old man. Here's another.
Afshimo
04-05-2006, 03:24 PM
aww bless!
Harris
04-05-2006, 03:27 PM
My God! I bred those! How did you get hold of that photo?
Its in the public domain after a hundred years!:yawinkle:
Actually a pic I took at the Natural History Museum of a veloceraptor nest model.:lol:
Ok, now you've got me going, so indulge an old man. Here's another.just think thous little things become super murderers lol
good on you matt good luck with them
joey
LanczSpringer
05-05-2006, 06:54 PM
Congrats Matt!
Hope they are all healthy little blighters, cracking brids merlins, one I falcon I aim to fly in many years to come!
Alot of people have an obsesion with big birds....not me spars and merlins rule my roost! :supz:
MattSpar
05-05-2006, 07:10 PM
Just out of interest, the fifth and final egg of the first clutch has just hatched. Again, the hatch was trouble free and the eyass seems strong and lively.
Merger
05-05-2006, 07:18 PM
Well done mattspar,, are they really worth that these days I have not flown one for two seasons, but I never paid that, still supply and demand I suppose, sadly I have found it increasinly difficult to get land renewed around here as the farmers dont like me flying there larks anymore, but cant blame them, its just a shame they could not see just how few I took, a season,,
MattSpar
05-05-2006, 07:43 PM
Well done mattspar,, are they really worth that these days I have not flown one for two seasons, but I never paid that, still supply and demand I suppose, sadly I have found it increasinly difficult to get land renewed around here as the farmers dont like me flying there larks anymore, but cant blame them, its just a shame they could not see just how few I took, a season,,
To be frank, I have to say I think the prices asked for merlins is ridiculous.
Merger
05-05-2006, 07:49 PM
I suppose you could say that about many species, but merlins aint easy to breed, and can be quite easy to lose, so its down to how many want them,, and how bad I pressume!
What is the going rate? They used to be offered free years ago. How times change.:rolleyes:
MattSpar
05-05-2006, 08:02 PM
I suppose you could say that about many species, but merlins aint easy to breed, and can be quite easy to lose, so its down to how many want them,, and how bad I pressume!
Yes, you're quite right, of course.
Altai
06-05-2006, 11:04 AM
No, No secrets.
My birds are fed my own home-produced quail with chicks as backup.
What you may find interesting is that the clutch (originally of 6, with one being thrown out of the nest and found to be rotten) were incubated under a broody pekin bantam. I have both still-air and fan-assisted incubators, and use both for my quail production, but I have hatched thousands of eggs under broodies since I was small boy (a very long time ago), from quail to goose, and most things in between, including such things as rooks, jackdaws,and even starlings. Therefore I have complete confidence in this method.
All five eggs were seen to be fertile when candled, with one, presumably the last to be laid, a couple of days behind the rest.
As I type this, four have hatched, and the fifth is pipped. Thus far, the hatch has been textbook. All have pipped exactly to time, the first four within an hour and a half of each other. Pip to hatch time averaged 50.5 hours. The final hatching stage taking from 45mins to 1.5 hours.
The eyasses are strong, healthy, have so far been fed twice, and feed easily and eagerly. There have been no unretracted yolk sacs, nor any other problems. No assistance was either given, or needed at hatching.
The adult pair are currently incubating a further five eggs in the second clutch, and to be frank, I can't wait to get them too, safely under another broody, this time to be replaced by dummies, as I intend to return some of the eyassas.
I'm well aware that one swallow does not a summer make, and that things can still go horribly wrong, but by 'eck, I feel pretty damned good at this time.
Do you hatch them under the banams or in the incubater?
MattSpar
06-05-2006, 12:58 PM
Do you hatch them under the banams or in the incubater?
They were left under the broody until I saw they were pipped. I then hatched them in a still air hatcher. I reasoned there was a (very) small chance the eggs could be crushed whilst hatching if left with the broody, though I've never had this happen, and I've hatched eggs much smaller and more fragile under bantams, starling eggs for instance, with no trouble.
Fares
06-05-2006, 01:35 PM
No, No secrets.
My birds are fed my own home-produced quail with chicks as backup.
What you may find interesting is that the clutch (originally of 6, with one being thrown out of the nest and found to be rotten) were incubated under a broody pekin bantam. I have both still-air and fan-assisted incubators, and use both for my quail production, but I have hatched thousands of eggs under broodies since I was small boy (a very long time ago), from quail to goose, and most things in between, including such things as rooks, jackdaws,and even starlings. Therefore I have complete confidence in this method.
All five eggs were seen to be fertile when candled, with one, presumably the last to be laid, a couple of days behind the rest.
As I type this, four have hatched, and the fifth is pipped. Thus far, the hatch has been textbook. All have pipped exactly to time, the first four within an hour and a half of each other. Pip to hatch time averaged 50.5 hours. The final hatching stage taking from 45mins to 1.5 hours.
The eyasses are strong, healthy, have so far been fed twice, and feed easily and eagerly. There have been no unretracted yolk sacs, nor any other problems. No assistance was either given, or needed at hatching.
The adult pair are currently incubating a further five eggs in the second clutch, and to be frank, I can't wait to get them too, safely under another broody, this time to be replaced by dummies, as I intend to return some of the eyassas.
I'm well aware that one swallow does not a summer make, and that things can still go horribly wrong, but by 'eck, I feel pretty damned good at this time.
Hello
I interested to buy some merlins from you!
Is that possible?
Let me know.
Regards,
Fares Boustanji
TiercelJim
08-05-2006, 07:28 PM
matt,hows the merlins doing?will you fly one yourself?
regards,jim.
MattSpar
09-05-2006, 07:08 PM
matt,hows the merlins doing?will you fly one yourself?
regards,jim.
Doing just fine.
Oh yes, that's the general idea.
KeithGlasgow
29-05-2006, 03:39 PM
Took the children out for a walk on Saturday evening across a local moor near a forestry plantation. We sat down to rest on a turf bank, and within a few minutes I heard a falcon calling. I looked towards the plantation using 8x32's, and there was a merlin flying towards the edge of the trees with prey in its talons. It met a second merlin in a tree, delivered the prey and was off. The second merlin flew about 100 yards and dissappeared into a group of trees further along. Nothing happened for about 20 minutes, then again the first bird (the male) returned and this time flew straight into the same group of trees (I assume the nest site). Over here in the north of Ireland, Merlins seem to be exclusively tree nesters - I've never heard of a ground nest here. Fantastic little birds. It was all over rather quickly, and I've wondered since if there is any noticeable difference in the call of merlins and kestrel. I'm thinking of the difference in tone of tiercel and falcon peregrines for example. Also just our of curiosity, Merlins in Ireland are small, but in Winter we sometimes get a larger Merlin subspecies from Iceland. Someone suggested that a larger subspecies breeds in the north of England and Scotland (don't know if this is true). How do the captive bred Merlins compare?
Keith.
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