Free lofting eagles

[Matthew Patching]

What does everyone think about free lofting eagles?

[HawkMan]

How bigs ya mews m8
Itll be interesting to hear the replies .
Cheers
Jb

[Matthew Patching]

Itll be interesting to hear the replies .
Cheers
Jb

My current mews is 12 foot long by 7 foot deep by 61/2 foot high

he has one long perch front to back a nesting shelf and a low perch that he hardly ever uses.

the key to succesful free lofting with an eagle is never never feed it in there, dont be lazy get it out during the day and continue doing things with it during non flying times.
ME:)

[HawkMan]

So you even mann through the moult doesnt this cause stress marks on the feathers ??????
Im quite new so ignore me if you want .
Thanks
Jb

[HawkMan]

Whats the size of its wing span
Cheers
Jb

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

OK for carrion eagles. Not the type of thing Id want to do with a sharp hunting eagle in Yarak.

[Matthew Patching]

Whats the size of its wing span
Cheers
Jb

he has a six foot wing span.

[Matthew Patching]

OK for carrion eagles. Not the type of thing Id want to do with a sharp hunting eagle in Yarak.

even when down at weight hes fine, the key is that he deosnt expect anything from me till we are out hunting, he is the same on the lawn perch he knows that i have nothing for him so waits patiently, if you never and i mean never off er food at points in a birds life why would they get excited.

He knows that he has to step up get weighed have his hood on go in a travelling box and get to the land before there is any chance of food so he accepts it. This is not the first eagle that i have done this with so know that it isnt just him.
ME:)

[Ben C]

assuming that freelofting is more or less to maintain some semblance of fitness throughout the moult and while hunting. And assuming that eagles take years to moult out. My question is this.........................what purpose would it serve other than giving them a little more space to move?

(I say this as a non-owner of an eagle, but who is interested and willing to learn)

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

None.

[Ben C]

K,

Would it also be fair to say that something so powerful is likely to smash up feathers that are at best as rare as rocking horse cack......(assuming its a goldie).........if free lofted?

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

One of the reasons I wouldnt attempt it Ben yes.

[Ben C]

And the others reasons I assume, are to do with having an Eagle free to attach itself to your face as and when it feels like it?

[HawkMan]

If the wing spans 6ft and the size of your mew is 12ft x 7ft x 6 1/2ft id say build a bigger mew for the Bop if your going to free loft it .
Its like putting a parrot in a gerbil cage .
This is my opinion
Thanks
Jb

[Isis]

i agree with hawkman

[Matthew Patching]

assuming that freelofting is more or less to maintain some semblance of fitness throughout the moult and while hunting. And assuming that eagles take years to moult out. My question is this.........................what purpose would it serve other than giving them a little more space to move?

(I say this as a non-owner of an eagle, but who is interested and willing to learn)

Iam not trying to maintain fitness during the moult, I would need an aicraft hanger for that. I free loft because he gets mental stimulation by perching where and when he wants and keeps him above the frost line (about 18-24 inches) during the winter months.
Me:)

[Ben C]

Interesting.........what type of eagle is it???

[Matthew Patching]

K,

Would it also be fair to say that something so powerful is likely to smash up feathers that are at best as rare as rocking horse cack......(assuming its a goldie).........if free lofted?


If mentaly prepaired correctly then no feather damage occurs I could fly my eagle now except that he has 2 primaries on there way down.
Gerhard and marrianne voight freeloft there eagles in germany with no problems. Birds that have an active brain and think about other things apart from where there next meal is coming from deserve the stimulation that free lofting provides.
ME:)

[HawkMan]

It needs to open its wings m8 ,its like you being stood in the bin shed .
Build a bigger mews and do it justice .
Thanks
Jb

[Ben C]

The key word there are 'if mentally prepared correctlty'.....what does this mean, how do you go about preparing and eagle for free lofting?

[Matthew Patching]

If the wing spans 6ft and the size of your mew is 12ft x 7ft x 6 1/2ft id say build a bigger mew for the Bop if your going to free loft it .
Its like putting a parrot in a gerbil cage .
This is my opinion
Thanks
Jb

You have no experience with eagles do you??? putting a bird in a large cage encourages it to fly fast and damage itself!!!!! my eagle experiences daily lure flights and at night gets to perch up feeling safe and secure in its environment, unlike to teathered eagle who sits in a weathering and gets cold and miserable during the winter months.
ME:)

[Matthew Patching]

And the others reasons I assume, are to do with having an Eagle free to attach itself to your face as and when it feels like it?
properly trained and prepaired eagles have no wish to attach themselves to any part of your body.
ME:)

[Ben C]

I have seen a few in minus degree temperatures which were on Bowperchs, but they were wild takes and were used to it.

But how do you mentally prepare an eagle for free lofting? This is a genuine question as I don't know myself.

[HawkMan]

7ft distance isnt a lot i understand what your saying but wouldnt it help to build a slightly bigger mews .
Thanks
Jb
Im no expert just my opinion m8 ,Its an open forum you going to get dim witted people like me asking daft questions .

[Matthew Patching]

Interesting.........what type of eagle is it???
male goldie steppe, hunting weight 6ld 2 oz.

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Mines as passive as a Hindu cow at home but it just dosent sit right with me. Each to there own, live and let live and all that. The Imprint pens Im building for this summer will be 12'x12' for males, 12'x16' for females, both being12' high.. not massive but big enough to allow good free movement whilst keeping me in there personal space.

[Ben C]

male goldie steppe, hunting weight 6ld 2 oz.

Not too big and not too small...........superb on Hare I would imagine.:supz:

[Matthew Patching]

It needs to open its wings m8 ,its like you being stood in the bin shed .
Build a bigger mews and do it justice .
Thanks
Jb
why build big he flys every day come rain and shine.

[Matthew Patching]

It needs to open its wings m8 ,its like you being stood in the bin shed .
Build a bigger mews and do it justice .
Thanks
Jb
why build big he flys every day come rain and shine. build so they feel safe!
ME:)

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

So why free loft and be stuck with the same view whilst mewed. Surly a good lawn perch allows for movement to the most active and interesting setting??

[Matthew Patching]

The key word there are 'if mentally prepared correctlty'.....what does this mean, how do you go about preparing and eagle for free lofting?
I have expalined this already its what the bird expects from you. deos your bird jump towards you when you go out to it, if the answer is yes then you aint doin that great a job, think of the feather and talon damage that is ocuring while its at the end of its leash digging a hole.

if the answer is no then good job you have a well rounded bird that you have trained to understand that nothing happens here so why get excited.

You see many so called experts think that if a bird jumps towards you then you have done your job but I think that if the bird jumps towards you then all you are is a food provider not a hunting partner. think about it boys and girls have you realy got that special bond with your birds.
ME:)

[Matthew Patching]

7ft distance isnt a lot i understand what your saying but wouldnt it help to build a slightly bigger mews .
Thanks
Jb
Im no expert just my opinion m8 ,Its an open forum you going to get dim witted people like me asking daft questions .

He has 12 foot distance if he want it which he rarely deos, but thanks for the Q
ME:)

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

That would very much depend on species, and imprint or not. I know PR gyrs that just want to come and play!

[HawkMan]

So why free loft and be stuck with the same view whilst mewed. Surly a good lawn perch allows for movement to the most active and interesting setting??
I was going to say this but thought you would all laugh .
Jb

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

I was going to say this but thought you would all laugh .
Jb
Good thought JB. Post what you think.

[Matthew Patching]

Not too big and not too small...........superb on Hare I would imagine.:supz:
took some work let me tell you but not bad and off the fist hes like a rocket, but he retains the steppes like of going up which in the wrong place can be a nightmare but in the right place is spectacular.
ME:)

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Any pictures of the free loft pen mate, out of interest. Regards K

[Matthew Patching]

So why free loft and be stuck with the same view whilst mewed. Surly a good lawn perch allows for movement to the most active and interesting setting??

well he deosnt get the same veiw we have 30 dogs here that all go out in runs during the day so there is a varied veiw all day, aswell as the goats, he likes the pigmys, they look tasty, and I do put him out at a lawn perch every day, I have to clean his mews and weigh and prepair the lures for him to chase, we also have courtship displays and mating to consider all of which take place at the lawn perch, so as you can see he deosnt get shut in a shed for the entire year except when hunting, it just lets him choose his roost and feel comfotable.

[Ben C]

I have expalined this already its what the bird expects from you. deos your bird jump towards you when you go out to it, if the answer is yes then you aint doin that great a job, think of the feather and talon damage that is ocuring while its at the end of its leash digging a hole.

if the answer is no then good job you have a well rounded bird that you have trained to understand that nothing happens here so why get excited.

You see many so called experts think that if a bird jumps towards you then you have done your job but I think that if the bird jumps towards you then all you are is a food provider not a hunting partner. think about it boys and girls have you realy got that special bond with your birds.
ME:)


I appreciate all that, but how do you go about moulding what the eagle expects from you without any food? That sounds interesting. How do you create a bond withyout some exchange or reward?

[Matthew Patching]

Any pictures of the free loft pen mate, out of interest. Regards K

Ill take some and get them on here.

[Matthew Patching]

I appreciate all that, but how do you go about moulding what the eagle expects from you without any food? That sounds interesting. How do you create a bond withyout some exchange or reward?

Just time effort and the patients of a saint, not all positive rewards come from food especialy with eagles and harris hawks, they sit and think about things, this leads to that and that leads to so and so and when we do this i get food, great next time i will know.

I have never picked any eagle up from any perch with food, that the first golden rule never never never. never feed them at home unless you cant avoid it, never let them know that you are about to feed them at home, never call to the fist for huge chunks of meat, my male will fly from 1/2 a mile away for a chick leg. give good rewards from kills, make them work for the food, dont just offer them the fist make them fly for it use lures and dont be lazy.

these are the most important things to my falconry.

ME:)

[Ben C]

I see, fairly straight forward advice which can be applied to most Hawks. Thanks.

How and why does this help eagles be prepared for free lofting? How does it compare to doing it in the opposite way?

[Matthew Patching]

I see, fairly straight forward advice which can be applied to most Hawks. Thanks.

How and why does this help eagles be prepared for free lofting? How does it compare to doing it in the opposite way?

because at hunting weight they know that if there is a posibilty that food is on offer then thaey are gonna have it, they may or may not want to harm you to get it that depends on your relationship with the bird, but if they know that there is nothing on offer they will behave like they are not interested, this can be exagerated in females if they think there is food on offer and you are already wary of them then they will get the food beleive me I have worked with alot of eagles that have been f**ked up by other people.

The bond is produced over time and grows stonger with time.
ME:)

[Ben C]

Thanks

[Pitbull]

my friend has his female steppes in a 22' x 20' and so far so good he goes in everyday to be with her whilst she is in moult. 14310

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[HawkEagle]

I free loft all my eagles. My pen size is 3x5 m which is quite large for hawk eagle but still slight wear on wing tips cannt be avoided. My hawk eagle is very still but there is time of day when they go trashing about usualy before dorn. From the pic of the steppe eagle above you can also see some wearing on primaries. Next season I might change to tieing her instead of free lofting.

[Pitbull]

I free loft all my eagles. My pen size is 3x5 m which is quite large for hawk eagle but still slight wear on wing tips cannt be avoided. My hawk eagle is very still but there is time of day when they go trashing about usualy before dorn. From the pic of the steppe eagle above you can also see some wearing on primaries. Next season I might change to tieing her instead of free lofting.

thats cause she has been tethered. Only been in the pen for 2 weeks.