Very Slow Moult

[RBBeagan]

Hi Guys,

Sorry I've been away from the forum for awhile. I've been working 13 straight 12 hour days. Tommorow's the last, then Friday I'm off to Ireland for a week's vacation!!!

Maya, my female passage Harris, is going through her first moult, sort of. She dropped her two deck feathers on May 1st and 2nd, and hasn't dropped a flight feather since. The two new feathers are only 2/3 of the way grown in so far. What gives? Her diet had been mostly quail since the moult started, but just this week I switched her to a variety of quail, rats and day old chicks. Any advice mates?

Cheers,

Bob

[Finnish]

Think your self lucky she has dropped two feathers. Looking at my male Gos he has not dropped any thing. Harris Hawks sat on eggs and banging the feathers out.;-)

[DeathFromAbove]

Hi Guys,

Sorry I've been away from the forum for awhile. I've been working 13 straight 12 hour days. Tommorow's the last, then Friday I'm off to Ireland for a week's vacation!!!

Maya, my female passage Harris, is going through her first moult, sort of. She dropped her two deck feathers on May 1st and 2nd, and hasn't dropped a flight feather since. The two new feathers are only 2/3 of the way grown in so far. What gives? Her diet had been mostly quail since the moult started, but just this week I switched her to a variety of quail, rats and day old chicks. Any advice mates?

Cheers,

Bob


I wouldn't worry too much about it Bob mate, plenty of peoples hawks are a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to moulting this year for some reason... prob the weather lol.... just keep banging that high quality food in her and I'm sure she'll catch up quickly enough. Mine was real slow to start but this week has thrown a load out and is going well now.

All the best - Stu

[Osiris]

I wouldn't worry too much about it Bob mate, plenty of peoples hawks are a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to moulting this year for some reason... prob the weather lol.... just keep banging that high quality food in her and I'm sure she'll catch up quickly enough. Mine was real slow to start but this week has thrown a load out and is going well now.

All the best - Stu

same with my FHH. Slow to begin, shedding loads off now. Lanneret still slow tho...

"moulting this year for some reason... prob the weather lol" - i thought that too... :roll: ;)

[Jester]

jester has dropped a few primaries and secondaries (mostly the ones he didnt drop last year) and nearly half a carrier bag of contour and downy feathers but no tail yet.

last year he dropped his tail first and only half the wing feathers.

do EEO take 2 years for a full moult or did he just drop half his wings cos it was his first moult??

[DeathFromAbove]

same with my FHH. Slow to begin, shedding loads off now. Lanneret still slow tho...

"moulting this year for some reason... prob the weather lol" - i thought that too... :roll: ;)

Aye the weather's really been pi**ing me off, thankfully it's getting better now tho :lol:

[Osiris]

Aye the weather's really been pi**ing me off, thankfully it's getting better now tho :lol:

very true!!! bowt time too!!! lets hope the weather stays like this!!

[Darren]

Hi Guys,
Sorry I've been away from the forum for awhile. I've been working 13 straight 12 hour days. Tommorow's the last, then Friday I'm off to Ireland for a week's vacation!!!

Maya, my female passage Harris, is going through her first moult, sort of. She dropped her two deck feathers on May 1st and 2nd, and hasn't dropped a flight feather since. The two new feathers are only 2/3 of the way grown in so far. What gives? Her diet had been mostly quail since the moult started, but just this week I switched her to a variety of quail, rats and day old chicks. Any advice mates?

Cheers,

Bob

keep feeding quality foods,rat,quail & chick. make sure the bird gets plenty of sunshine as well, my male dropped his 1st feathers(deck feathers) around begining of april. he only has 2 more old tail feathers to drop now.

[Coedhirion]

Keep up the rat and stuff and it will suddenly look like some one had a pillow fight :lol: 1st year HH dont always change all their feathers, so as long as you get those decks down I shoudnt worry. Unless you use back pack telemetry, in which case you have no problem at all.

[Adam M]

my male harris hawk has only just started to drop his feathers

[DeathFromAbove]

my male harris hawk has only just started to drop his feathers

Again mate no need to worry, as said above, just make sure he has all he needs and he'll catch up in no time. ;-)

[Coney Catcher]

my fhh dropped 2 tail feathers at the end of january , then nothing up until 2 wks ago then dropped 5 more tail feathers in 10 days can,t see any more coming down to replace them yet :eek:

[Dave G]

mines a male harris and hes always been a slow moulter but kicks in the moult around end may early june and started dropping 3 feather a week secondry and tails :rolleyes:

[RBBeagan]

Thanks for the advice and assurances mates!

I think one of the contributing factors is that her mews doesn't get much direct sunlight. It's built underneath my deck, so no overhead sunlight comes in. All the light is indirect from the sides. I'm in a neighborhood with all kinds of rules and protective covenants which prohibit any kind of detached structures (sheds, dog pens, etc.). I also work 14 days in a row, 12 hours a day, then have 14 days off, so I can't perch her out in the daytime unless I'm there to watch/protect her. I have a pair of Red Tails, a family of Great Horned Owls, Coyotes, Foxes, etc. behind my home. There is a light in the mews, but I sometimes forget to turn in on before I leave for work at 5:00 A.M. Since I posted, I have installed a timer on the light to turn it on and off. Hopefully, the added light will stimulate things.

Today I'm off to Killarney, Ireland for a week of sightseeing!! It'll be great to finally see the country of my ancestors. They came to Canada during the potato famine and some of them filtered down into New England. My grandfather settled in Maine where I was raised.

Cheers,

Bob