Redtail Rearing

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Went round to a friend this morning who has 2 redtail chicks with parents. Chicks are about 5-6 weeks old and doing really well. Both parents are feeding them.

Watching them this morning, the male flew up onto the nest ledge and started eating some quail, closely watched by one of the chicks. After about 5 mins the chick produced a large casting, and following this the male left the nest ledge, and the female flew up onto the ledge and started feeding the chicks.

I was just wondering if the male was encouraging the chicks to cast by eating next to them?

Anyway it was great to watch!

FHF

[AmateurAustringer]

Either that or he thought... you dirty little... Fancy blowing chunks while I'm eating... and finished his meal else where?

[MickeyDredd]

I would imagine yes.

This probably has the same effect as the trick you can use to get a hawk to cast so that you can get it ready for flying by showing it food.

Simply let it see you with food in your hand from a distance a few times, it thinks aha feeding time and casts the pellet so that it can then be fed.

MD

[AmateurAustringer]

Do you think it was an intentional act by the male though MD?

I know what you mean with expectation and would agree, often my HH has cast on the scales as our hunting routine starts with weighing then out to hunt.

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Do you think it was an intentional act by the male though MD?

I know what you mean with expectation and would agree, often my HH has cast on the scales as our hunting routine starts with weighing then out to hunt.

Thats what I was wondering - was it intentional, or like you said earlier he just thought 'ewwww gross' and flew off :rolleyes:

Funnily enough he took a bit of branch with him when he flew off and the female came over and took it off him and put it back in the nest before settling down to feed the chicks.

Sorry, am new to this breeding lark and am finding the behaviour facinating.

FHF

[AmateurAustringer]

Me too FHF, they do some weird stuff, my female Harris was brooding DOCs with her chick then feeding the DOC to her chick :confused: While the male just chucks lumps of quail/rat/whatever at them and flies off.

[MickeyDredd]

Do you think it was an intentional act by the male though MD?


Steven

I cant say for sure but my line of thinking is that why would he have flown to the nest to eat if the intention for the quail was purely for his consumption? My male only takes food to the nest to offer it to the sitting female for bonding purposes, he usually always eats for himself elsewhere.

Could it have been to stimulate the youngsters to cast or was it with the intention to feed the young if they begged for the food? - who knows :)

As an aside I took the second infertile clutch off my pair of RT's today, hopefully they will work out the most imortant (and enjoyable) stage of the breeding process next year!! ;)

MD

[MickeyDredd]

Sorry, am new to this breeding lark and am finding the behaviour facinating.

FHF

i'm new to it too and despite two infertile clutches watching the interaction between the pair has been amazing - from nestbuilding through to the male and female incubating, the male feeding her on the nest and him actually preening her as she sits incubating. Amazing stuff to watch.

I'm hoping to set up a webcam for next year, if I can get some free assistance and advice on how to set it up ;-)

MD

[AmateurAustringer]

I'm hoping to set up a webcam for next year, if I can get some free assistance and advice on how to set it up ;-)

MD

Dead easy mate just install the software and plug it in... 8-)

[AmateurAustringer]

As an aside I took the second infertile clutch off my pair of RT's today, hopefully they will work out the most imortant (and enjoyable) stage of the breeding process next year!! ;)

MD

Like you say, who knows, better luck next year MD.

[Harris]

over-simplification methinks :lol:

I want to run 6 decent quality cameras (2 per aviary, one on nest and one covering the aviary) to the pc rather than a simple webcam camera. if the cameras are hardwired to my mews next to the aviaries that suggests I need the pc to be in the shed. How do I get my broadband out to the shed - will wire-free networking do the job?

My limited experience with infra red cameras is not good, perhaps I just need to invest in decent ones. I found the batteries died in no time. If I could get a decent set then hopefully I could use a pc in the house if the signal would send that far.

Many things to consider, and I'm not remotely techy!! ;) :lol:

FHF Apologies for off-topic stuff!


Hiya mate, I install a complete range of PC Based CCTV systems as a side line to my business, from IR Cameras down to tiny security cameras. I'm sure I can help you sort that one out mate.

[MickeyDredd]

Can a Mod move these post to my new thread please?

Ta

[AmateurAustringer]

Can a Mod move these post to my new thread please?

Ta

Did it myself. :lol:

[MickeyDredd]

Did it myself. :lol:

You techy guys :roll: :lol:

[Ben C]

[QUOTE=Steven Lambert]Do you think it was an intentional act by the male though MD?
QUOTE]

Absolutely and unequivicoley it was intentional. It wasn't a random thing or it would not happen regularly??? They are built to react to that kind of stimuli I think. I have watched the chicks out of my window and they only EVER poke their ****s out when the mum arrives and she then carries the 'poo' away. Same principle just a different end....:yawinkle:

[AmateurAustringer]

[quote=Steven Lambert]Do you think it was an intentional act by the male though MD?
QUOTE]

Absolutely and unequivicoley it was intentional. It wasn't a random thing or it would not happen regularly??? They are built to react to that kind of stimuli I think. I have watched the chicks out of my window and they only EVER poke their ****s out when the mum arrives and she then carries the 'poo' away. Same principle just a different end....:yawinkle:

Not so sure Ben...