Forced moult Bella Update

[Harris]

Well after 2 weeks of using lights in Bellas Aviary and providing as much Quail and other goodies as she can eat, I can now announce that all her primaries, secondaries, covert feathers and body feathers have started to grow back!!:lol: The Primaries and secondaries are sticking through about mm and her body is covered in brown stubble! To say I am pleased is an understatement! I have provided 2 x 24" Daylight fluorescent tubes mounted vertically down the corner of her favorite perch, and given her around 18 hrs of light every day. So proof if it was needed that you can speed up feather growth artificially. :supz:

[Misty]

hi, pleased you are seeing progress but I seemed to have missed a thread. Why was she bald?

[Berkut]

Well after 2 weeks of using lights in Bellas Aviary and providing as much Quail and other goodies as she can eat, I can now announce that all her primaries, secondaries, covert feathers and body feathers have started to grow back!!:lol: The Primaries and secondaries are sticking through about mm and her body is covered in brown stubble! To say I am pleased is an understatement! I have provided 2 x 24" Daylight fluorescent tubes mounted vertically down the corner of her favorite perch, and given her around 18 hrs of light every day. So proof if it was needed that you can speed up feather growth artificially. :supz:

Excellent result.Good on you for doing what it takes.

[Accipter-Gentilis]

the photo-period does speed them up H good luck m8

[Misty]

you all seem to be familiar with this one but I'm still trying to find out why she went bald in the first place???:confused:

[Harris]

you all seem to be familiar with this one but I'm still trying to find out why she went bald in the first place???:confused:


Here you go misty

http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21090

[Misty]

thanks for that. Wow, did you ever find out what frightened her so? It certainly sounds as though she got really stressed out and pulled out the rest of them. Absolutley great to hear she is growing them back again. Put up some photos of her progress. :supz:

[Harris]

thanks for that. Wow, did you ever find out what frightened her so? It certainly sounds as though she got really stressed out and pulled out the rest of them. Absolutley great to hear she is growing them back again. Put up some photos of her progress. :supz:


Never found out mate! and probably never will! I will get some pics taken as soon as the DTs stop in the new year, and my eyes regain the ability to focus :lol:

Happy new year :partyman:

[Misty]

and a happy new year to you, and Bella:supz:

[Harris]

I weighed Bella with an empty crop this morning and was slightly shocked to see her tip the scales 2lb 10 3/4oz :shock: which is exactly 1lb over her hunting weight! she came out of the chamber at 2lb 3oz. I know she has been fed as much of the god stuff as she can eat lately, but I think I'll have to put her on the Atkins diet to get the weight off her:lol:

Perhaps we should have a sweep stake as to what weight she will hunt at when I get her going again, my guess is it will be a fair bit higher than 1lb 10 3/4oz :yawinkle:

[GoodFooter]

Simon, great news regarding the feather growth. God she's heavy! my guess for the sweep stake is a weight of 2lb 4oz by mid season with a good degree of fitness.
What are your plans with her??? leave her till next season & clock up a good few kills late summer early autumn???

Rob

[Harris]

Simon, great news regarding the feather growth. God she's heavy! my guess for the sweep stake is a weight of 2lb 4oz by mid season with a good degree of fitness.
What are your plans with her??? leave her till next season & clock up a good few kills late summer early autumn???

Rob


As soon as the feathers are hard penned Rob I'll start dropping her weight and hopefully get enough off her to start hunting her again, the plan is to extend the season slightly to get her entered on a couple of spring bunnies before putting her up for the moult properly, or at least thats the plan!:roll: I called her to my empty fist today about 12ft in her aviary, and she was instant! not bad for a bird thats so fat I cant even feel her keel :lol:

[Paddy1]

:supz: so glad she is on the road to recovery mate :supz:


fat cow lol

[Harris]

:supz:


fat cow lol


PMSL:supz: Cheers mate and yup she is a typical woman! slim and fit when you meet then sits on her ar*e all day and piles on the pounds :lol:

[Paddy1]

PMSL:supz: Cheers mate and yup she is a typical woman! slim and fit when you meet then sits on her ar*e all day and piles on the pounds :lol:


lol you using the day light tubes they use on fish tanks mate ???

[Harris]

lol you using the day light tubes they use on fish tanks mate ???


No mate they're just B&Q specials, standard 2ft tubes not sure what wattage but they seem to be doing the trick, she looks like she's had a mohawk with all the spikey brown stalks sticking through :lol: I hope she ain't too long she's costing me a fortune in Quail :roll:

[GoodFooter]

I called her to my empty fist today about 12ft in her aviary, and she was instant! not bad for a bird thats so fat I cant even feel her keel :lol:

This similar tameness gave me a problem with my two HH. I bought the female and was given her breeding partner. Both fed the day after being picked up after the moult. Both came 20ft on a creance the 2nd day! I have definately found it harder to reclaim someone elses bird than train an eyass from fresh. my male came out pig fat at 1lb 8oz ....his true hunting weight which produces best results seems to be 1lb 4oz but is instantly responsive to the fist at up to 1lb 5 1/2 oz just not keen on quarry at that weight. Both mantle on the fist if anything over the size of a chick leg is offered. None of the birds I have trained have mantled on the fist so why these?
I was told the females hunting weight was 2lb 2oz but she is very slow to recall from trees yet feels sharp....she hunt well at this weight. I'm thinking if the original trainer never instilled obedience maybe it is just the way she is. Doesnt suit me though and totally different to the male who supposedly wasnt flown at all last season and only clocked 14 head of game in his first.
Hope the feather hard penn in time for a few spring bunnies if not I'm sure she'll be more settled next season.