Breeding Bald Eagles

[Eagle Dares]

Hi. Just wondering if anyone on here breeds Baldies. We put a pair together at the beginning of last year. The male is 8 yr old and the female is an ex demo bird who is 30 this year. Last year they seemed to bond very quickly and started nest building within a couple of months. The female then went on to lay 2 eggs and she would incubate at night and the ,ale take his turn through the day. We left her to sit for the term but nothing happened and we then removed the infertile eggs and she never laid again. This year she laid 3 eggs and we pulled them at 10 days. These were infertile also, but she has just laid again and are unsure what to do. Someone suggested pulling the eggs as she lays to encourage the male. We have never the same pair copulate so are unsure if the male is the issue. Anyone any ideas???????

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Are you using fish in their diet? This would seam to be the key as far as I am led to believe:wink:

[Eagle Dares]

Unfortunately niether bird will accept fish. We have tried because I use it with our flying Baldie and our White taileds. But these have both come from other centres and won't touch fish at all.

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Id try disguising the food and trying other fish types as I know of numerous cases where this has been the deciding factor.

[Eagle Dares]

Not quite sure how to go about that but will definately give it some thought.
Many thanks

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

Wrap the fish in packages of fur or feather from a food source they accept. Also reduce rations so that they are keen enough to come to recieve food promptly when supplied.

[MusketMad]

Hi. Just wondering if anyone on here breeds Baldies. We put a pair together at the beginning of last year. The male is 8 yr old and the female is an ex demo bird who is 30 this year. Last year they seemed to bond very quickly and started nest building within a couple of months. The female then went on to lay 2 eggs and she would incubate at night and the ,ale take his turn through the day. We left her to sit for the term but nothing happened and we then removed the infertile eggs and she never laid again. This year she laid 3 eggs and we pulled them at 10 days. These were infertile also, but she has just laid again and are unsure what to do. Someone suggested pulling the eggs as she lays to encourage the male. We have never the same pair copulate so are unsure if the male is the issue. Anyone any ideas???????yes mate we have bred baldies for the last 9 years ...my advice to you is to leave them alone ...if its any consulation our birds did not have fertile eggs for the first couple of years we put them together..the worst thing you can do is to start messing around with their eggs...give them time mate...i reckon they will come good...we have to take our male out when the chicks are about 12 weeks old or the female tries to kill him

Nigel

[Eagle Dares]

Thanks Nigel that is really helpful. I havd spoke to another friend of mine that breeds Baldies and he said that his wre similar, in that they didn't produce fertile eggs for a few years. Thats reassuring to know.
Cheers bud
Mark

[Anca]

Hi.
Before the breeding season starts we try to encourage our pairs of sea eagles with life fishes (we put some in the water and the birds starts imediatly to hunt them), all our "fishing" eagles love it!! If they dont, dont feed them, leave the fishes in the water and I will promise that during few days they will start...

I agree with Musketmad - let them incubating the eggs and if you will have the opportunity, give them in the nest after cca 35 days of incubation a chick of any sea eagle species, so they can go trought ALL the breeding cycle (when we place a chick in the nest, we give there also the egg shell...). If you dont have sea eagle chick (and if you dont know what they will do - they can also kill him!!), I think that the common bussard will be OK..., in case of emergency we do it also, we only stop to feed with fishes and feed only with pigeon, rat and beef.

Hope this helps

Jan

[Gary B]

have a m8t who has a simmeral problem lay every year but die at the pipping stages gary

[MusketMad]

its very important that you put plenty of small cuttings in the nest cup otherwise the eggs will lay wrong and the membrane will move ...this will cause the air space in the egg to develop in the wrong place ...when this happens the bird will grow right up to pipping stage then die:)

[Gary B]

thanks pass on info