Imprinting Questions

[DanStancer]

Hey

I pick up my spar on sunday, it'll be 13days old8-) just got a few things I'm not sure about.

Will it need a heat lamp setting up at 13 days old? It's going to be kept outside in a brick garage (can't get her in the house:()

Also I'm planning to feed her from a dish with food available 24/7. When it comes to mincing the food I'm planning on a mix of rat pups, quail and pigeon.

Would you try to mince the full quail or just take the breast meat off?
Do the rats need gutting or just skinning & heads off?

Cheers
Dan

[OutFlying]

Full quail, you need the bones for the calcium.

Jim.

[Rapt0r]

Hi Dan,

I dont like the people on here that 'nit pick' everything but i have to ask....are you imprinting the bird in the garage??
I'm sure you know this already but the bird will need to be with you as much as possible.

Sorry if i'm stating the obvious.....the bird would be much better in an imprint tank in the house with you / family / dogs / etc.

Alex

[SSL]

I'd gut and skin, but as Jim said you need everything else for calcium, vitamins and trace elements.

Why cant you bring it in the house? I think you might end up with a seriously strange imprint, unless your going in the garage too?

[Elly]

Why cant she come into the house? Whats the point of imprinting if shes not going to be with you??

[DanStancer]

Just realised that sounded a bit bad, when I say garage, its a big double garage with 3 rooms.

My pc is in there now so I'll be spending all my free time in there with it and the dog. It'll be going everywhere I do basically.

Just got to talk my work into letting me have it here aswell, but if not it'll be spending 9-5 at my dads work.

Thanks for the replies.

[Graham Stuart]

Why cant she come into the house? Whats the point of imprinting if shes not going to be with you??

When i imprinted the owls i had them with me all the time in the car they sat beside me, in bed they were in a imprimting area close to the bed, they were in the living room also so they could see me as much as possible and also get used to everyone coming and going also dogs etc

p.s if the wife wont let it in the house get her bed in the garage and get the bird inside:yawinkle:

you could end up with one mixed up bird mate.....Graham

[DanStancer]

When i imprinted the owls i had them with me all the time in the car they sat beside me, in bed they were in a imprimting area close to the bed, they were in the living room also so they could see me as much as possible and also get used to everyone coming and going also dogs etc

p.s if the wife wont let it in the house get her bed in the garage and get the bird inside:yawinkle:

you could end up with one mixed up bird mate.....Graham

Unfornately I'm back living with my parents, don't think I'd get away with kicking her out:) I'm still trying to convince her, but i am going to be with it all the time regardless of where I'm keeping it.

They're away in july for a couple of weeks to so it'll get pride of place in the house for then at least.

I'm more concerned about whether you think it'll need a heat source at first with it not being in the house?

Dan

[Graham Stuart]

i would get one just in case at night for a few weeks at least, better to be safe than sorry, also how hot does it get in there during the day you may need a fan to keep it cool...graham

[DanStancer]

i would get one just in case at night for a few weeks at least, better to be safe than sorry, also how hot does it get in there during the day you may need a fan to keep it cool...graham

Think it should be ok in there with the windows open during the day, but it's hopefully going to be at work with me most days anyway.

I've got a lamp from when i imprinted an owl years ago, and we've used it when harris chicks have been struggling. I've heard things for and against using them when they're a bit older and don't want to cock anything up:P

[SSL]

Think it should be ok in there with the windows open during the day, but it's hopefully going to be at work with me most days anyway.

I've got a lamp from when i imprinted an owl years ago, and we've used it when harris chicks have been struggling. I've heard things for and against using them when they're a bit older and don't want to cock anything up:P

A reptile mat or something would probably be better than a heat lamp.

Steve.

[Alf]

At 13 days you won’t need a heat source although I tend to when this age if the weather turns cold to offer them some form of heat.
Depending on the weather the next couple of days and how warm your garage is at night you can make your own assessment, personally I would offer a little heat from a light bulb making sure the spar was comfortable before retiring for bed.
A hawk that is a little cold at night tends to use some of its energy regulating it body temp rather than putting everything into growth rate.
Alf.

[Jack]

For the food part, I would get myself a pair of those little metal scissors to cut up her food. I would leave it in the fridge until ready to cut up, and then without skinning or deboning it just start at one end and cut it into tiny little bits no larger than your little fingernail. This is about the average size mom would feed her. I have seen little hawks get choked on ground meat as it tends to string together at times and it might get more than it can safely swallow. I am paranoid about this. So I just cut it all up to tiny little bits and place it inside a plastic baggy. I float it in warm water until it is no longer cold and then place it for the young hawk to eat. I would remove any yolk sack from DOC's, but I think I would leave the guts in small rodents. The wild birds generally eat such, but will themselves gut larger animals and birds.
You will find that she will not crop up at all, but simply graze during the day. They never eat a great deal at any one time, but will eat many times throughout the day. Mutes or slices will also be small as they will not amass large amounts of waste simply because they only eat a little along all day long. By providing food 24/7 she will never really experience hunger until she is able to deal with it. Like hard pinned. It sounds like you have a pretty good plan going. Just stick with it and don't decide to take any short cuts and you will really enjoy your little Spar. Good luck.

Jack

[DanStancer]

Thanks guys, just the answers I needed:)

Finished the imprint tank last night, can't wait now:D

[CopperBarn]

Thanks guys, just the answers I needed:)

Finished the imprint tank last night, can't wait now:D

I hope everything goes good for you, and you manage to convince your other half to let it in the house.

Anna x x