Mews positioning, sunlight ect

[Sean]

Right heres the story, Im sure alot of you know that I have a big drainage problem lol, Ive tried to sort it but it still aint keeping the water away(does work a bit tho). So I was thinking, I have a patio me and my dad made 2 years back for a dog run, it has decent drainage and the water slips away. If i built the mews on the patio, i could easily get 12x12 feet in, easy. The mews would be facing north, and wouldnt get gettign the sun i was hoping. it would be gettign sun from around 2 onwards i think. Im not to sure about the wind. What do you guys think?
Also I was going to make a small weathering for tethering the perch in the part of the garden where the sun shines most when possible.

[Ben C]

A 12 ft by 12ft mews is a brilliant idea. In the winter just get a ceramic pig heater or a red chicken one.

[GriffMJ]

where do you get the heaters from BenC?

[Sparrow Hawker]

Scatts do them or any farm merchants should have them in stock,

Regards,

HH

[Ben C]

As HH says, I got mine from the farm shop down the road from me. Bloody expensive mind, but a very peaceful nights sleep is had when the snow is falling I can tell you. :) :)

Maybe have a look in farmers monthly or whatever its called! :) :) :)

[Ben C]

But a word of warning on the red lights (no jokes please) they get super hot, so make sure that the hawk can't jump up into them. :) :)

[Sean]

sorry i dunno if i typed the question right, i dont mean will the size me ok, i mean will it be ok with the light? it doesnt get much daylight except at the end of the day. would this really slow down moults?

[Ben C]

Nope not really, the moult is about day length, food, temperature and therefore metabolic rate. Cody is not in direct sunlight and he is dropping feathers faster than I can catch em mate.

However others may have a different slant on it Sean, so keep reading. :)

[Sean]

sure will ben :)

[Darren]

the front of my mews is facing north, i done this so he wouldnt get the sun beating in all day on him....my garden faces west so the sun is on my garden from around miday till suset.

[Sean]

cheers darren, and wat about wind, does it affect u in anyway?

[Ben C]

And is he moulting well Darren (even if it is a Wileman hawk :) :) ) ?

[Jiff]

sean mate, i aint posted for a while so here is as good as anywhere to restart, when i built my mews, i suddenly remembered (while sat back admiring the project) the amount of trouble i've had in my garden with the wind,fences, plants, garden ornements have all came to a dissasterous end in my garden, i took prcautions when building, for instance the roof would need explosive to remove it, but where my windows were bared, i didnt like the thaught of a wind trap inside, taking advice from my brother who is a keen gardener, i covered the windows inside with some fine mesh wind screen, it's meant to protect plants from the wind,however the wind passes through so the mew stays fresh and airy but it's broken brilliantly,infact in gail force winds any feathers or leaves in the mew just about remain motionless, i got mine from peter barrets but i suppose most garden centers will sell it , it also acts as a great stop for a stroppy bird.

[Ben C]

Welcome back Jiff...............:) :)

[Sean]

hey jiff, do you know the name of the product? thanks

[Jiff]

i can try and find it mate, it was on a large roll and you pulled it off by the meter, you baught as much or as little as you needed, it's very fine plastic mesh, even if the bird gets a tallon caught IT! BRAKES BEFORE THE TALLON. it is supprisingly robust as a weatehr shield though.

[Jiff]

P.S. cheers ben

[Sean]

thats great jiff, and does it aloow plenty of light in? and is it pricey?

[Jiff]

doesnt affect the light alot mate and it was cheap, can't remember how much but it would have been cheap or i wouldnt have baught it L.O.L

[Sean]

lol thats what i like to hear :D

[Darren]

And is he moulting well Darren (even if it is a Wileman hawk :) :) ) ?
Yes Benc he is moulting very well he has 6 of his old tail feathers left, his deck feathers are in & others are growing well in the sheath....his primaries are dropping & growing as well.

Shaun
when i feel the wind is going to build up or driving rain is on the way I roll down a home made roller blind made out of really thick pond liner, I have sat in the mews with my harris when the blind is down & there is very little wind/draught gets in when the blind is down.

[Sean]

cheers darren

[BFC 007]

HOMEBASE & B & Q do the stuff that jiffs on about sean :wink:

[Sean]

thanks :)

[Gozzhawk]

Heaters for birds????? Do any of you fly in minus conditions and if so has the word weathering ever occurred??? I have never used a heater for anything with the exception of taking a low kes inside a few nights. Birds dont have comfy wee heaters in the wild.
Sure this will give some good thread!!

[OutFlying]

If you get the wind blowing in with damp followed by frost or cold weather then wing tip odema is a risk with harris hawks. Design of the avairy is more important than heat if free lofted.

OF.

[James_Falconry1]

I think Jiff is on about Netlon Windbreak. mine came on a massive roll. And not that expensive if i can remember. Briliant stuff tho.

[Gozzhawk]

Well said OF my aviary at home has half roof covered chest high panels at front one bow one block 2 high perches at back(either corner) and one long bamboo at front aviary 10ft deep and if blizzard conditions we put up greenhouse plastic to stop bird getting wet. I've had minus 16 in there with no ill effects, more of a worry to me is the high summer temperatures as bird can only lose so much heat through gutteral fluttering.

[BlackHawke]

i live by the sea where normally it dont get that cold, last winter weren't to bad but it gets windy. my mews has an open roof and 2 sides, i also built a section on top of my shed which is pretty wind proof. during the warmer months the sides are open. my aviary dont get loads of sun coz i got buildings obstructing the aviary but i put some perches a little higher so she can get some sun for most of the day.

jade is freelofted during moult, during winter i still freeloft her but i cover both sides with tarpauline. it keeps the majority of wind out but jade can get wot sun there is during the day as roof is open.

[Ben C]

Gozz.......If there is a very sharp frost over night and a Harris gets frost blain then there is a possibility of it hurting the hawk. I transfer Cody from his free loft into the shed and pop the heater on.......I have had to do it matber only three times.....but it was worth it.

It was just a suggestion which can be taken as a precaution or not :) :) :) :)

And leaving a BOP in minus degree temperatures ( minus 16 was it??) for a beginner like myself and others is not to be reccommended is it mate :) :) :)