Box or Bow Perch At Night

[Wabbit Catcher]

Ive got a bit of a dilemma, Im hoping to get a "trained" 5 year old female harris Hawk in the next few weeks when i bring it home should i box it up on a night or simply leave on the perch?

Im thinking of starting as i mean to go on and box at night and perch in the day but, im open to suggustions

[ColdZero]

...

[Dave Whitt]

I may be wrong with this and someone please correct me if I am, but I think ny law if you are putting a bird in a box for more than 6 hours / overnight on a regular basis it has to be able to open it`s wings fully and turn through 360 degrees I remember reading that the RSPCA had closed down a falconry center because birds were being kept in night boxes that were too small.
Also my own personal opinion is that a bird should either be kept free lofted or on a purch and not in a box

[North East Harris Hawker]

put it in its aviary and leave it alone till the start of the season, dont go putting it in a box! the practice is actually illegal if the bird cannot open its wings fully. (although its an accepted practice in cases of EXTREME overnight cold weather) (ie -5 and below) if you dont have an aciary then tether the bird on its bowperch with just enough tether so that it can reach a rock on one side and its bath on the other (but so that it cannot snag itself by travelling beyond either of these objects.

[OhMyGod]

I would free loft a bird of this age if it is settled enough.

Boxes I don't like as they frey the wing tips and no matter how many holes you put in them they smell of **** the next morning, which can not be too pleasant. In my opinion it's better for them to get fresh air during the night.

You can build a weathering with doors on the front (with wire mesh instead of solid wood) for the hunting season. This way you will not be putting the bird in at night and putting her out again in the morning as this can lead to the bird relying on you which can lead to imprinting behavior problems with some birds, encouraging them to scream.

[Dave Whitt]

If you are unsure on how to build a mews take a look at this http://www.falconryforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4078&highlight=

[GDN]

Did anyone advise you to keep the bird in a box over night? If you don't mind me asking - who?

As the other have said get a mews built. If you have no where to build a mews then don't get the bird for birds sake. Sorry to be so negative.

Keeping a bird in a box on a regular basis for long periods of time can lead to all sorts of problems.

[Wabbit Catcher]

Sorry, i should of stated that i have some exerlent mews and i also have a large fenced area within my garden which i plan to put the perch bath etc in through the day this is mainly so my 2 dogs can get used to the bird and vici / verca as far as the box goes lets say its big ! all tiled out with a sloping floor with drainage underneth for ease of cleaning To give you a idea of size a red tail had plently of room to spred its wings and turn round quite freely yes i am aware of space awareness its good to see that your all on the ball and out to show helpfull advice to us newbies

[Dave Whitt]

Not being funny if you have an excerlent mews why box a bird at all

[Will]

Put the dogs in the box! :)

[OhMyGod]

"You can build a weathering with doors on the front (with wire mesh instead of solid wood) for the hunting season. This way you will not be putting the bird in at night and putting her out again in the morning as this can lead to the bird relying on you which can lead to imprinting behavior problems with some birds, encouraging them to scream."

espesially if you are having trouble getting kills which somone new to falconry may find.
A 5 year old harris well hunted will probably find every single fault you do and ****** you for it.

better to free loft if settled

[Wabbit Catcher]

Will, do you put your best working dogs in a box, or in a nice warm kennel like mine!

"OH MY GOD", thanks for the advice mate i can see where your coming from
Thanks again

[Wabbit Catcher]

A 5 year old harris well hunted will probably find every single fault you do and ****** you for it.

Dosnt that go for any bird? the 8lb 12oz vulture that pecked me the other week certainly thought so :lol:

[Will]

Sorry mate, just my silly way of saying when I got my bird the dog was still young and bouncy so his travel cage came in handy. But the bird took a shine to it and sort of adopted it. As for a kennel, if I put my dog in one of them, he'd go crying to the wife, the big jessy! :)

[Wabbit Catcher]

wife, dog and bird thats a recepie for disaster! :roll:

[OhMyGod]

"
A 5 year old harris well hunted will probably find every single fault you do and ****** you for it.

Dosnt that go for any bird? the 8lb 12oz vulture that pecked me the other week certainly thought so "

NO

an eyas harris will not pick up on your mistakes as easily as a 5 yr old female that has been trained in a certain way which will not be your way.

Not being rude but you may find that at times you are a little clumbsy in the field to begin with as far as bird handling goes and the experienced bird may have your guts for garters.

It's your choice but I would recomend trying an eyas, if you can't this season then the next.

[Ben C]

I had the most terryfying experience of my life with a 5 year old female harris, which had been kept in a ****** rabbit cage and very badly treated. She was rescued and was quite the most stunning looking animal I'd seen (of its breed). But it had not even been lure trained (we are talking a 3ft jump onto a DOC on a lure), and when I picked her up it was very scary. She more or less went through double skinned kangaroo, leaned forward and GROWLED.

Boy was that a lesson for many many reasons.

She is now happily ensconced with a male now.


Have you been out hunting with her wabbit? But in answer to your question IMO a bow perch in the weathering during hunting season and then in the 'shed' at night. But watch if you use builders sand as this will make her tail go orange!!!.

[RabbitHawker]

It would technically be illegal for you to box the bird at night unless the bird could stretch it's wings in all directions. This is why there are distinctions between travelling boxes which are temporary and night boxes- see JPJ's books.

[Falconer1000]

rabbihawker is right, not only that i couldn't sleep at night wondering if the bird had injured herself, a good friend of mine flys a gos that is to say he did untill he left it in a box for the night (due to rebuilding weatherings)
he woke up to find that the bird had jumpt of the pearch and broken his wing. this is quite prob, an isolated event but who has that little respect for their birds to risk it?

[Wightwings]

i do know a few austingers that box birds over night during initial manning up. I also know of a well known "pest control" firm that insists the falcons are kept boxed when not flying.

despite all your voicing of disapproval and quoting reference to JPJ etc etc be awar guys it is a more common practice than you realise.

[Hawkmaster]

I also use a box over night, depending on the situation.

[HawkMan]

Its legal to keep a bop in a box for 18 hours isnt it,im not 100% but i think ive heard it somewhere ?as long as you check on water a feed

[Hawkmaster]

18 Hours??? Criminal I think!

[HawkMan]

thats what i heard somewhere ill try and find out where i read it and get back to you HM .
I could be wrong so dont take it as gospel

[BrianM]

ive read that too.. i will have a look and see

[Wightwings]

cheers guys interesting to know what you find out....... :D

[Gaz]

Check out the effects of ammonia on the lungs

[HawkMan]

Why look for ammonia isnt it a drug ?

[OutFlying]

Why look for ammonia isnt it a drug ?

it comes from the hawk *****, leave a hawk in a box for a time - open the door and take a good deep breath, and you'll know how the hawk feels.

OF.

[Wightwings]

??? no JB its a bi product in waste ( **** pee etc)....if you know anyone with stables horse **** is the worste but a good example

[RabbitHawker]

It is illegal to keep a bird in a box where it cannot stretch it's wings in all directions. There is a dispensation for travelling birds of prey, but night boxes should be built to allow them to stretch. A guy was prosecuted a couple of years ago for leaving bop in travelling boxes fopr 16 or so hours a day.
I cannot see how anybody can justify leavibg thier birds for long periods of time without being able to stretch their wings, this would seem quite a normal thing to do after exercise, I see all my birds doing wing stretches on block or bow.

[Wabbit Catcher]

Sounds like ive opened a can of worms here ! :lol:

[Gozzhawk]

wabbit catcher what species was the vulture , interested cos maybe getting gyps rupellii, worked with a few and lucky still to have my top lip!!

[Wabbit Catcher]

Not too Sure, But its not too keen on me !!

[Gozzhawk]

mmm makes my beady eye twitch , you ask about boxing a bird when you have a mews and have had a redtail, you were close enough to a vulture for it to 'peck' you , you ken its weight but didnt enquire as to what the bird was .... am i missing something here , the Link perhaps?

[Wabbit Catcher]

Had some bits n pices given, never had a bird before, and learning the ropes at a local center getting chance to handle most of the birds over time as i said im new to this game, its a steep learning curve ! sorry i havent got more info

[Red-Devil]

got to start some where :prayer:

[Gozzhawk]

ok heres a start i was hoping someone would pull me up on the spelling of gyps rueppellii