From fat to flying to hunting

[BigMusket]

Just wondering what the weight drop is between the fat weight down to flying down to hunting on different peoples birds. Be interesting if theres any patterns between falcons and hawks. We know the 10% rule etc, I just don't think it holds water. See if I'm wrong:)

[Sean D]

Male HH, fat 1.11lb, hunting weight 1.7

[Tommy No Mates]

Hi m8 MHH fat wieght on pick up 2lb+ jump 1.12ish hawking 1.10. FHH shade under 3lb jump 2.6 2.7ish hawking 2.3+, dont do maths so hope it helps:confused:

[BarbaryHawking06]

Female Barbary fat weight 850g (and I mean she gets obese :roll: at the beginning of breeding season), flying weight no higher than 670g and that is with a round chest.
thats roughly 22% difference...

[Dean]

Peregrine falcon pen weight 1lb 15oz,hunting weight 2lb 3oz plus???No it doesnt hold water!

[Alan G]

FHH Fat at 3lb 6Oz, hunting 2lb 5 Oz.

Gyr Peregrine Fat 2lbs- 2lbs 2 Oz Flying 1lb 10 Oz.

German Gos M fat 2lbs hunting 1lb 5 Oz.

[Leo 1]

mhh fat 2.2oz flying 1.8oz hunting 1.5oz
fhh fat 3lb flying 1.15oz hunting 1.10oz

[Boby]

wow, i asked the very same question a few weeks back and got "shot down" very quickly..

10% ruel whats that then?

FHH, 2lb 8 FW HW 2lb 2

[MattSpar]

Generally speaking, the ten per cent rule works pretty well for birds being initially trained. The important thing is not to accept it as gospel, but to observe your bird and be adaptable.

Once a hawk is trained and used to the game, then in subsequent years the ten per cent rule may, or may not apply. I've had hawks that needed to be reduced more than that after moulting. I also once had a falcon whose flying weight was considerably more than her moulting weight.

[Leo 1]

Generally speaking, the ten per cent rule works pretty well for birds being initially trained. The important thing is not to accept it as gospel, but to observe your bird and be adaptable.

Once a hawk is trained and used to the game, then in subsequent years the ten per cent rule may, or may not apply. I've had hawks that needed to be reduced more than that after moulting. I also once had a falcon whose flying weight was considerably more than her moulting weight.

verry gd post m8

[It's Alright Ma]

Generally speaking, the ten per cent rule works pretty well for birds being initially trained. The important thing is not to accept it as gospel, but to observe your bird and be adaptable.

Once a hawk is trained and used to the game, then in subsequent years the ten per cent rule may, or may not apply. I've had hawks that needed to be reduced more than that after moulting. I also once had a falcon whose flying weight was considerably more than her moulting weight.

Nice post, precisley put. Will add for the sake of it that reduction will depend on just how fat the hawk initially is, what its temperament is like (will depend on such things as species, individuality, rearing method) and how effective manning is. Harris hawks, for example, will oft be obedient and hunt (albeit with less drive) when really a bit too high. I''ve had one harris for example that came out fat at 2lb 3oz (she was fat) and would hunt that year at 2.2 - but she was more deadly at 2lb.

Johny

[Boby]

" 25 to 30 % as a general rule of thumb" this was a post by timdog08 on my weight loss post.

i presume this 10% rule is along the same lines..?

there is a very big difference in 10% and 30% body weight loss.

i think the truth is, it depends on the indavidual bird, no ruels apply.

some can fly high, some need all surplus weight removed to even get a simple step up. some birds put wieght on in excess, some dont.. as others have said the avairy wieght is lower in some cases than the flying wieght of thier birds (i wouldnt have believed it myslef!)

I dont know anything about falcons, eagles, owls, or true hawks..
but my expierence with Beuto / parabeuto, edges on the 20 - 30% side of things.

its all very interesting..

[BigMusket]

wow, i asked the very same question a few weeks back and got "shot down" very quickly..


I don't know why, its a good question. If someone stops dropping weight at 10% then wonders why their bird isn't responding because they read it in a book.

Some great variety out there. Each Bop is individual obviously but with such variation between say 5% - 30%

[Graham Stuart]

I don't know why, its a good question. If someone stops dropping weight at 10% then wonders why their bird isn't responding because they read it in a book.

Some great variety out there. Each Bop is individual obviously but with such variation between say 5% - 30%

when moulting my fhh i only increase her weight by about 15%, so 15% to get off her after the moult, if i let her she would be about 50-60% up in weight and take forever to get the weight back off safely...new birds out the chamber will depend how greedy and how much they have been fed....Graham

[Spring]

Alot of it comes down to how well manned the bird is put alot of time in to manning and you will be able to fly at a higher weight
And how much you fly the bird to muscle up.

[Nig295]

mhh fat 2.2oz flying 1.8oz hunting 1.5oz
fhh fat 3lb flying 1.15oz hunting 1.10oz

What? 48 oz fat and 28 oz hunting. So she puts on 1lb 4 oz in the moult. That is one fat hawk.

[Simon C]

mhh fat 2.2oz flying 1.8oz hunting 1.5oz
fhh fat 3lb flying 1.15oz hunting 1.10oz

Hello Tigger

why does your fhh have to come down another 5 ounces from flying weight to hunting weight? I know every bird is an individual but just thought that was a bit excessive

regards,

Simon

[Leo 1]

Hello Tigger

why does your fhh have to come down another 5 ounces from flying weight to hunting weight? I know every bird is an individual but just thought that was a bit excessive

regards,

Simon

to tell u the truth m8 i dont no but thats what she has to be at
ps she just under 3lb fat

[Steve.T]

how times change....

when i first started with bop it was a case of feed the bird up to "fat weight" then reduce by 1/3 to find hunting weight...

[Nig295]

I have never weighed my birds fat as I reduce feeding/weight long before I pick them up, by the time they are jessed up they have lost most of their fat and I only take another ounce or two off before flying.

[EdenJohnny]

I have never weighed my birds fat as I reduce feeding/weight long before I pick them up, by the time they are jessed up they have lost most of their fat and I only take another ounce or two off before flying.

That sound reasonable. My FHH is at fat weight in moult, I do not weigh her, she was getting up to 2-13oz before I took her jesses off. She is cropped up every 2nd day, and fed her usual ration on the other days.. I dont know what she weighs. But when I come to pick her up after the moult, I have 2 choices, a) reduce food until she steps up, or b) catch her up and weigh her.
Johnny

[Rob999]

blimey she was up to 2lb 13oz???? what weight do you hunt her at then??
i've hunted mine at 2lb 6oz.......max weight this year..........she flew brilliantly, but didn't want to come back to me readily!!!! she's normally at 2lb 2oz - 4oz!! (depending on the weather/ temp)
only take her weight up to around 2lb 6&1/2oz normally, but give her quail, rat and pheasant breast balanced with doc's....................this as like last years moult was god and she didn't break any feathers at all in 2 seasons......so works for her !!
but they are all different!!.......good thread

[Spring]

mhh fat 2.2oz flying 1.8oz hunting 1.5oz
fhh fat 3lb flying 1.15oz hunting 1.10oz

Did you put in the wrong figures there dont sound right to me.
I know Deans weights going up.
But i dont think a bird could go so low.

[Boby]

heres another one for you. on the extreme range!

MRT

2lb 14oz fat

1lb 15 5/8ths flying

so thats over 30% weight loss.

[Leo 1]

Did you put in the wrong figures there dont sound right to me.
I know Deans weights going up.
But i dont think a bird could go so low.

i have ye sued say just over 2lb:oops:

[DannyRot]

fhh 2lb 14 fatweight 2lb 5 flying 2lb 3 hunting weight

[Nebli]

hello everyone ,
well i don't share much the interest of the question at least not on the way it is answered.
birds get sometimes overfed to the extent of dying from heart attack (appens to me with a female peregrine falcon so )...
diminishing the weight is not really relevent ( 10 or 30%)
what I 'm finding relevent is the first weight when you take the bird out of the mew on the first season
because :that is the weight that has alloud the bird to grow and feather himself in good conditions and have a reasonnable fat reserve.
and that will always be my reference
year after yearon average it is fine if you fly arround that weight season after season, I mean it for falcons, goes and harrisses are a different story all together for exactly opposite reasons.
let just stick to falcons first that first weight should be diminished and the 10% rule seems a good one at the end of the season your bird should( at least reach that original weight or more .
for harisses that's different I think the -10 or 15% would be the right one depending on what you hunt ( hare or rabbit for exemple)
for a goes well it is the weight at wich the bird comes back in as many disturbing circonstances as possible .

[Tooker]

heres another one for you. on the extreme range!

MRT

2lb 14oz fat

1lb 15 5/8ths flying

so thats over 30% weight loss.

Another MRT
2lb 8oz fat
1lb 14oz flying

[Accipiters]

FHH fat 2lb 15oz hunting 2lb 2oz she was a pig:D
MHH fat 1lb 10oz hunting 1lb 5oz

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