Just a little help needed

[Simon]

My Harris Aggie has now been flying free for a week now , we have brought her weigh down to what i think is her flying/hunting , she is flying at rabbits now but not with much enthusiasm, i have had her weight down to 1lb 14oz or just under but it was a little low (eyes not big and bright and her excrement had a little green in it). So her weight is 1lb 14.5 - 1lb 15oz. She has been shown and is keen to the swing lure she catches it in flight, but doesn't seem to want to kill any thing that flys or any thing that is alive . does any one have ideas ?

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

If you know anyone with a Harris that is hunting and has been flown socially enlist their help and fly together. Its an old practice called using a make hawk. Your bird will just learn by example. Have you actually ever fed her a whole rabbit carcass? If not hows she going to know how they feel and that rabbits are actually food.

[OutFlying]

have you feed her off a rabbit carcass ?

[Sparrow Hawker]

It's not easy entering a hawk and it can be a very frustrating time, everything is new to the bird and you just have to keep perservering. Keep using the dummy bunny or rabbit carcass soon enough she'll switch on to the live stuff, flights on the lure will also help build her fitness up as well as confidence.

All The Best,

HH

[IAmTheWeasel]

Keep in mind that the reaction of a hawk is similar when too low or to high. This happens quite often. The bird won't react well, so the weight is dropped(naturally) and the bird only reacts less. Was the photo of the bird fluffed up taken of her while she was having these reactions? Fluffed up is also one signal that she could be too low. I am making assumtions as I do not know the bird and if you have flown this bird previously with success so don't take these comment to heart as they are just one point of view to think about.
Cheers

[OutFlying]

how sharp is the breast bone ? your mentor must be the best source of advised regarding a low condition. I doubt she is low since she came out the aviary only 4 ounces heavier but she might have been thin then. have a feel of her keel on both sides this will tell you her true condition. Green ***** can be the result of not feeding enough food for her stomach to process not low condition.

[Mr_Colin]

I started with the dummy bunny, then made the switch to a dead bunny from the butchers on the line, when she caught it I let her feed up so she got the taste, she was soon killing them herself after that

Colin

[Sprout]

As Outflying says how is her keel bone? Weight means nothing unless you can correlate it with condition. The way you are describing could mean a bird too fat or too keen, if you get it the wrong way round and drop weight further then you could end up with a dead hawk so practice pinching up your birds keel bone daily. GReen faeces can appear even in a fat hawk that hasn't eaten for a few days

[Adam Barrett]

is she is reacting to and chasing rabbits but pulling of at the last moment ?

every harris reacts differantly to wild quarry from what i have understood it sounds like she is reacting normally as most young harris' do.

if you have ferrets try ferreting a warren away from cover and slipping her from the fist. if this isnt possiable put her in a tree and flush a rabbit from below her this is what worked for me and my girl sounds pretty similar to yours.

bare in ming it has only been a week sounds like you are doing well mate just perservere and im sure you'll be fine. :wink:

[Impster]

put her weight up by letting her feed up on a dead rabbit ! keep on manning as per norm and try jumping her she probly wont jump as for she will have had a good gorge at the rabbit but keep trying until she responds ! once she responds then get a dead rabbit on a line and drag it , she will most likely be on it straight away , now let her have a small feed nothing much and do the same the next day making sure she stays at the same weight as the day before , take her out with the ferrets and flush some easy rabbits for her and if she makes a kill let her have only a small feed, trying to keep her weight ! now she is enterd , the rest is up to you and how often you can get out hunting with her her weight will go up slowly as she gets fit and i must say dont try and put it up to quik , or you will be disapointed ! look in your book to see what weight she first responded at and then work up from there you will finaly reach a weight that she wont respont at and you have to work it from there , the right weight is somewhare in the middle , trial and error :goodman: .....