talon problem

[Zapper]

I have a 3 year old female harris flying at 2lb 4oz. Everything fine in 1st year, second year starting hitting rabbits very hard and broke off the end of a couple of front talons. Third year problem getting worse, this Sunday she broke off the end of her back talon, friend is asking if she has a calcium deficiency? Im not sure if its just that shes hitting her kills hard! Anyone had similar problems? Much appreciate any feedback Cheers

[LongVVing]

Are they completely torn out or are they just broken?

[Zapper]

Just broken the end off.

[BHawk]

are they bleeding a lot? are they snapped clean or has the talon actually splintered?

[Zapper]

sorry got delayed on the phone. They bled when they first broke and look jagged at the end on a couple

[IAmTheWeasel]

Can you post a picture as it sounds as if the talons are just too long and in need of a copeing. They are very thin if grown too long and will break off like you said. I have had this happen to a RT I had awhile back and we simply trimmed back the talons, sharpened them and she was good as new.

[BHawk]

how well have they healed and what exactly have you done to the talons since?

[Zapper]

No digital camera at the moment. Many thanks for your advice, I think you are probably right about being ready for copeing, will sort out! Also while Im on line have you come across an issue of feather plucking, she only seems to do it when she comes back from hunting, plucking from her chest, treated for mites so I know its not that. ???

[IAmTheWeasel]

Have her checked for internal parasites as well since that can cause irritation too. Also, some mites will sit inside the feathershaft so as to make them a bit more difficult to get rid of. I had an RT that decided to pluck all of the feathers of her legs. No cause was found by the vet at all. I released her shortly therafter.

[Shaun Byrne]

I have a 3 year old female harris flying at 2lb 4oz. Everything fine in 1st year, second year starting hitting rabbits very hard and broke off the end of a couple of front talons. Third year problem getting worse, this Sunday she broke off the end of her back talon, friend is asking if she has a calcium deficiency? Im not sure if its just that shes hitting her kills hard! Anyone had similar problems? Much appreciate any feedback Cheers

Have you tried nail varnish:supz:

[Zapper]

was thinking about it as the wife is a nail technician

[LongVVing]

A harris of mine once plucked her chest feathers after a hunting trip. Had her checked for both internal and external parasites but she was clear. She did it just the once then never repeated it again so never did get to the bottom of it. I know in parrots it can be a boredom thing. it did however come after a two week hard flying/hunting period that stopped due to a period of bad weather. maybe she just wasn't stimulated enough during the lull period.

Good idea to get her checked for any internal nasties though.

Regarding nail treatment I've never tried nail varnish but I have used a couple of drops of neatsfoot oil on a cloth after coping to clean off any crusty deposits and help strengthen brittle ends. A friend uses it on her horses hooves to keep them conditioned against cracking. Just a thought!

[Hells99]

You can get some stuff like nail varnish that is supposed to give a really hard coating to the nails to stop them breaking.

[Shaun Byrne]

Just to add to this thread.

The bird in question is a FHH belonging to a mate of mine. She is in her 3rd season and is one of the most awsome rabbit birds I have seen.

I was out with this bird yesterday and she took a rabbit in a ditch, not a particularly thumping hit but when she was back on the glove we noticed she was bleeding heavily.

She had broken a back tallon. That was the last decent tallon she had so its an early moult and a gutted falconer.

Her tallons have been breaking all season, they dont actually snap off but it looks as though the shell of the nail is breaking and sliding off the quick, leaving a sore bloody mess.

Another mate has just rung me and his Female has just had exactly the same happen.

It has never happened to either bird before and both are fed quality diets and Raptor Essentials.

Anyone got any ideas or had the same problems now or before?

[Shaun Byrne]

Anyone?:roll:

[Zapper]

hi there i and my mate gary welpton also live in lincolnshire do you know gary

[BrightEyes]

try germolene new skin from the chemist

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Anyone?:roll:

Hawka - sorry just seen this thread. From my understanding breaking talons could be a sign of iron deficiency.

So some iron supplements or feeding of liver could help. IME a harris either breaks talons or it doesnt, which suggests to me that it is congenital. Feeding iron to those hawks which suffer from broken talons could help stave off the inevitable but might not be a cure.

FHF

[LeighJauncey]

I'm wondering if this problem is worse in winter - obviously it's when the birds are hunted most. If the problem is caused by a calcium defiency it could be that the bird is getting plenty of calcium but not suffucient daylight to produce enough vitamin D3 for its efficient uptake - a liquid calcium supplement which includes D3 like 'calcivet' might help. Iron defiency is also a possibility but harder to deal with - too much iron is just as, if not more, dangerous. A blood test by a decent vet could be the answer, just to check the levels.

[MattSpar]

I'm wondering if this problem is worse in winter - obviously it's when the birds are hunted most. If the problem is caused by a calcium defiency it could be that the bird is getting plenty of calcium but not suffucient daylight to produce enough vitamin D3 for its efficient uptake - a liquid calcium supplement which includes D3 like 'calcivet' might help. Iron defiency is also a possibility but harder to deal with - too much iron is just as, if not more, dangerous. A blood test by a decent vet could be the answer, just to check the levels.

Thank the Lord there's at least one scientist on this forum.

[Shaun Byrne]

hi there i and my mate gary welpton also live in lincolnshire do you know gary

I should hope so, I fly with him most weekends:rolleyes:

[Shaun Byrne]

Thanks for the replies FHF, Leigh.

I thought maybe calcium but Iron is a new one on me. She is fed on the internals of every kill including liver so would this count out an Iron deficiency?

She is also given Raptor Essentials, would this not give her enough calcium along with full carcasses?

She is also cropped once a week on quail.

Like I said her tallons are coming away and leaving the quick, they are not just snapping off. I've had birds snap tallons but never any that looked like this.

[FlameHairedFalconer]

Like I said her tallons are coming away and leaving the quick, they are not just snapping off. I've had birds snap tallons but never any that looked like this.

Thats what was happening to a male harris of my aquaintance some years ago. This is when I was told about the possibility of an iron deficiency. I still think it was congenital and not due to diet.

FHF