You don't want them to be a major part of the diet, they don't have much casting materials, because their bones are soft and their feathers are undeveloped. There is also a chance of salmonella too, and never feed the yolk sack.
Use crounce bells, or dave noble bells. They cost about 30 bucks, but with something as important as bells, you don't want to skimp, and remember, you get what you pay for!
I don't have have a bird... yet... but i've heard of people feeding a mixed diet, throwing in the birds own kills. so on each day it eats something different, then sundays, you let it feed up on it's kills.
**EDIT** Oh yes, i'm gonna be getting Dave Noble bells from www.westernsporting.com, i've heard they are the best
Last Edit: Apr 22, 2006 20:53:09 GMT -5 by morganf
On feeding, you'll see how the bird reacts and develope a schedule that fits you best. I've always found that it's a good idea to give the bird a nice gorge one a week or so. If it's done to reinforce training or hunting, so much the better.
whats wrong with the pakistani bells, as they are the only ones I use. I cant justify paying 30 dollars a pair as I went through last season by having serveral bells lost and smashed. Also I only use one bell on one leg and a transmitter on the other.
Pakistani bells aren't bad, it just depends on the bird. On some birds they tend to last not more than a year. I used Larry Counce's bells this year and really liked them. They cost more than $9.95 though, I think they're around $16/pair. I've got three sets and really like them. However, my sponsor uses Dave Noble's bells and they have a little deeper tone that carries farther, in my opinion. So, I'm going to try out one of his pairs this year.
Regarding the food, first it isn't necessarily the most expensive part of the sport (once your bird starts catching game, you'll be surprised how far it will go). I'd say that gas/transportation is definitely where I spend the most money. And with gas at about $3/gallon, this next season is going to be even more expensive. Second, I'd never feed DOCs as the majority of my birds food, but not due to anything about casting, but rather because they're not real nutritious. My sponsor says they have the nutritional value of Cotton Candy. They are cheap and I do feed them, but I choose to mostly feed mice, rats, rabbit, squirrel and quail, with the emphasis on the mice because they're so nutritious. Also, you don't need to squeeze out the yolk sack unless you don't want them to have the added calories during the hunting season. I just leave them in as I want my bird to have whatever nutritional value that they add. -Joe
P.s. 40Acrefield, there is another thread somewhere that you should read about how people get their food (mice, rats, DOCs, etc.) for next to nothing. You should look it over because it will vastly reduce your food costs. For instance, I've got two buddies who raise show rabbits (they've got like 300). They have to cull a lot of the rabbits that they don't sell (for like $150-$300/piece) and guess who they give them to for free.....ME! ;D ;D Read it over and I'm sure you'll be able to id some potential cheap sources of food.
Pakistani bells are fine, but don' last very long, so probably actually works out cheaper to buy the Dave Noble ones.
Chicks are fine as a stable part of the diet, morgan is wrong, leave the yolks IN. Vet people said about 3 years ago that you should take the yolks out, because of selmonella and 'cause they're fatty, then a year later they stood up and said "sorry lads, we were wrong, leave em in, as most of the goodness is in there"
It only counts as about half goodness when yolks are popped.
When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze
My problem with bells is I have a moderate hearing loss and can't hear high pitched bells very well. Western Sporting sold me two pair that had a lower pitch and sound great. Very high quality, too. "Zills" as bells are sometimes called coming from Lahore, Pakistan are made the same way today as they were a hundred years ago. Haven't decided if I'll bell my next bird or not.
Day old chicks with yolks really make a mess on a glove. I might keep an extra welding glove to use. Feeding d.o.c.s with yolk turns birds tarsi and feet a bright healthy yellow, but they're just not much in the casting and calcium department. Raptor vets have waffled for years on the yolk sac question. Supplemental only in my opinion.
It'll make a mess of the glove, yes, so pop em out when you're going hunting and stuff, but just chucking some chicks into your birds leave 'em in. Thing is, they have all the major nutritional value, if you're really bothered about casting then put some hair or chopped up rope (not nylon) on the chick.
Honest question: what is the importance of casting anyway? I mean I know about how it all need it to digest, by why are you all so bothered about whether the bird has casted that morning? I don't think we are like that in England
When through the woods and forest glades I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze