Washed Meat

[Ryan]

I just wondered if anyone used this or if it is bad for the bird. for those who don't know what it is: you soak the meat for 12-24 hrs. then wring it out until its like a jerky, is has most of the nutrients but not the liquid so it does not affect weight as much as regular meet(is this correct, I'm pretty sure). read about it in the Art Of Falconry oooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllldddddddddddddddd
book.
Eragon

[alex2]

I've done it before.

I soak the meat for 24-48 hours in my fridge in a jar ( but I change the water a few times ) I dont ring out the water because there is no point to it. The tissues have lost nearly all of there nutriconal value after changing the water 2-3 times and are filled up with water molecules instead.

Washed meat is used to reduce the birds weight by making him feel as if he's eaten somthing but in reality it will just go right through him and he will actually loose weight.

I've only done it once without that much real success. I prefer to just cut the rations or use diffrent types of quarry that arnt as rich in nutrients.

[Ryan]

thanks wolf. old book not good info. interesting read though.
Eragon

[raptrlvr]

I do not use washed meat for any of my birds.

[Falcon Boy]

I do the same as Alex, cut rations or use a less nutritional food source

[shortwingn]

I use washed meat quite often. I use it to top off the bird after its given its ration of nutritional food. It gives the bird that full busting crop feeling (that is what the bird is after isn't it)? This way the bird will make weight the next day and the bird got rewarded for its efforts. It also helps to prepare the stomach a bit. Not nearly as good as rangle stones but a bit. In summer I use washed chicken (the lowest nutritional value), fall washed quail (not fully washed), winter straight rabbit (or slightly washed). It all depends on how much weight the bird is burning.
I have also used washed chicken meat to brake birds of undesirable quarry. One of my harrises decided he would start catching squirrels. I didn't mind at first but after a while I wanted him back on rabbits. (I don't care much for squirrel hawking, just my personal preference) Putting a lump of washed chicken meat on top of his squirrel kill's stopped this quick. Guess he figured they taste good but your hungry a 1/2 hour later.

[jfseaman]

I've been reading the 'old' books for 40 years. They all reference washed. I figured I'd wait until I needed it as a last resort to cutting back rations or the good bits of rations.

I've been removing the good bits from my bird’s day olds (heads and guts). It seems to work but is probably slower than washing and I definitely can't fill his crop with it and expect him to loose weight.

Not a problem, it's predictable.

What’s not predictable right now is the weather. It was supposed to be 50 or colder today which is good for around 1oz of loss from morning to flying time. It was more like 70 and he lost very little ¼ to ½ (the scale toggled).

I’m ready to give washed a try so he can get a good crop and no matter the weather he’ll drop weight. This is where shortwingn's comments worry me. My bird is an Captive Bred MRT and just learning to hunt the DB. I want him to associate good food with the DB so that transfers to real.

Any comments or contributions?

[Weasel]

I regularly use washed beef heart with my birds. If I am planning on going hunting the next day and I need a few extra grams of weight off her, I grab a few pieces out of the water bowl in the fridge and feed her. She can have a full crop and only gain half the weight as if it where non-washed meat. Now with this being said, it is NOT something you do all the time as common sense will tell anyone, it has little nutritional value for the bird to go on. Just a temp fix for weight issues that's all. I have found that it works great when dropping your birds weight after the moult....You know, when the heat is way up and the bird seems to gain grams without eating....I know you have all been there.....In that case I use washed meat as it kicks their metab into full swing and they loose weight on the WM.

[Ryan]

Thank you everyone great responses! A lot of different opinions.
Eragon

[shortwingn]

s,
OK, here is the problem. Washed meat is an add on. You use it after the daily proportion of nutritional food. In other words, if you normally feed a top half of a quail add washed meat plus a quail (you usually get a lower weight when using washed meat [depending on the meat)) leg. (each bird is different) This way the bird will feel rewarded to a full crop and will still make weight. I wouldn't do this every flight, just for good efforts or kills if your hunting the next day. If not by all means let the bird crop up (I don't let the bird eat the lower half of the intestinal tract and stomach) depending on the next time your hunting, the weight of the bird, the temperature, ect.. There is a lot too washed meat. Done wrong (feeding your bird a fully washed diet) you could kill the bird. It shouldn't be taken lightly. Its like rangle stones.
Just a note, I don't let my birds eat the guts. I don't want the biological problems that are associated. That might be for an another bord?

[grendlesgirl]

For washed meat I use beefheart, and only for a FEW NONCONSECUTIVE DAYS to help loose weight when taking her down after the moult.

I've seen people have their weights "crash" after using it too much, very scary. I've never needed to use it more than a couple days a year. Good weight management should prevent heavy birds!

Kelly