Winterizing Options for a Tercel HH

[Joby]

I've got a THH coming this year and I'm looking at winterizing options for my mew, which is situated in my garage. I'm particularly looking at using two options, a radiant heat panel and a heating unit for the perch. Another harris hawker told me that he used some kind of heating wire that is used to keep metal water pipes from freezing.

OPTION 1 : I bought a 30' length of it last night at Lowes. It shows just running that wire along the top of the pipe. With 30' (and only an 8' wide high perch) I was going to just wrap it around the perch (like sisal) and then put some kind of covering material over it (such as astro turf or sisal). My question is this, is it safe to wrap that stuff around and around the perch? And, will it be hot enough to melt the astro turf (walmart daisy mat style) or set the sisal on fire?

OPTION 2: With the radiant heat panel, I was going to mount it either directly above the perch (on the ceiling) or above and behind the corner perch (on the wall). Does either of these mounting options sound viable? Does the heat panel get hot enough to melt stuff or start fires?

Thanks in advance for all your help!!
-Joe

[dirthawker]

don't use the heat tape it will in fact wear out and the thermostat will go to hell in no time flat which makes the tape over heat and will burn the birds feet. what I did although I don't need it most of the yr in AZ but I put a space heater mounted to the ceiling of the mew and put it at just above freezing. will get some pics after while for ya

[dirthawker]

so here it is heater is mounted to the roof so that the bird cant land on ti and the cord is run on the top out of the way. I also put plexy glass on the outside of the windows to keep the heat in. the heater just keeps the mew above freezing low electric bill

[Falcon Boy]

How much does the heater help up there since hot air rises? Is your bird teathered or free lofted?

Do not use the heated perch, i know a guy who got a bird from someone who did and it had bad burns on it's feet.

[dirthawker]

they are free lofted and there is a perch that is up twards the top of the mew works real well have it in both of my mews. they never get below 38 degrees

[MarkT]

I live in Maryland and never worried about the temperatures too much with my harris hawks. I never have set up any kind of heat for the birds in the mews. There are a few harris hawk breeders around here and all of them leave their breeders out year round without supplemental heat.

If I’m working with a first year bird, I will generally bring the bird in at night if the temp dips below about 20. With adults, somewhere around 10 degrees is where I consider bringing them in. During the day they are pretty much outside all the time. If the birds are fed well and protected from the wind then can stand some fairly low temperatures. I have had harris hawks since 1986 and during that time, there has probably been less than a handful of days that they came in during the day because it was too cold for them.

[ICE]

I use an infared Heat bulb over the top of my Harris's perches that is on a thermostat. They hang about 18" over their head, I tried the heat tape on the perch but was not satisfied with it. I also but plastic over the windows so when the sun DOES shine it helps warm the mews. We usually get 2 straight weeks of -10 below zero every year.

Ice

[dirthawker]

so here is what I did put plexiglass on the outside of the bars, and a space heater mounted to the roof of the mew

[duskyhawk]

How cold does it get? So fair this winter we have had temps around -20 C and my MHH has been outside in his avery with no heat. There has been no problems(he did have frostbite before I got him a few years ago but it was due to handler error)

[HawkingRage]

Honestly -20c would be handler error to me too but I dont have a harris so i cant really talk. Hunting in that weather is one thing but husbandry is another

[duskyhawk]

he is not kept at a hunting weight when temp gets that low, and he doent fly

[crbhawking]

but still HH are from the desert and though they are exposed to freezing temps. they are never exposed to anything near that low in the wild. i would never leave a bird out that cold, except birds used to that weather. i would definately do some type of heating to raise the temp. above 0 or more.

[HawkingRage]

duskyhawk said:

he is not kept at a hunting weight when temp gets that low, and he doent fly

You are in Canada. What do you mean you dont keep him at hunting weight when it gets cold. Its always cold. I lived there and i know. So how come you have a Harris hawk if you dont fly it when it is cold. Do you only fly it in september or october before it gets cold and then the rest of the year the bird is screwed? I am not trying to be a jerk but i am of the extreem opinion that if you have a dog and it cant survive a cold northern night then you shouldnt have it, just like a raptor this is something to think about enless you are going to be a pet keeping fanatic.

[duskyhawk]

It's not that cold. Today was 1C and its Jan, it will get cold for about 3 weeks in feb in which I dont fly but the rest of the year is fine. Hunting season starts in September and ends in spring.