Falcon housing

[Flight]

Hi all,
I was wondering about a few things,Im going to make an 8'X8' Weathering area.
Need the mews be any bigger than the weathering area,and what material should i use for the sides and top of the weathering area?Where should the mews be situated?

Thanks,
Flight

[Wolf]

Your best bet would be to check this part of the forum

apfalconry.proboards19.com/index.cgi?board=facilities

[dirthawker]

you can go as elaborate or non-elaborate as you like. there are all kinds of designs mine was made out of log, I have built many out of 2X4, osb, and slick board, and then I have seen some that had to live in homeowners associations rules that made it look just like there house as an add on.

[Flight]

I believe I saw your mews it looked very nice,Any money i can save will be great seeing as i will have to buy all the bells and whistles for the bird.

[Flight]

Would chicken wire be acceptable? For the mews i saw many using pressboard,I will probably do the same with 2"x4"s and press board.

[dirthawker]

no chicken wire. you can save money on bars using PVC,

[dirthawker]

the OSB and 2X4s will work fine the slick board on the inside is for easy cleaning

[Flight]

Ok what about Galvinized wire? I probably wont be able to afford chainlink.I was thinking of a 1' pitch left to right. Would grass for the Flooring in the mews be ok,oh and also how about Building the weathering area directly off the mews? and some one was mentoining more than 1 door do i need more than one on the mews?

[dirthawker]

OK the mew will be a building like a shed with 2 windows with vertical bars on them. the weathering yard can be fencing of some sort but the bird is always tethered in there short enough so the bird cant get to the sides. you want to check with your state because some states like mine you don't have to have a weathering yard. when I want to weather my bird I take the bird out of the mew and put it on a perch in the back yard while sitting on a lawn chair reading a book. I only have to do this over the molt because I figure the bird will get its weather while hunting the rest of the year. the mew is the one that has to be large the weathering is a smaller fenced area that the bird doesn't spend as much time in, in my opinion

[Flight]

My state requires me to have a weathering area,I am disputing what sort of Wire i should use for it. Are there any specifications on doors and windows other than the vertical bars,such as dimensions? and the spacing between the bars? How many perches should a mews contain?

[crbhawking]

there is no point in a window if you make it too small so you might as well make it big enough to let in enough light to light the mews to where you don't need a light. the spacing between bars should be less than the birds head so about 1 and a half inches. if you tether your bird then you only need one perch but if you free loft you can have all you want as long as you don't overcrowd your mews.

[Deleted]

Your sponsor should be helping you with all these questions. Also, it sounds like this is your first bird so you are limited to either a kestrel or a red tail.

[Flight]

Of course i have not taken the test yet,so i dont have a sponsor,I want to be sure i can provide proper facilities to own a raptor before deciding to get one.

I was wondering if i could build the weathering area on to the mews to save some money on wiring?

Oh and should the bird be able to access the mews freely?

[borderhawk]

You certainly can! It makes a great "double door security entrance" to the mews, ie..going through the weathering to get to the mews prevents a freelofted bird from escaping over your head through the open door.
And, about the grass, you need to make sure predators won't be able to burrow into the mews from underneath. Soil and grass can harbor fungus, bacteria, and other pathogens, so most use pea gravel, or something that will drain well and dry out quickly.

[Flight]

ah i see, where are large quantitys of pea gravel available from?

Any suggestions on the wiring materials?