Wondering if folks here have found it better to feed your bird daily or every other day. On occasion I either skip a day or give my bird less to maintain weight and haven't seen any ill effect
Wondering if folks here have found it better to feed your bird daily or every other day. On occasion I either skip a day or give my bird less to maintain weight and haven't seen any ill effect
The only time i have not feed my bird is when we have been hunting and he has been a bit high and we havent caught anything. I want to reenforce the if you dont catch anything then you dont eat. In order to do this though you have to make sure you have enough weight to play with and have been monitoring your birds weight closley. If you are still catching rabbits on the high days then i dont see any ill effect. You have a great weight thresh hold with an RT 20-30 grams but there is nothing like getting the weight right and catching game. If you are not catching game on those high days then whats the point ?
For me it depends on A) the bird, and B) the time of year. With high metabolism birds like accipiters and micros I would never skip a day--their sugar levels can drop and it can be very dangerous, even fatal. When it is very cold out I will not skip a day, the birds need the energy. During the hot summer months/during the moult, frequently I will crop the bird up, skip a day, and then crop again and feed this way, for a redtail. During early hunting season, for the first few catches on larger birds I will let the bird have a large crop and may not feed the next day. Just my system!
If you dislike someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Then, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. --Jack Handy
My work schedule mandates a day of fasting. I just make sure the bird gets enough the day before. They hunt better and are "hotter" the day after a a fast day. (talking redtails only here)
My work schedule mandates a day of fasting. I just make sure the bird gets enough the day before. They hunt better and are "hotter" the day after a a fast day. (talking redtails only here)
Sounds like me. I fly a red tail and have had to skip days. It works out since I tend to crop up the bird on a flying day
In my opinion not weighing a bird (especially during the winter months) on a day you are not feeding is like playing with fire. Sooner or later you are going to get burned.
Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours. From Richard Bach's "ILLUSIONS" - Diary of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)
I usually fast a redtail the day before a hunt but that is as long as the weight is right the day before and as long as they cast too. in the wild they might not be successful every day so you could skip a day in certain situations as long as you weigh your hawk.
