Post by redtailnut on Apr 15, 2006 19:23:52 GMT -5
Re: Leashes,Bungee.
The broken legs occur when the bungee tries to pull back to it's original lengh, socket displacement is a product of a lease of any discription that is to long.
Neil forbes the UK's top avian vet reported many mid metatarsus breaks due to the sudden fad in bungee cord a few years back,
stick to a simple lease that is just long enough to allow a bird to reach the floor to bathe from a perch that is just high enough to keep the tail off the ground.
That is right Niel did report this. But he also went on to say that falconers will automatically leave it too long as why then use one was there thinking? They mis-understood the principle behind it...Keep it short like you said where the hawk can only touch the ground. My bird broke her leg two years ago and i was recommended to use one by Neil as an aid to recovery after about 6 weeks free lofting and the casting had come off.
There is another way which is used by Nick Fox and that is to attach a elastic or bungee around the base of the arch of the bow perch. This has to made to measure that the Ring can not go over it but it just takes that last bit of pressure as the bird bates. I have never used this but he swears by it.
Horses for Courses i suppose
WHEN THE 'EAGLES' ARE SILENT THE 'PARROTS' BEGIN TO JABBER! SIR W.CHURCHILL
The best thing that I have found for leashes is halyard line, ( the line used to hawl up sails). It strong, ties great knots and is very easy to grip. It lasts forever too. Both parachute cord and climbing rope make poor leashes because they are slick and they make so-so knots because they are made above all to be tangle free. They do make good creance line however for that exact reason, they are slick and they don't kink.
Good Falconry is always a thin line between two mistakes.