Well, hopefully in the next few days I’ll be headed down to the local Petco to pick up some breeding stock for hawk food. I’m having a little trouble deciding what kind of rodents to get though. I figure I might as well ask for some help. I made a short pro and con list on the species I’m thinking of. You can add to it as needed.
Dwarf Hamsters:
Pros:
Easy to sell extra stock as pets Don’t require much space I have cages for this size animal already
Cons:
Very small, not much meat Breed in pairs, so require more cage space then colony breeders. Escape Easily Bite a lot
Gerbils:
Pros:
Bigger then dwarf Hamsters, smaller then rats. Require less cage space then rats. I have cages for this size animal already Are good for baiting hawk traps
Cons:
Constantly nibble on things Breed in pairs, so require more cage space then colony breeders.
Rats:
Pros:
Biggest pet rodent I can get lots of meat from them Colony Breeders, can keep several females with a male.
Cons:
I only have three cages for rats I would have to keep them in my 3x8x8 preparation area in the mews, the other species I can keep in the house.
So, which do you think I should get?
Happier of happy though I be, like them I cannot take possession of the sky, mount with a thoughtless impulse, and wheel there, one of a mighty multitude whose way and motion is a harmony and dance magnificent. - William Wordsworth
Hamsters and gerbils do not produce enough to feed your hawk steady thru the year you would be better off with the rats but they are rank I hope you are not planning on keeping these in your house the smell will kill you. Quail breed like crazy, mature fast and are a great food and they do well outside.
I have a huge cage for the gerbils If I can breed them colony style. Rats I can do outside in my hawk mews preperation area. Quail I can not do, as I have no place set up to keep them in, plus I don't have anyplace close to buy them at.
Happier of happy though I be, like them I cannot take possession of the sky, mount with a thoughtless impulse, and wheel there, one of a mighty multitude whose way and motion is a harmony and dance magnificent. - William Wordsworth
Go on ebay and look uo hatching eggs you can get all the quail you want there shipped and add 40.00 and you can get yourself a incubator to hatch them but you are on your own on the housing, they arent too hard to keep.