My weathering area is a fully enclosed 12'x12' chain-link dog run, with a mesh top and a few tarps over that. I check the top's structural integrity regularly, but with good quality netting and tarps, you should expect a full year out of the gear without worry. With a decent sized RT that's about the smallest you'll want because you'll want to shift the perch around some, at least if you (or the landowner) are interested in preserving the grass. Even if you never move the perch, much smaller than that and you risk the chance of your bird being able to brush her wingtips on the wire when she bates. 10'x10' is probably adequate, but I was able to find this larger kit for the same price so I went with the bigger one.
Here in my state we're required to have either a weathering yard OR a mews, not necessarily both. Since we're in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by 8-foot wood panel fences, I feel safe in housing her there all the time. And a redtail can easily take most weather here, I moved her inside the garage last night due to 55mph gusts associated with a winter storm, but on calm nights she's out and fine in below-freezing weather.
Of course, if I decide to keep her and freeloft her during the molt, I'll have to build her a proper mostly solid-sided mews. Lots of falconers I know have problems with their RTs breaking feathers during freelofting, then again many don't...
Post by Master Yarak on Dec 8, 2004 9:46:52 GMT -5
Sounds like you right on target with your weathering area. You may find it difficult to get your bird to adjust to the mew. Its my experience that the sooner you get them in the mew the better. For my apprentices once the bird is taking food it is introduced into mew. This allows the bird to incorporate the new environment with all the other changes it is experiencing. Ant earlier and you may find yourself chasing the bird around the mew to get it out. Obviously thats not good either.That method may still take some for the bird to adjust but soon after that we begin to fly the feathers off it. Once it starts spending alot of energy chasing it enjoys the rest period and jumps around alot less. Weight can also play a part. Hungry and ready to go as oppossed to fat and relaxed. IME Yarak
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away
I use a 20' x 20' x 6' high chain link dog pen, with a 4' x 4' x 6' 6" high jump box inside. I don't have a roof over the pen. If I intermew the bird I will be using shade cloth/net for the summer months as it allows daylight but filters uv. It is waterproof, rot & mildew proof. The floor is covered with indoor/outdoor carpet as are all three of the perches.
It needs a roof. Or at least something to keep out airborn predators. Ive had to scare off more than a few other red tails who were harrassing my bird while she weathered.
Ya i know, but ive had to ward of more wild red tails than i can count from my bird while she was out weathering. If you plan to keep an eye on the bird thats fine, but if you plan to leave the bird in there unattented, i would suggest a roof.
Post by BlueTiercel on Feb 3, 2005 21:27:57 GMT -5
"this bird is one"? which bird, your bird? umm yeah of course it is an avain predator..am I missing something? That doesnt mean it wont get killed when a great horned owl, snowy owl, Eagle, Red tailed hawk, Goshawk or some other raptor decides to kill it as it is tethered to it's perch. also, turkeys, crows, and jays will harras your bird and you don't want the hawk or them near each other....any number of things could happen. it should have some kind of wire barrier over the top or you will lose your bird. i can gaurentee it.
"every dream you keep inside, another part of you has died"
Animals don't chose to be in captivity. When an animal is in your care it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. When you chose to make it dependant on you, ie...tied up or locked up against it's will, you owe it to that animal to give it all the basic necessities: safety, shelter, proper diet, etc.... Going only by the law and not common sense is not acceptable!!! This is why the falconry community is self policing! Don't make me take Yaraks place in his absence! This is a subject I will come down hard on!
Word! That is what I am saying. As my friend says to me...if you lose a hawk in the field..yeah that happens..but if you lose a hawk in your weathering area, shame on you. I personally do not want to see you enter into falconry unless you have a serious change in thinking. How hard is it to put heavy duty chicken wire, or whatever the recomended material is, over a weathering area, huh? Are you just refusing to do it because your lazy or because someone suggested it to you? I know of people that have had their kestrel chased aroud the yard by a coopers hawk while they were in that yard running around yelling at it...Don't think you can get by with the minumum in this , Murphy will kick you right in your ass.
"every dream you keep inside, another part of you has died"
Thankyou BT just as a side note, here in Washington state it is NOT required by law to have a windsheild on your vehicle, but it IS required to have a windshild wiper on the drivers side. Obviously, someone had a brainfart, or assumed people would be smart enough to have a windsheild because it's COMMON SENSE. just an example for those of you that think in similies.
Post by sparrowhawk13 on Mar 21, 2005 21:57:31 GMT -5
For my weathering area I decided to use a big green house frame cover the roof and the sides up for six feet with ply wood the rest is netting, unless yall think it won't work tell me.
Laughina at ones self is essential. Laughing at others is stupid.
I am building a new weathering/mews for my birds. Over the years I have had a couple that were just thrown together with the minimum requirements. It worked out that one of my friends who is a welder owed me a pretty good amount of money for a horse that I sold him. He had a bunch of 1 inch square steel tubeing in his shop so we decided to use that. The weathering area is 16 feet x 24 feet and 8 and 1/2 feet tall. It has a double door entry set up and will bolt right to the front of the mews {not built yet} which will be 12 feet x 24 feet with 3 chambers in it and a place for my freezer and other falconry related stuffs. Should be nice when done. I will have Falcon Boy post a picture of the weathering area. Jim