No problem, I completly understand. We had the same issue at my forum where the ratio of admins-members were getting to large. So no offense taken. I do hope to get to know everyone here alot better though.
Dont forget if you have a problem that you dont know how to solve dont hesitate to ask me
( I never did tell you where my forum was did I?) its at:
The chamber shown in the pics is Gary brewers Mew. It's actually two mews, one at 10x10 and one at 10x20. Kept my bird in there over night and she was as happy as a pig in ___t
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
The mews looks beautiful! My wife liked the idea of the landscaping in side. Now she wants to do a little home interior work in MY mews... grrrrrrrrr !!
Yea, I understand ya. My wife didn't like the "building" in the back yard so she went to the store and bought bushes and flowers to plant around the mew(outside) It doesn't matter though as I'm gona tear it down this spring to build a new and improved double mew ;D. My bird is having problems in the current mew and to date we can't understand why. She is jumping strait up off of one of the perches, inverting herself and then slamming her feet into the ceiling. The ceiling is plain plywood and the other day I went in there and saw blood on the wall and ceiling so she is out of the mew for now as she has cut her feet by abasive action. I am now doing a preventative regime to stop bumblefoot from starting in so she gets to stay indoors until I get home from work to perch her outside. Noel
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
I saw an interesting perch. It was an 8' lenth of 5/8" steel rod, supported by two braces, one at each end. It was wrapped with pipe foam insulation and then covered with astroturf. When the hawk hit it, it would give, kinda like a springy motion. That absorbed the shock and helped her feet. But i'm not sure if that will stop your bird from hitting the ceiling
I free loft Top, and for his perches i use PVC streched all the way across the mew with an extra piece of the aluminum conduit [from vertical bars] running inside of it. The perches give a bit, and i have had no foot problems this year. It is topped with astroturf of course.
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
Gee my mew is rather plain. I took out most of the astro turf last fall due to feather lice and put in some natural branches. I also free loft my bird but that goes back to the whole food issue we had. I replaced the carpeting that lined the edge of her table perch but that is it. the only time she gets upset is when the neighbor hood squirrel runs across the mesh on the roof. She also tends to sit on the ground near the door when i go out to get her. Other than her talons being dull from the winter her feet are fine.
Post by USAvalanche on May 18, 2004 0:32:28 GMT -5
So, if you had your choice to do as you wanted, and with the health and well-being of the bird as the priority, what would you use as the floor for the mews? I thought concrete would be the best as it could be cleaned and sanitized as well as being durable and vermin-proof. But I see very little talk about concrete; some talk about using just the ground (dirt), others wood chips. I think Falcon Boy said pea gravel... I am still reading and studying in preparation for my test- this is ALL very new to me, but I have an opportunity NOW to begin planning and construction of my mews and want to do it right, and best for the bird.
Can anyone offer me some experienced suggestions please?
"But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world... You become responsible, Forever, for what you have tamed." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Concrete will cause dulling of the talons if the bird goes to ground. Dirt and plats/grass is IMHO the best substrate as it is natural, won't dull the talons and the plants will aid in absorbing mutes or slices as it may be. I have pea gravel in my mew. It's about 4-6 inches deep and so far there have been no ill effects. I simply rake/spray the gravel to clean it and it drains very fast. If you want to use concret, use some sort of covering such as astro turf to protect their feet.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
and don't use wood chips in your floor. I'll let you keep studying to find out why. Trust me, it's important.
And what of treated woods? i remember the CHC Study Guide saying not to use treated wood, as it is toxic. Yet here www.mindspring.com/~uke/mew_progress/mew.html i see it used throught the mews, open for the bird to chew on. If i don't use pressure treated wod, it'll likely rot here quickly (Georgia is really really humid and wet). So...?
Post by Falconer2B on May 18, 2004 18:03:40 GMT -5
Can you use pressurized treated woods? So, pea gravel is a good flooring? How far apart should the window spacing be for a red-tail? How big should the whole thing be? Can you freeloft a bird in a weathering area? What materials should be used to make the structure? ............ I am sorry for all the questions but I am trying to draw up some blueprints. Any answers would be appreciated , Falconer2B
Post by USAvalanche on May 18, 2004 19:35:58 GMT -5
Thanks Weasel and Roadkill,
Roadkill- I know about the woodchip problems; only listed that as something I had seen noted elsewhere.
I was only thinking concrete for the reasons listed as well as the benefits of being a solid foundation for the actual mews structure to be built upon. Ground would obviously be easiest and cheapest to use, but then some attention has to be given to digging vermin. I have seen (I believe on the "SquirrelHawking" website) where corrugated tin was used under the walls and sunk into the ground.
I just want what will be best for the bird. If that is concrete with a drain and Astroturf over the top then so be it. This is very hard for me to visualize, that is why I am trying so desperately to get in touch with others that are in my area so I can SEE what they have.
Also, I am not sure how much better the new pressure treated woods are than the old arsenic treated ones, but in my area all were switched over to the new "Non-arsenic" AC2 last year.
"But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world... You become responsible, Forever, for what you have tamed." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery