# harris hawk feeding????



## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

hello people, general qeustion...

could a pair of harris hawks be fed every other day without problems, just being feed extra or double 


cheers 

chris


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## ryanr1987 (Mar 7, 2009)

judging by the size of the birds i would of though so.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Ask Loveforlizards as she keeps raptors


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Is there a reason you would only be able to feed every other day?

It would depend on what you were feeding them.


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## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> Is there a reason you would only be able to feed every other day?
> 
> It would depend on what you were feeding them.


well whatever food would be suitable to be fed everyother day

thanks

chris


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## PinkSnake (Sep 1, 2006)

Why would you only want to be feeding every other day? How old are the birds? How are they kept??


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## JulesH (Aug 18, 2008)

The birds would need to be fed every day. If you only feed every other day and just double the quantity, the food will go off in the aviary, particularly in the warm weather. If they eat off food, you run the risk of them becoming seriously ill. We feed all our birds every day and remove any old food from the aviaries to prevent this happening. Feeding every day is vitally important in the winter when the birds need regular food to maintain their body weight. They can drop weight very quickly if we have a particularly cold night and would need to feed daily to replace the loss.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Shell195 said:


> Ask Loveforlizards as she keeps raptors


Thankies : victory:

Feed everyday, if you can only feed every other day I have a solution - Don't keep raptors. Not only with feeding double the quantity every other day do you risk food decomposing and growing bacteria before the bird eats it, but you also have a high chance of your bird getting sour crop - not what you want during the moulting season. Various foods should also be given, not one set quantity (if you feed one set quantity for all foods then I can guarantee you will have a poorly conditioned bird and one that is too much of a risk to fly!) or one set food. A mix of 40% chicks, 10% rabbit, 20% rat/mouse/guinea pig and 30% various other (pheasant, moorhen, pigeon breast, quail, beef heart and so on) is a fairly good ratio for a flying/hunting Harris Hawk, however if you're feeding 2 breeding birds you would be best adding more whole prey so rabbit, guinea pig, pheasant and quail would be a good staple with added chicks every now and again. Also whenever you feed chicks you *must *feed with a good supplement (index Page 1. < they are amazing and the guy who runs it is very helpful and friendly, there is also different supplements for different conditions). Also if you have young birds you want to doubley make sure they get good food every day roughly the same time.


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## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> Thankies : victory:
> 
> Feed everyday, if you can only feed every other day I have a solution - Don't keep raptors. Not only with feeding double the quantity every other day do you risk food decomposing and growing bacteria before the bird eats it, but you also have a high chance of your bird getting sour crop - not what you want during the moulting season. Various foods should also be given, not one set quantity (if you feed one set quantity for all foods then I can guarantee you will have a poorly conditioned bird and one that is too much of a risk to fly!) or one set food. A mix of 40% chicks, 10% rabbit, 20% rat/mouse/guinea pig and 30% various other (pheasant, moorhen, pigeon breast, quail, beef heart and so on) is a fairly good ratio for a flying/hunting Harris Hawk, however if you're feeding 2 breeding birds you would be best adding more whole prey so rabbit, guinea pig, pheasant and quail would be a good staple with added chicks every now and again. Also whenever you feed chicks you *must *feed with a good supplement (index Page 1. < they are amazing and the guy who runs it is very helpful and friendly, there is also different supplements for different conditions). Also if you have young birds you want to doubley make sure they get good food every day roughly the same time.


 
hiya i got hold of a falconry expert today, and yes i know now that they need feeding everyday, so i will be doing this. he did say somthing about a star day, that if you hunt them and they catch alot and eat alot they go the next day without food, but he said this is somthing that is down to the owner.

also he said that if they learn to hunt they cant be kept together in an aviary as they may kill each other.

thanks

chris


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## Astral (May 1, 2009)

If you follow their natural feeding habbits it should be everyday but with the odd day exception. not on off on off. Harris hawks are brillient birds they form a real bond with you. I had one called spark a few years ago I flew with my dad.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

cmullins said:


> hiya i got hold of a falconry expert today, and yes i know now that they need feeding everyday, so i will be doing this. he did say somthing about a star day, that if you hunt them and they catch alot and eat alot they go the next day without food, but he said this is somthing that is down to the owner.
> 
> also he said that if they learn to hunt they cant be kept together in an aviary as they may kill each other.
> 
> ...


But considering Harris hawks should be flown as much as possible, minimum of every other day, then potentially they could have a fast day every other day. It doesn't work like that. When your bird has been entered and has made 5-6 single kills and has had a small crop on them (you will soon learn what is an acceptable amount for the bird) and has traded off properly then go for double kills, feed say 1/8th of a crop on the first, trade off with a big tidbit, then let them have their meal on the next and so on, just let them take enough so that they can be fed right the next day and you not having to worry about fasting. There should be no need for fasting in a healthy bird, however some choose to fast on the night time if the bird will be lamping or flying in the early morning. Some birds will tolerate each other in the aviary but some get anxious and protective of their territory, however they do live in families in the wild so it is more then possible for them to live together in a suitably sized aviary. Either way, you will need to build either 2 aviaries or 1 aviary that is able to be partitioned with a double entrance in the middle to make 2 suitably sized aviaries. There is a possibility they will kill each other whether you hunt them or not, heck, siblings can and do kill each other in the breeding chamber at fresh weight so there is no restrictions as to what will and wont live together, and remember even if you tether them they will need a separation wall between them!


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## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> But considering Harris hawks should be flown as much as possible, minimum of every other day, then potentially they could have a fast day every other day. It doesn't work like that. When your bird has been entered and has made 5-6 single kills and has had a small crop on them (you will soon learn what is an acceptable amount for the bird) and has traded off properly then go for double kills, feed say 1/8th of a crop on the first, trade off with a big tidbit, then let them have their meal on the next and so on, just let them take enough so that they can be fed right the next day and you not having to worry about fasting. There should be no need for fasting in a healthy bird, however some choose to fast on the night time if the bird will be lamping or flying in the early morning. Some birds will tolerate each other in the aviary but some get anxious and protective of their territory, however they do live in families in the wild so it is more then possible for them to live together in a suitably sized aviary. Either way, you will need to build either 2 aviaries or 1 aviary that is able to be partitioned with a double entrance in the middle to make 2 suitably sized aviaries. There is a possibility they will kill each other whether you hunt them or not, heck, siblings can and do kill each other in the breeding chamber at fresh weight so there is no restrictions as to what will and wont live together, and remember even if you tether them they will need a separation wall between them!


yes i think i will start of with the one bird when i have done research ect, then if all goes ok , then i may add te other bird, and split the aviary so that they can see each other, and then if they manage to get used to each other let them fly together. i have been told about if they catch a rabbit or other animal that you should approach the birch offer a chick leg an throw it to the side and take the rabbit back and give it the head or leg so they dont think you are stealing it

thanks

chris


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

cmullins said:


> yes i think i will start of with the one bird when i have done research ect, then if all goes ok , then i may add te other bird, and split the aviary so that they can see each other, and then if they manage to get used to each other let them fly together. i have been told about if they catch a rabbit or other animal that you should approach the birch offer a chick leg an throw it to the side and take the rabbit back and give it the head or leg so they dont think you are stealing it
> 
> thanks
> 
> chris


I prefer to dispatch, let the bird take some food from the catch then throw a piece of food to the side so the bird lets go then bag the kill and call the bird to fist. Your bird will not leg go if you at any time take food away/it doesn't trust your hands though, because a whole prey is much better then a crappy piece of chick. :lol2:

Depending on a few things, we usually take the head off and give it to the birds at home and freeze the rabbit without the head. It will file down their beak, keep them occupied but at the same time wont cause them to get fat or eat too much.


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## cmullins (Feb 20, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> I prefer to dispatch, let the bird take some food from the catch then throw a piece of food to the side so the bird lets go then bag the kill and call the bird to fist. Your bird will not leg go if you at any time take food away/it doesn't trust your hands though, because a whole prey is much better then a crappy piece of chick. :lol2:
> 
> Depending on a few things, we usually take the head off and give it to the birds at home and freeze the rabbit without the head. It will file down their beak, keep them occupied but at the same time wont cause them to get fat or eat too much.


my friend is going to help me with all the hands on stuff, i just want to be sure i know as much as i can from looking at imformation and what people say

thanks

chris


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