Teathering vs. freelofting

[falconer]

Keep in mind that she over 3.5 lbs during the moult (about 1550 gms)
Thats alot of nasty bird.
Yarak

Yeah
One of the reasons i'm not keen on freelofting

[Yarak]

Zach,
It suprises me that you do not free loft. I cannot remember seeing any mews at LCF that had a teathered bird. I too have seen SOME birds that did not adapt well to the mew right away. The ones that do the best seem to be introduced to the mew very early in the training process. Keep in mind it takes very little leash to wrap around a birds leg or wing or neck. I think of all the ways to lose a bird that would rank among the worst because it is easily preventable. Hawk On!
Yarak

[Tiercel78]

Kieth, I see you feel very strongly about free lofting. There are falcons at L.C.F that are teathered to portable block perches and moved from barn to weathering area everyday. Birds that sat out on bow perches all day long. I stated in prior post that I would rather freeloft. Since, I'm in the Military my plan was not to keep a bird over the moult. Last year I was going on Hurricane Evacs during the summer. The squadron goes on more detachments in the summer time. So, at this time I don't want something that I will have to move or re-build due to the Navy or Hurricanes. Ruger is transfered to a friend in South Florida to be free lofted during moult. Since, I pay a lot of attention to my bird in the weathering area. I've never had problems with bird getting tangled or broken feathers. I never had problems with birds muscule condition. Course, due to hunting as much as possible and jump ups when not. I'm not going to sit here and try to prove weather areas are the best. I'm just saying that they can be safe if they are thought out. Though Shannon is getting ready this summer to take her test. I got to figure out another living arangment. More than likely it will be a break down free loft mew. The weatherinag area may also recieve some radical changes this summer.

[Calusa]

Ooby said:

However, how many people have you heard about who's bird becomes insanely agressive because of free lofting? There are plenty of stories of people who's birds have attacked them, or they had to chase them around the mews, lots of bad stuff.

I kind of prefer to avoid an adventure every time i enter the mews.

The bird I trained for ed programs was capable of getting 20' above me, and gliding around to different perches in her 20 by 40 enclosure.

Some days yeah, it was a pain, but I dealt. Any falconer should be dedicated enough to 'deal' likewise.

[Ooby]

prepaired to sure, but why do it when it isn't needed. Also, having a chase a bird around inside a mews isn't exactly the epitome of a well trained bird, but they go through odd hormonal crap durring the molt. And a fat hawk (especially in its first year) is far from well trained

PLUS, if you allow the bird to fly around and avoid you in the mews ALL the time, you are just teaching the bird that that behaviour is ok to do, which will result in you always having to chase it around.

Teathering works great for me, and my sponsor. I see no need to change it. Yet

[Calusa]

I actually had a verbal signal to ask the animal to come down to something I could reach.

But later on in the training, when she heard the door creak open, she'd hop down to the training perch and wait patiently for me.

If that's not an example of a well trained bird, I don't know what is.

I hope you never have a reason to change to free-lofting.

[Ooby]

I swear, you are the queen of interpretting things the exact opposite as they are meant.

The "yet," was a hint to keep on convincing me as this is a good debate.

As for the ed bird... if you ever become an apprentice and trap a bird, you will see the distinct difference between and ed bird and the demon you trap from the wild

[Dodes]

The manning technique that Minca suggested (I swear she's been talking with my sponsor), combined with a well thought- out chamber can result in a very well mannered, free-lofted hawk. Hell, all of the ed. birds I work with are free-lofted, and any problems I've ever had with free-lofting them were easy to solve.

[Minca]

Of all the birds at the zoo I used to work at, the ones that were a problem about free lofting were the imprinted ones. And even those they freelofted anyway unless tethering was absolutely necessary. It's all about the training, imho.

[slicedodger]

Here's my two cents.......

When I first started, I decided (after much investigation) that freelofting was the way that I wanted to go. My sponser, on the other hand, tethered his birds. This difference made for some spirited conversations. I was given a copy of an article that Gary Brewer had written for Hawk Chalk covering his views and recommendations for chamber construction, introduction of birds to the chamber etc.. I also have GB's book "Buteos and Bushytails" and have read some of his other writings. I followed his advice to the tee and have developed some of my own practices for freelofting RTs. I can tell you this: All of my RTs have been in great condition year round and I think much of this is due to the amount of exercise they have gotten in the chamber. All of my RTs have been trained to hold the far perch while I enter and do not come until called. I have always followed the same slightly varying routine of weighing and feeding everyday, year round. The part of the routine that varies is this: I always start feeding on the glove (never drop food in). Most times, feeding is completed on the glove and sometimes I will transfer onto the butcher block perch INSIDE the chamber. To date I have never had any problems with bad "chamber behavior".