The Molt

[LeeSlikkers]

Ok, thisyear will be the 1st year I'm attempting to keep a bird through the molt. Do any of you more experienced folks have any words or wisedom that you'd care to pass on to a 1st timer?

My bird is a passage female RT who is currently Free-loft and I planned on keeping her free-lofted during the molt as I would be leary of tethering her now after sno has never been tether in the mew and I would feel a leg injury or feather dammage at this point.

Thoughts?

Lee

[Guest]

The key to intermewing lies in routine. Also it is not adviseable to feed in the mews. As the summer progresses you may find your hawk remaining somewhat responsive if you feed and weigh at the same time. Be aware also of the upcoming hormonal shift. It will be a time of "firsts". First time she felt their effects and the first time you have delt with them.

[Weasel]

Well stated Guest. Feeding in the mews is certainly NOT a good idea if the bird can associate you with food. Now, if you have a food chute that can be used without the bird connecting you to that, then it can be done. I prefer to handle the bird as much as possible during the moult as it does away with alot of the aggression in my opinion. She goes to the same bow perch in the house or yard and is fed there at the same time each day, or every other day. I also don't fatten my bird up so much that she is a butterball, I try to keep her at a responsive weight below trapping weight so that I can still get her attention if needed.

[Austin]

This is the second year for my female RT. I free lofted last year and sometimes I would feed off the glove in the mew and sometimes I would allow her to feed on the glove from the outside perch. Last year I allowed her to get too heavy, because after the season I would free fly her on the outside perch at 100 feet. She would fly to the glove for a small treat and then she would fly back to the perch, this was good for about nine or ten flights. After she got heavy I was a little afraid to try it.
I have kept this bird and will probably keep her for much longer because she is extremely tame and an excellent hunter. I'm waiting to see her behavior this year as that instinct to mate comes in, Tell me what I'm in for

[rt]

how long to get them flying free after the molt usally?

[Weasel]

I put mine on the creance once to check her responce after she was back at weight and then turned her loose in the woods. She caught a squirrel on her first flight out of the moult....They don't forget much ....if anything...

[buteoflyer]

LS - I have intermewed a fRT for 3 years and my daughters mRT is going into his 4th year. We have feeding shoots for those days that you just want to feed them and go. But it is very important to "work" with them at least a couple times a week. By "work" I mean just take them up, bring them inside, let them keep in contact with everyone. I take my birds to educational shows with them during the summer. It's OK to just put them in the weathering area, but it's better if your out there doing the gardening. As far as the hormonal thing, every bird is different, but my female became a little more aggresive. My daughter's male is a total spaz and we have to stop hunting him at the end of February. As long as his weight is up, he is quiet. I agree with you on not teathering her. I've never teatherd my birds and they are fine. One thing I would suggest though, keep all the feathers. Well, the primaries and tail feathers at least. Keep them in a box with a little poultry dust to keep them in good condition. This serves two purposes. 1) You have somthing to imp with if needed and 2) if you count them as you collect them, you will know when your bird is done moulting.

[Weasel]

Don't be suprised if your bird does not moult out all of her flight feathers. My last bird kept the two longest primaries on each wing.

[rt]

Is that the norm or is it unusual?

[Yarak]

It is common for a bird not to drop all the old feathers in one moult.
Yarak

[Riker]

and we have also had problems with weird molts bc o the west nile vacine. Most of our birds did a patially molt last year but one bird molted 3 times so it does soemthing to them. so if you bird has gotten the shot that may affect the molt.

[bobdale]

Kepping your molted feathers in the freezer will eleminate the lice, mites and other pests. It also prevents any one from saying that they are being used as ornaments.
Birds can get "stuck in the molt". This is usually a result of to much stress. I've seen it happen with parrots lots of times. How do you manage weight, fly the bird to food and maintain other contact with the bird without incuring this pain in the buttocks?

[Weasel]

My bird that I took through the moult ended up with a few stress marks on the feathers. I credit this to the fact that I built a new mews and moved her into it mid moult. This was just enough stress to upset her enough to cause damage the feathers.

[bobdale]

Did you fly her to her food? Did you take her into the house?

[Weasel]

all of the above....