Screaming

[muwala]

Anybody got any ideas on how to get an imprint to stop screaming?

[PeteJ]

Pretty vague post. What is it? (falcon, hawk), What age is it? How are you feeding it? How often? Have you attempted to distract feed it? Have you been trying to restrict its diet in any way? What are you feeding it?
Usually getting it hunting as soon as possible is the best way, but without the above information we have no idea what to advise.

[accipiter007]

Ya there is a cord that runs down the spine if you disconect it the screaming will stop.lol just kidding. You could try increasing the food. Run the food through w sassage grinder or mince it up put it on a paper plat or the lure ur going,to use, turn the lights out place the food in with to bird then turn lights back on and leave the room until the bird is done eating this might work. You cant let the bird assosiate you with the food.

[KidK]

Hi Richard.

Interesting question, but a bit more information would be helpful.

What type of bird? How old was it when it was pulled or taken from the chamber/nest?

How was it imprinted?

With accipiters that I have imprinted, screaming, if at all, only lasted a short time. No more than a week or so. Some were "vocal" for a time, especially in the moments before each hunt, but this was far from screaming and only lasted until they were made to game.

So give us a bit more information and lets see how this pans out!

Best Regards,

[accipiter007]

One more word of advice if its a long wing when the time comes do not fry to feed it off the glove or you will end up with a night mare

[muwala]

It is a tiercel peregrine I got at 28 days. Kept it in the house and fed it all it wanted 2x a day. Always around people except when I was at work. Brought it out as soon as I got home, spent time with it before feeding time so as not to get food association. The screaming started after it fledged but just at feeding times. Tried putting it out on a tame hack and that made it worse I think. Was feeding all it wanted once a day but now back to 2 times a day. I had a prairie falcon several years ago that was raised the same way and she turned out fine. She mantled bad and was grabby but screamed very little and eventually quit all together. She was my favorite bird of all the ones I had. Would do anything and never worried about losing it. I'm trying to keep it around me as much as possible now hoping it will realize that I am not just a food provider

[PeteJ]

Well, if you were the first person it was around at 28 days, then it isn't an imprint for one thing. Peregrines imprint much earlier.
Twice a day feeding at that age might have been a bit short, three times with less food might have been a better way to go. Usually by the time they are reaching hardpenning age, they should be getting nearer to twice a day regularly. But before that I sort of ease them away from three meals a day, some days they'd get three, some days two.
Be that as it may, the screaming often begins at the feather draw down stage because their appetite goes all wonky and not much you do about it. But, sometimes they'll start screaming for various reasons, and they will put together what little time you do spend with them before feeding pretty quickly because they look at the whole day rather than that hour or two. They see it as that hour or two is a precursor to feeding, they're brilliant that way.
Have you done a fecal on him by chance though? It can sometimes be that they began to scream with no real reason because of cocci or other parasite load getting into unmanageable levels. I have heard of cocci causing a bird to become a screamer by several falconers, particularly in birds that were taken as eyasses. I would do that check first, and then proceed to just get that bird focused on game rather than you at this point. Use launchers if you have to. Screaming can become permanent, but usually I have only seen it as temporary provided the bird is healthy. If it becomes persistent I begin to look at medical issues first.

[accipiter007]

I personaly feed my imprints as soon as they put their crop over 4 to 5 times a day but i get my imprints as young as i can.

[muwala]

I got it from a breeder at 28 days. It was with the parents until then. Would hiss a little at first but got over that. Fed twice a day cause I work and not home during the middle of the day. It was fine until it fledged then started to scream just a little, food calling really. Would make pig squealing noises when it was eating and then was quiet after it had all it wanted. today it has been out on the block all day after eating half a pigeon and i have been in sight of it the whole time. Has been quiet and just screams a little when I walk right up to it. Otherwise you would think it was a different bird than yesterday. he spent the night before out all night when i couldn't find him in the evening so missed the evening meal. Fed him up yesterday when I got him back but he screamed all day and even after his evening feeding. Kept him in the house last night with the lights on all night and the radio on too. Was a little better this morning and been pretty good all day. Maybe it was just from missing dinner the night before and 1 feeding a day wasn't keeping him satisfied. Going to go back to 2 a day and see what happens.

[Dakota]

Sometimes being alone for long periods of time can make them vocal. Does not matter at this point. If it were me I would try to keep him fat and leave food for him even when you are not there. Leave a radio of television on for his company. Sometimes when they start killing they stop screaming. So it you are tame hacking him maybe flip him a pigion. Being fat he may not do a lot with it but you can help by making in and killing the pigion opening it up and give him some tidbits from it. My guess is that if you keep him fed 24/7 and don't cut him down until the weather cools, he will be fine. Once he hunts and kills in his mind he won't need you. Never take anything away from him, and make sure your pigions are clean.

[muwala]

This is what I am starting to think too at this point. Do you think I should stay with the tame hack or let that go and just let him do some flying in the evening before he gets fed?

[Dakota]

That is your call, I have a imprint right now, I take him out at first light and just let him fly around for a couple hours. If you think your bird will take an impeded pigion, I would surely let him. Once he can feed himself he may stop begging from you. But keep him fat, for another month or more. If you have a friend that could come by when your gone and spend some time with him it would not hurt. I never thought hacking would make it worse, in fact it should help cure the problem. Some people take their birds to work if possible. Some birds are very talkative, not really screamers. All I can say is let him eat whenever he wants, leave food for him when you are gone. And have some noise going when your gone. They are babies, they want interaction and lots of food. You will pull him out of this, just takes time.

[muwala]

Thanks for the info. I think I will take him out tomorrow evening and let him fly around some and then maybe put him back out on the tame hack. Made an interesting observation this afternoon. Had him out on his block all day and he has been rather quiet. Brought my gyrlin out and put him in his weathering pen about 5PM. The peregrine has been screaming most of the time since. Not as bad as yesterday when it was nonstop but most of the time with just brief periods that he has been quiet. Hmm, something to think about there. Sees the gyrlin as a parent perhaps?

[Dakota]

Absolutely, you need to use a partition!

[muwala]

They can't see each other in the hawk house but I will move the peregrine someplace where he can't see the gyrlin when it is weathering