And another

[robruger1]

Pulled a prairie falcon this morning. There were three chicks so I pulled the one with the widest cere and thickest legs but they are about 4 days old so it is difficult to determine.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/06-06-09_1942.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/06-06-09_1941.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/06-06-09_1940.jpg

[borderhawk]

My goodness..... It's so little!!! Have fun! Hope you keep a log going thumbsupp

[wesleyc6]

(welc) to the madness!!!!clappclappclappclapp

[FredFogg]

Oh no, not another! You guys are killing me. clapp

[tumble]

LOL nice...congrats!

[robruger1]

As late as these guys were we are figuring that it must be a second clutch type scenerio where they lost their first clutch somehow, maybe predation because this was a VERY easy eyrie to access. Since this a little mexican falcon and I think I'll stick with that theme the name will be Mija or Mijo depending on the sex.

[Lowachi]

As late as these guys were we are figuring that it must be a second clutch type scenerio where they lost their first clutch somehow, maybe predation because this was a VERY easy eyrie to access. Since this a little mexican falcon and I think I'll stick with that theme the name will be Mija or Mijo depending on the sex.

Mijo---from "Road House", I like it:D. I've raised two imprint tiercels, one in '86 & one in '06.....as much as I enjoyed it...won't do another 'til '26;)...at least not by plan anyway.
Have fun...looking forward to the tale

[lupine]

Congratulations, Rob!

I vote "Mojito"!

[robruger1]

Well, things are going well. She is growing like a weed. Was 130 grams Monday morning and was 201 grams this morning. Not bad for a 8 day old I'm thinking. I am seeing some signs that a falcon breeder friend that helped me out getting this bird told is indicative of female. Her toes, especially the middle one have grown so fast that they twist sideways to lay flat. He said all his Gyrs and Peregrines do that when they are females. Has anyone else noticed this? What is the normal fat weight of a male and female imprint prairie and when is this? I SO hope it is a female. I've been thinking about the names and have changed my mind. My wife came up with Inca for a girl, after the native tribe in mexico, and possibly Pepper for a male.

[wesleyc6]

Well, things are going well. She is growing like a weed. Was 130 grams Monday morning and was 201 grams this morning. Not bad for a 8 day old I'm thinking. I am seeing some signs that a falcon breeder friend that helped me out getting this bird told is indicative of female. Her toes, especially the middle one have grown so fast that they twist sideways to lay flat. He said all his Gyrs and Peregrines do that when they are females. Has anyone else noticed this? What is the normal fat weight of a male and female imprint prairie and when is this? I SO hope it is a female. I've been thinking about the names and have changed my mind. My wife came up with Inca for a girl, after the native tribe in mexico, and possibly Pepper for a male.

My female is 800g now. She is feathered out and has little down tips on some feathers. I got mine at 21 days or so old. There is a thread on here named Karr if you haven't seen it.

[robruger1]

I have followed that thread but it started with a bird that is older than mine is now, I was hoping for some info for this age prairie.

[Saluqi]

I have followed that thread but it started with a bird that is older than mine is now, I was hoping for some info for this age prairie.

From the looks of it she couldn't have been more than 3-4 days when you pulled her, maybe less. I think its great that your doing an eyas prairie, between you and Wes it'll be a good learning experience for everyone here.

Here's a database of chile pepper types, maybe there's a cool name in there somewhere.

http://www.g6csy.net/chile/var-a.html

[robruger1]

By comparing her to some babies of a breeder who is a friend has, she looked to be about 4 days. I'm thinking just pepper for a male. Hoping to hear some weights at this age to help me determine sex.

[robruger1]

11 days old now, feeding herself. It is nice not having to worry about keeping her warm as she does this on her own now. She is now hooded every time I add to her food or change out her plate unless she is asleep. I keep referring to her as a her but still don't know, but her feet are looking good. They are exactly 2 1/2 inches from hallux to middle toe not counting nail just end of toe to end of toe.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0020.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0020.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0019.jpg

[robruger1]

BTW s/he was 336 grams this morning, sorry for the double post, the edit button wasn't working for me.

[borderhawk]

Any updates?

[robruger1]

I'm sorry guys, I've failed you, I haven't been keeping this thread updated. She is 36 days old today, branching like crazy, hopping everywhere. The good ol' prairie attitude is starting to show up. It seems that she is topping out at about 29 ounces. Here are some pics from the 4th of July at 32 days old.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0067.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0068.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0069.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0070.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0071.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/moto_0072.jpg

[Ross.Spafford]

looking good. What are you planning to fly her on?

[robruger1]

Mainly ducks, we have a "few" ducks in the willamette valley.:D

[Lee Slikkers]

Mainly ducks, we have a "few" ducks in the willamette valley.:D

Sheesh, Willamette Valley...you lucky dawg!

[borderhawk]

Sounds fun! I'm interested in hearing about the changes she goes through over the next month or two. She looks great.

[lupine]

She's lovely, Rob! I hope to get to meet the both of you this season!

[robruger1]

You should come to Bens tomorrow and help build his new pigeon loft, she'll be there with me, plus helping your sponsor, or in my case, former sponsor, build a pigeon loft is kinda your way of paying your dues for apprenticeship.

[cuervo2138]

so it has been about a month since the last pics you have any recent pics of the chick bud?

[robruger1]

Your right Cesar, I'm horrible about this stuff. Here you go......

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0183.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0184.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0185.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0187.jpg

She's 70 days old today, she has been getting called to the lure for her meals since saturday and it seems that she has now figured out that even though she still gets to eat all she wants that she now must do it only when she does what I want which is just coming to the lure. Sat it took 30 minutes to come and it was the first time, sun it took 10 minutes, mon it was 30 seconds and tonight it was 15 yards away instead of dropping it right in front of her and the response was instant. Not going to be practicing any weight control for a while yet, just monitoring. Don't want to bring her weight down too much too soon and end up with a screamer. Her response seems to be getting good anyway just since shes figured out that coming to the lure is what it now takes for her to get her daily meal.

[sharptail]

Very nice!

[FredFogg]

Rob, she looks great! What weight is she at now? I know you haven't had to reduce yet, but just wondering! I may be trapping a passage female this fall and sure would like to trap one around 29-30oz, but I will take the first female I trap. LOL

[robruger1]

She has lost some weight because they naturally do that after hardpenning on their own. She topped out at high 28 low 29, she has been hanging in the mid - high 27's lately. The area that I pulled her tends to produce small birds though. One guy here in the state has flown alot of passage birds from this area and has pulled eyasses and had his peregrines chamber raise them and he said most of those birds fly about 23 for females, but has never imprinted one. My imprint should fly higher than that.

[Saluqi]

Looks like she's doing great. Will you being doing a tame hack with her?

[robruger1]

No I'm not tame hacking. My falcon mentor doesn't seem to see the pro's of a tame hack outweighing the cons, like bad habits, sitting on poles or trees, and since I am new to long-wings and imprints I'm following his instructions to the letter with this bird. Plus I don't have a good place to do a tame hack. I live in the middle of a decent sized city in a dense neighborhood.

[Saluqi]

No I'm not tame hacking. My falcon mentor doesn't seem to see the pro's of a tame hack outweighing the cons, like bad habits, sitting on poles or trees, and since I am new to long-wings and imprints I'm following his instructions to the letter with this bird. Plus I don't have a good place to do a tame hack. I live in the middle of a decent sized city in a dense neighborhood.

Alright, well then what are your plans for training her? One thing about falcons that's different than hawks, at least in my experience, is that if they don't get out and get flown and exercised around the time they would fledge in the wild, they don't learn how to - it's a developmental window, both physically and mentally.

[lupine]

I got to meet Inca (and Rob, too!) Monday. I'm new at this, but I think it's universal--she's a beautiful bird. She hung out with us (Rob and Ben) while we harvested honey from Ben's hives. Ben's my falconry sponsor, and he's kind of my beekeeping apprentice!

(So, Rob...while I do plan on being a kick*ss apprentice, I think you've got a pretty good idea of one way I'm paying my dues! :D And the whole "digging in" thing isn't completely off the table, either.)

[robruger1]

She'll be trained with pigeons. She is now as of yesterday coming 30 yards to the lure with almost no hesitation. Once she is coming further and I'm comfortable free flying she'll be killing pigeons. Only sealed pigeons served only when she goes higher than she went the time before. The first one being only after she's 20 feet away. My falcon mentor knows his stuff so I trust his judgement. He's been at this for 45 years and is VERY accomplished with regards to longwings.

[robruger1]

75 days old today and she killed her first pigeon. First thing she has ever killed and it was on a drag weight. There was some hesitation at first, her just looking at it bobbing her head. Then she flew at it and pulled up at the last second and circled back around for another swoop only to pull up once again and landing on the ground. Then she launched straight at it nailing it and taking it to the ground. She took very little time dispatching it by tearing open the back of its skull and then I allowed her to eat for a while and then put her away with her catch. Just checked a bit ago and the whole damn thing is gone!

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0188.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0189.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0190.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/robruger1/100_0191.jpg

[cuervo2138]

that is awesome!! clapp we are going to have to go catch some more pigeons for you since she is doing so well!!!

[lupine]

Congratulations, Rob!

She's really looking good.

[robruger1]

Thanks!!!! I'm loving this. First free flight will probably be this coming saturday. I'm gonna trap some more pigeons and I still have two more I can serve up to her.

[robruger1]

Ok, so my patience got the best of me and I knew she was ready so she had her first free flight today, let her circle once and then tossed a sealed pigeon up for her to nail, unfortunately it came back down to earth before she got to it so it was a ground sluice which was kinda anti-climactic. But she did well and showed no sign of wanting to bail on me. Automatically started circling me. Very happy for my first free flight of a longwing.

[sharptail]

Congrats Rob!

[robruger1]

So I'm having a problem. I have been serving up three sealed pigeons a week for the last 2 weeks so she has now killed 7 pigeons. Right at first she was killing no nonsense. She'd hit them, dispatch fairly quickly and eventually start eating. The last three times though, she has bound to them and taken them to the ground but then stepped off and let them start flying away and then chase them down again only to let them go again. It is obvious that it is intentional, she simply steps off and stands next to them until the fly again. Eventually they get to tired to fly and she starts harassing them by running at them and then using them as a springboard to help her hop and then turn around and do it again. That usually gets them to fly a time or two more so she can chase them down again but eventually they stop trying to get away. She will then start flying circles around them and every once in a while she'll fly by and smack them in the head with her foot knocking them around a bit and then fly by and do it again. She will even fly by and grab them by the head and carry them 5 or 10 feet up and then let go again. It all seems that she wants to continue the chase and is not satisified with how fast the pigeons ware out. Eventually she gets bored when they have been beaten to a pulp and barely alive she will kill and eat. She was getting cropped up every day but I made it so now she only eats every other day but still eats all she wants but it has not changed anything as far as her playing with her food. I don't want to turn the screws on her lowering her weight and creating a screaming monster so does any body have any idea how this can be fixed?

[musketdaft]

You could try stopping giving her sealed pigeons and maybe a few that have a chance of getting away your not helping the hawk by doing this. Alf.



So I'm having a problem. I have been serving up three sealed pigeons a week for the last 2 weeks so she has now killed 7 pigeons. Right at first she was killing no nonsense. She'd hit them, dispatch fairly quickly and eventually start eating. The last three times though, she has bound to them and taken them to the ground but then stepped off and let them start flying away and then chase them down again only to let them go again. It is obvious that it is intentional, she simply steps off and stands next to them until the fly again. Eventually they get to tired to fly and she starts harassing them by running at them and then using them as a springboard to help her hop and then turn around and do it again. That usually gets them to fly a time or two more so she can chase them down again but eventually they stop trying to get away. She will then start flying circles around them and every once in a while she'll fly by and smack them in the head with her foot knocking them around a bit and then fly by and do it again. She will even fly by and grab them by the head and carry them 5 or 10 feet up and then let go again. It all seems that she wants to continue the chase and is not satisified with how fast the pigeons ware out. Eventually she gets bored when they have been beaten to a pulp and barely alive she will kill and eat. She was getting cropped up every day but I made it so now she only eats every other day but still eats all she wants but it has not changed anything as far as her playing with her food. I don't want to turn the screws on her lowering her weight and creating a screaming monster so does any body have any idea how this can be fixed?

[Saluqi]

I agree with Alf. It sounds like she's bored, let her chase a couple of flighted pigeons and only reward her with a seeled pigeon if her performance deserves it.

[musketdaft]

I would go so far to say it would be better pissing her off without a reward of a sealed pigeon to make he appreciate an easy kill because when the hunting season start there’s not going to be that many of those around unless there baggies !
The hawks got to learn that not all birds can’t see! Alf.



I agree with Alf. It sounds like she's bored, let her chase a couple of flighted pigeons and only reward her with a seeled pigeon if her performance deserves it.

[Lowachi]

I agree with Alf. It sounds like she's bored, let her chase a couple of flighted pigeons and only reward her with a seeled pigeon if her performance deserves it.

yeah, ''''''''i'll agree too. sealies only when they deserve it, higher after a miss or whatever. My imprint tiercel peregrine played with his until he had to work for them. business became business in short order.

[robruger1]

So obviously it has been a while since I posted on this thread. We started kite training but couldn't do it consistently because of days with no wind so I'd fly her to the lure which made flying to the kite harder because she'd always be waiting for me to serve her instead of going up so we took a 4 week break from flying until I got a balloon so I could be consistent. I got a balloon and have been flying again for 2 1/2 weeks now and she is going up 800ft. She has become a no nonsense bird now, no messing around, just blows off the fist and pumps all the way up. Here's my question. On still days when we have to use the balloon she rings up, on windy days when we use the kite she does this thing where she flies straight down wind and then turns into the wind and goes back and forth across the wind gaining altitude kind of like side hilling doing switchbacks in the wind until she gets to height and then flies straight to the bait. Is this unusual? Has anybody else experienced this? Most guys I've flown with the falcons either ring up or fly straight out and then straight back gaining height on the way back not this switchback stuff. Just curious to see if I've got a "freak" on my hands. Does anybody see a problem with this?helpp

[Himiko]

I don't think you have a freak but more likely a smart bird. She has learned it is easier to use the pattern of flight she is employing in the wind. It takes less energy. She is likely still working on her fitness and as that improves so will her climbing more directly. Good luck.

[robruger1]

So when I got home from work today I didn't hear the normal welcome home flap and squawk from my falcon which I found curious so I went and checked on her and found her lying on her back dead. No visible signs of harm. Going to be getting a necropsy done. She still had half of her food I gave her yesterday which is weird, she normally scarfs it down. Don't know what could have been wrong but now that I think about it she hasn't acted normal since she spent a night out a few weeks ago but not enough to worry me at the time. I'm really bummed out.

[wesleyc6]

Sorry to hear it bud.

[borderhawk]

wow, that sucks... sorry.

[Saluqi]

Sorry to hear that, let us know what you find out.

[Lowachi]

Hard break, Don't freeze the bird prior to necropsy, as per my vet.
Please post the results

[lupine]

Rob, you've worked so hard with Inca, it broke my heart to get the news. Hang in there. You're a great falconer, and we'll memorialize our birds by getting a fresh start in January. And I think we owe each other a beer or six.

[robruger1]

Sounds good Mish, I'm building a swedish goshawk trap today to put out at Ben's house. Guess he's had a passage female coops hanging out terrorizing the pigeons.

[mark collins]

Thats a real shame,got an imprint prairie female myself,what a waste,mark.

[sharptail]

Sorry Rob...Keep on keepin on!!