Wondering at what age most people begin leashing up their young birds? It's about that time for mine as her flight skills are increasing. Do most of you gauge it by the age, time to hard penning, or by the bird?
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Wondering at what age most people begin leashing up their young birds? It's about that time for mine as her flight skills are increasing. Do most of you gauge it by the age, time to hard penning, or by the bird?
As soon as they can walk well or there about. The goal is that they learn what the leash and constraint mean before they are in the middle ground of still being young and fragile but yet still have enough power to do themselves damage. It's tempting to have them run around a lot and it's fine to do but they also need to learn what being tied up is all about. So giving them total free reign for too long is not good. With the three imprints I have had they all learned the constraint of the leash early but I also let them loose a lot but only when I was playing with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by xjturnerx
My opinion is tie them up early on in life and they will more content and happier and healthier in the long run.
If its a tame eyas I start before hard penning when they are just starting to pump a lot and thinking about and then jumping up onto stuff in the house. I use a fairly low block, maybe 12 inches tall and do it only while I am there. Some birds will jump up there on their own, some need to be put back up numerous times. Most of them crash onto their breasts a few times, but, without enough speed to do any harm. Basically conditioning them to their leash boundary before they can bate hard. I always put the anklets on early, large downy stage. Bells a week later, helps find them if they go somewhere in the house or yard while your not looking. I never leave a young bird that can walk away free anywhere without me being there. I do leave them in the weathering yard during parts of the day while I'm doing other things and check on them regularly. They will start jumping up on low perches and start bathing when they are not near hardpenned, though I only give them a bath pan when I am there to watch. Lots of eyasses will bath by five weeks. The more things they can get used to before they can bate hard the better. They are all somewhat different, but I think postponing being tied up until they can bate hard is a setback.