insure imprint handles giant hood well

[goshawks00]

Paul,
If possible let's try and keep these threads separated. I can tell you what I do, and I'll preface it with nary a broken bent feather if at least a decade.
(How's that for thumbing my nose at Murphy?)

The hawk learns that the GH is a GOOD thing. I do lots of feeding in the GH with a light on. The hawk is brought to the GH with the food already in the GH. Once he or she sees the food in there, they hop right in... The door is closed with a light on inside it. After a bit the light is turned off and the hawk is in there for the count. Now then Let me back up, you can start this at any age, but it best learned in the evening so the hawk will be there for the night. I have seen my goshawks fly in and sleep in their GH,even after a couple of years not being exposed to them.
BTW my gos is riding in the truck unhooded.

[keitht]

Barry:

My practice is very similar. I too place food in the GH and the gos quickly learns that it is a food source. It has always worked best for me when they are started out while still young and not as well when started too late.

What I like to do is drive around with them in the GH while they are still young. (I'm starting that this week with mine) Then as they get a bit older and I start cutting their rations back a bit, I began feeding them in it.

But I can't say I've never had a bird bend a tail feather in there. If for no other reason, they tend to get very ancy and bounce around a bit in anticipation of being let out to hunt. I still prefer for them to wear a tail-saver.

I am thinking of trying a bit different perch arrangement. What kind of perch are you using in the GH - a regular perch or shelf perch setup?

[JRedig]

You guys should preface it with what style/shape and size of GH you are using...

[pj_elia]

Barry,
Sorry, for muddying up Thor's thread. Feel free to have a moderator take out my junk.

Anyway, sounds like something we need to try. I know we were missing something along the way. Thanks for explaining. I assume you are using a standard size GH instead of a narrow one assuming they need room to eat on the bottom of the hood?? Mantling is not an issue since you close the door and leave them to eat alone, right?

[FredFogg]

Barry,
Sorry, for muddying up Thor's thread. Feel free to have a moderator take out my junk.

Anyway, sounds like something we need to try. I know we were missing something along the way. Thanks for explaining. I assume you are using a standard size GH instead of a narrow one assuming they need room to eat on the bottom of the hood?? Mantling is not an issue since you close the door and leave them to eat alone, right?

Paul, I may be mistaken but if my memory is correct and Barry can confirm this the next time he is on but I think he uses a shelf perch with a edge on the shelf so the food stays on the shelf and doesn't fall to the floor. My buddy that made my gh made one for my giant hood and if I can find a picture of it, I will post it later. If not, I will take a picture of it out of the gh and inside the gh and show you. I pretty much used what Barry described to train my imprint coops to the gh and I could put a tidbit on the perch and she would fly right in. Not sure if you ever saw my carhawking video but at the end, you can see where I just hold her near the gh and she flys right in.

Found a couple pictures.

[goshawks00]

Thanks Fred, pictures are worth a thousand words...

Paul, Fred's hood is real close to what I use, My only recommendation is to make sure the "round end' where the hawks feet will hang on to is big enough around that he can get a good grip, and is comfortable..

Other than that, it needs a light, and fan is used in hot weather. Fred did you make your GH? Looks great!! BTW It appears that the shelf may be made to pull out, is that right?

Re-looking at the pic., on other important thing I would change, would be to block off the bottom underneath the platform so the hawk doesn't end up under the platform. Hint , if I were making another GH I would make the space under the platform a drawer that pulls out to the side of the GH, a perfect place to keep and or store all those things we carry with us... such as extra leash, swivel, batteries, glove, flashlight,etc...