Quote Originally Posted by Ally View Post
Jeff...I had that same reaction from Blackjack when he hit this stage and it was like I was a total stranger...do you have the time to write a little bit more detail about what you do with him at this stage specifically? I didn't handle it as well as I would have liked and I lost him to crazy for a while.
We're way past that now and gearing up for season 2 but it was a tough time and I'd like to know how to be more successful.
Thanks
The way I handle dispersal is to get him working hard playing games which gets his metabolism going more,helps establish guidelines in our relationship, and puts the hunting mindset on cue.

I free loft Ruger. Our routine right now is I walk into his mew and pick him up off his perch and go weigh him. He is usually sitting on his perch calling to me at this point. He sometimes is nervous about stepping onto the glove, but that is diminishing each day. His weight has been around 690g-700g. I then come back in and we do 4-5 restrained pursuits to tidbits. He gets the tidbit and I stand back and let him eat it and then let him choose to hop back up on the glove. If he doesn't want to hop back up on the glove, I leave. Since my mew is at work, I have the luxury of checking on him throughout the day. I will come back later and repeat the above process. As long as he is willing to work, he gets fed. When he stops, I leave. If I am in a hurry or don't have time throughout the day, I will do a couple restrained pursuits to his entire food ration for the day. One thing I do right now until this phase passes is that I don't mess with him while he is eating. I don't practice trade offs or touch his food. I am trying to build trust, so I let him have the food and then hop back to the fist and show him how he can make me give him more food.

He is controlling his own weight and food intake at this point. I will feed him as much as he wants as long as he works for it. Part of what I am doing is putting the hunting mindset on cue. When I show up it means that it is time to switch into hunting mode. Once he will start taking tidbits from my fingers gently again I will know that this phase has passed and I'll feel more comfortable turning him loose. I'll be able to walk outside, play a quick game or two to cue the hunting mindset and then go hunt.

Hope that answers your question. It's always harder to type out, because my response depends on what the bird does. I have a "toolbox" so to speak and depending on what the bird does determines which tool I pull out for that situation.