08 Tiercel Gos

[laj]

There was a delay in shipping and arriving, but I finally receive my Gos from Lance Christensen @10:30 tonight. He didn't seem too eager to meet right out of the crate but settled down rather quickly. After I prepare his bowl I weighed him at 652 grams empty (last meal was 10 hours ago). Put his covered food in his bowl and let him settle down. After a few minutes of him watching my sons RC car zooming by and distracted I remove the towel covering his food. Then my son and I watch from a few ft distance when he realize there is food and began to feed himself about 3 ounces of chopped quail. I'll find out his hatch date tomorrow morning but I think he is around 25 days old. I also need to build some sort of imprint box because he is already getting out and walking a lot and the wife already gave me THE look. So it begins...

still in the crate

in his bowl but he is old enough to get out

that is a standard size tennis ball

[tumble]

Awesome! (which means "jealous" in falconry speak)

I do feel bad for you guys who get "the look."

[KidK]

Ling,

Congratulations dude! How exciting!

You will have a great time raising this little guy and having kids around only helps!

Here is a link to the photo of the "imprint tank" I use in my living room..

http://www.nafex.net/showthread.php?t=2543

[John]

Good looking bird! Is he a NA or finnish or hybrid? Have fun!

[laj]

Confirmation from Lance this morning that my boy hatched on May 14th making him 26 days old today and he was imprinted since day one.

Thanks Tom, the look wasn't so bad as it has been downgraded from "the stare." She actually help move him to the kitchen this morning when I was still asleep to get more socialization. My wife is taking this better than I thought.

Kory, thanks for all the how-to thread pertaining to gos, it's giving me a lot of ideas. I am going to start on an imprint tank just like yours.

John, he is a Finnish and I will definitely have fun with him.

[FredFogg]

Ling,

Just got home from the mtns and saw this! CONGRATS! He looks great! So excited (jealous as hell) for you! Can't wait to watch this thread and see him turn into a killing machine.

[laj]

Thanks Fred! Mark those duck areas for me and I'll be sure to head your way when he is ready.

Day 26 was just an all around lazy day with him laying down most of the day. Had to take him to work so I can do the ritual feedings and Jon, another falconer came by work to check him out.


Day 27
Before doing the hide and seek feeding he weighed in at 675 grams empty 7:30 this morning. He is more active today, stretching and flapping his wing. Tail feather is now about 2 inches. Scott, a falconer buddy came by to see the new bird and Robert (the third falconer) and his grand kids will come by this afternoon. This nameless bird is getting popular.

[laj]

So relief to get this tank done today as she is making a mess outta the storage bin I had her in the last few days. Now I can relax around the house and not worry too much about him or what he is getting himself into. I'll add a screen top when it becomes necessary...probably in a couple of weeks. I left him hungrier than I thought when I fed him around 2pm today. I stuck my hand in to pet him and he ran over with a light scream and bit my hand a few times.

[FredFogg]

Ling,

Not sure how the gos guys do it, hopefully they will chime in, but I never left my coops without food with her at this stage. So she never got hungry. So if you can, always have food available. You don't ever want the bird getting hungry..........yet! What do you imprint guys think?

Oh yeah, great looking imprint tank! A little suggestion, tape up newspaper on 3 sides and leave the one facing out without it. It will make clean up a lot easier, you just switch out the newspaper ever couple days. Otherwise, you will be carrying the entire thing outside to wash out every couple days. LOL You will be amazed at how much comes out compared to what goes in! LOL

[Hawkingcolorado]

Man! How many seconds was that tank spotless after you took the picture>??

[laj]

Fred, I understand about not leaving them hungry, I should have left him more food before taking my boy to the movie today. I just came home a little later than I thought after his last meal. I'll just leave food in there from now on and just change them out when necessary. I'll do the newspaper thing, just couldn't help showing off my tank lol. Thanks for the suggestion. The first slice he did was to the front door...about 2 minutes later, Tim.

[FredFogg]

Ling,

Have you named the gos yet? Or better yet, has the wife and kids named him yet? LOL

[KidK]

Ling,

Great photos.. and I like your imprint tank.. It looks really nice!

I hope you keep having fun and enjoy every moment with him.. Imprint accipiters are like kids. They are cute and cuddly when they are little, then turn into a bunch of work and test your patience as they get older, and in the end, are worth every moment of it all!

[laj]

Have you named the gos yet? Or better yet, has the wife and kids named him yet? LOL

Well, my 5 year old son wanted to name him "Sky", but looking back how much I spent on him the name "Cash" may be more appropriate? I haven't made a decision.

Ling,

Great photos.. and I like your imprint tank.. It looks really nice!

I hope you keep having fun and enjoy every moment with him.. Imprint accipiters are like kids. They are cute and cuddly when they are little, then turn into a bunch of work and test your patience as they get older, and in the end, are worth every moment of it all!

Thanks Kory. I wish I had a little more time framing the tank more like yours but had to finish this one in a hurry.

I know what you mean, only if their demeanor stay this way throughout their life, right? Regardless how he turn out I will never give up on him.

He is preening, stretching, and flapping more often now and he is starting to foot the hell out of the tennis ball, too. From day 28-30 he weighed somewhere between 732-745 grams with some food, since I don't let his plate go empty now. Took him out this morning and sat outside for 15 minutes with my daughter. Clean his bowl and let him get a little bit of sun. A car came by and he started to hunker down like what in the hell is that? I need to start exposing him more to traffic and such. Should have a video uploaded soon.

[FredFogg]

Ling,

Take him for rides in the car and have his bowl setup high in the seat so he can look out the window and see everything go by. It will make him solid as far as vehicles go. Oh yeah, a mistake I made was not taking Inya around lawn mowers and noisy heavy construction equipment, now anytime she hears one she bugs out. LOL

[laj]

Ling,

Take him for rides in the car and have his bowl setup high in the seat so he can look out the window and see everything go by. It will make him solid as far as vehicles go. Oh yeah, a mistake I made was not taking Inya around lawn mowers and noisy heavy construction equipment, now anytime she hears one she bugs out. LOL

Roger that. I already had to call the wife 3 times today to make sure the Gos' plate is not empty. Now you telling me I have to tell her she no longer can ride shotgun because I'll be taking the bird out for a ride?

Here is my first attempt on putting a video together.

[FredFogg]

Awesome Ling! Looks like he is coming along great! I am soooooo jealous!

[kimmerar]

Thanks so much Ling. Can't wait to see more vids - especially on game. I really liked wathcing him footing that tennis ball - practice makes perfect for the bunny or duck he's gonna catch.

[MikeT307]

I really liked wathcing him footing that tennis ball - practice makes perfect for the bunny or duck he's gonna catch.

I agree! Even with downy feathers partially covering him he's got the tools to be a real killer. Seems like he's working on that coordination a little.

[laj]

Thanks everyone!

"Sky" is branching soon, he was able to hop up and perch on the rim of the bowl watching TV today. He even got airborne for a split second flapping those half-grown wings. Took him out to lawn to get some morning sun everyday and to expose him to traffic and noise. A car would pass by every 5 mins or so and he is now standing tall looking at them come and go at a distance. Early this morning he weighed 744 grams empty and 780ish about an hour ago.

[KidK]

Ling,

Great photos and video.. Lovin' it! Please keep posting photos of his progression!

[laj]

Ling,

Great photos and video.. Lovin' it! Please keep posting photos of his progression!

Day 33, 754 grams before his meal

I hope you guys/gals like them because I've got tons of photos! I also video him every other day...just because.

Catching a little morning sun. Day 32

Day 33.

Feathers are sprouting all over. Day 33

[KidK]

Ha! Looks like he is really enjoying himself Ling! Wait until he is flying a bit and I bet he will spend a bunch of time on the kids play set. Mine always did!

Thanks for the pics!

[laj]

Day 35 795 grams

6/15 I put son his anklets and jesse in the evening and he pretty much spend all his time biting and tugging the rest of the evening.

Yesterday I pretty much spend the whole day with him driving around, dropping my kids off at the mall, go to my work place, and to friends house. He took the riding really well and even sliced right out the window when we stopped at the mall parking! The only time he showed fear was when I brought in a big ice cream cone and he leaned back like a fresh trapped RT. He got to meet a lot of strangers and friends, and one lady even asked me if he is a some kind of CHICKEN! I let him out of his box in the evening to explore a little, and so he did. When I sat down next to him on the kitchen floor leaning against the cabinet, he took one look at me and jump on my thigh, crawled on my belly and lay down to rest.

On to the pics...

I could get the hood on him without much fuss but once it's on he doesn't like it and will shake it off. This is as close to hooding him for about 5 second without freaking him out.

I like to put him out on the grass when his feet are dirty, the morning dew really help soak and clean them.

At the mall

Kitchen floor then he hopped onto my lap and fell asleep for about 15 mins.

This is how he spend most of his day, on the rim of his bowl preening away.

[wesleyc6]

It looks like he is doing great! His feather growth is exploding and I bet there is a LOT of "bird plastic" everywhere.

[laj]

It looks like he is doing great! His feather growth is exploding and I bet there is a LOT of "bird plastic" everywhere.

Actually, it's not as bad as I had thought. Most of those "plastic" and down are in his bowl or the tank floor. Living with a neat freak, the feathering and branching stage was one of my main concern when I decided to go imprint. Yesterday was the firs day I let him explore the kitchen on his free will and after the second slice it was time to put him back in.

[FredFogg]

He is looking great Ling! You will be surprised home much down you will find 2 months from now. It will be, How did that get there? LOL

[John]

Two months? Try two years. It gets everywhere and behind everything. Hey, Ling. One good way to deal with mutes when they're out and about is to have a big, paper cup with a paper towel in the bottom and when you see them about to slice, just catch it in the cup. It works pretty well, and keeps the wife happy.

[laj]

Ha! I must have spoke too soon. I am sitting here at work reading the forum and noticed a down floating away from me. The down must have stuck to my clothing when I replenish his food this morning.

Thanks for that excellent tip John, I'll be following him around with a cup from now on. This kind of remind me of "two girls and one cup." LOL

[FredFogg]

Ha! I must have spoke too soon. I am sitting here at work reading the forum and noticed a down floating away from me. The down must have stuck to my clothing when I replenish his food this morning.

Thanks for that excellent tip John, I'll be following him around with a cup from now on. This kind of remind me of "two girls and one cup." LOL

And just think Ling, if you chew tobacco, the cup can have a dual purpose! LOL

[chris kimble]

Too bad I spit in cans! But I'll invest in a cup just to try that idea out lol! Your gos is looking great, keep the pics coming.....I like knowing what to expect

"Bird Plastic" Now thats funny Wes! Never heard it called that before.

[wesleyc6]

Too bad I spit in cans! But I'll invest in a cup just to try that idea out lol! Your gos is looking great, keep the pics coming.....I like knowing what to expect

"Bird Plastic" Now thats funny Wes! Never heard it called that before.

Chris, you will learn a lot of things from me........................just not anything actually useful

[FredFogg]

Chris, you will learn a lot of things from me........................just not anything actually useful

Wes, you sound a lot like me, I am a great teacher! The sad part is, I teach folks what not to do with my mistakes! But hey, at least they are learning something! LOL

[wesleyc6]

Wes, you sound a lot like me, I am a great teacher! The sad part is, I teach folks what not to do with my mistakes! But hey, at least they are learning something! LOL

Glad to know I have a "kinship" with someone out there. frus

[laj]

36 days old today and right at 800 grams or 1lb 12 oz. His weight is starting to level off now with only an increase of a few grams the last several days.
Well, my timing is off with the cup and poop. Luckily, he sliced on the tile floor and not on the carpet, or I would have dive face first, arms stretched out with a cup trying to catch his mute like a baseball player. Here he is, goofing around the kitchen late last night after I got off work.