Flying Weight

[GAV*81 15]

Hi I've been reading up on falconry and was wondering how do you know what flying weight your bird should be? a female harris hawk for example. Thanks Gav.

[youcanthide...BANG 1,051]

when they are instantly responsive to a call and follow you without needing to be called is how i know. usually just wait until you get that instant responce then weigh the bird then steadily take the weight up until the instant response begins to tail of then you have a maximum flying weight when you can fly the bird. my male harris ideal flying weight is 1lb 5.5oz but will fly and follow on upto about 1.7 but after that response is really slow and the bird becomes uninterested

 

edited to add all hawks are different so you cant predict what flying weight they should be, without seeing the bird its impossible to tell if there to high or low as you need to feel the birds keel

Edited May 19, 2013 by youcanthide...BANG

[Ginger shooter 58]

Female flys at 2.2 2.3 any higher she's a bitch lol

[GAV*81 15]

Thanks for the info

[grovsey 74]

Female flys at 2.2 2.3 any higher she's a bitch lol

not all are that weight

[Ginger shooter 58]

Yeh should of said that!! Different birds fly at diff weights!! That's what my flys at! Other people's are different

[Wingbeat 2]

Dont forget guys that as you find that ideal weight and start flying your bird she will need more energy (food) to build the muscle up thereby taking her ideal weight up ....

This is more for eyas birds but refers to all raptors.

 

Also when you weigh her on the scales the reading you see is either on the way up or on the way down ? hope you understand this ........

 

Regards Alec

[nomoon 542]

when they are instantly responsive to a call and follow you without needing to be called is how i know. usually just wait until you get that instant responce then weigh the bird then steadily take the weight up until the instant response begins to tail of then you have a maximum flying weight when you can fly the bird. my male harris ideal flying weight is 1lb 5.5oz but will fly and follow on upto about 1.7 but after that response is really slow and the bird becomes uninterested

 

edited to add all hawks are different so you cant predict what flying weight they should be, without seeing the bird its impossible to tell if there to high or low as you need to feel the birds keel

spot on post .

[ayrshiretaxidermy 29]

Dont forget guys that as you find that ideal weight and start flying your bird she will need more energy (food) to build the muscle up thereby taking her ideal weight up ....

This is more for eyas birds but refers to all raptors.

 

Also when you weigh her on the scales the reading you see is either on the way up or on the way down ? hope you understand this ........

 

Regards Alec

Yeh, there are for example.....3 x 2lb 2ozs. One steady, one on way down and one on way up.

[j j m 6,481]

yeh not all males or females fly at the same weight,so dont go off othere peoples birds weights

[paulus 26]

As a rough guide fat weight minus 10% but each bird will be different.

[grovsey 74]

to get a go idea of the weight ur better holding at that weight for 3 days so say you take ur bird down 1/2 oz and you don't get the response hold the bird at that for two more days and you may be shocked at getting the response ur after ,far to many just keep dropping every day.

weight management is so critical and this is where a good mentor comes into his own ,just cos a guy down the road has a bird don't mean he know what he is talking about .find someone that has a number of years of flying raptors and when you view his set up everything looks how you imagine it should looks .

[Wingbeat 2]

to get a go idea of the weight ur better holding at that weight for 3 days so say you take ur bird down 1/2 oz and you don't get the response hold the bird at that for two more days and you may be shocked at getting the response ur after ,far to many just keep dropping every day.

weight management is so critical and this is where a good mentor comes into his own ,just cos a guy down the road has a bird don't mean he know what he is talking about .find someone that has a number of years of flying raptors and when you view his set up everything looks how you imagine it should looks .

Well said that man