Sunday 5 May 2013

Aviaries.

Just spent a merry two hours cleaning the various aviaries with a pressure washer. How I managed before getting one, God knows.  Getting an aviary clean and keeping it so are the most tedious chores in falconry, but essential.

Most of the diseases that affect hawks in captivity can be avoided by always ensuring the aviary is clean of old food and droppings, which harbour the germs that can infect the birds.  A floor of small gravel stones about three inches deep is very good, provided it is raked regularly and the bones, castings etc picked out.  It can then be sprayed with a viricidal disinfectant. Perches and ledges also need to be sprayed.


Birds being birds, their droppings, or " mutes " in falconry-speak, can be all over the place, although obviously concentrated near the perches. That's where the power washer comes in handy.

Cassius, Lady Macbeth and Orlando, the Harris Hawks have just begun their annual moult.  Artemis the sparrowhawk has not yet started.  For the first three, the moult will be a long-drawn out affair. They have to fly throughout the summer, which of course is the most popular time for customers at North Devon Hawk Walks.  This mean their diet has to be controlled to keep them at flying weight. This slows down the moulting process.  Falconers who don't fly during the summer just put the birds away and keep them fat so  as to get the process over as soon as possible. Some feed supplements so as to speed it up.

Artemis won't be flying in the summer. Her forte is scaring away starlings in the winter. So she's getting lots of food. In order to keep her tame, I'm making time to feed her on the fist and keep her aware of who I am.

The whole avian gang will be with me at the North Devon Show, the mid-Devon Show and the Filleigh Show this  year.  Come along and meet them !