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That's an odd chicken.

collierboy

collierboy

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Walking past the chicken run this afternoon I noticed all the hens were under the raised henhouse, which was a bit odd
as it wasn't raining. Then I spotted the reason half way along the run, a Harris Hawk plucking a very dead chicken. Luckily
it was one of the cockerels. It didn't want to give up it's dinner and mantled over the corpse when approached, I managed
to pick it up still holding onto it's prey and put it in an old aviary, apart from being a bit thin it seems ok. No anklets or jesses
on it's legs so probably escaped from a loft, aviary or mews. My daughter's put it on facebook so it shouldn't be long before
the owner turns up.
 
collierboy said:
Walking past the chicken run this afternoon I noticed all the hens were under the raised henhouse, which was a bit odd
as it wasn't raining. Then I spotted the reason half way along the run, a Harris Hawk plucking a very dead chicken. Luckily
it was one of the cockerels. It didn't want to give up it's dinner and mantled over the corpse when approached, I managed
to pick it up still holding onto it's prey and put it in an old aviary, apart from being a bit thin it seems ok. No anklets or jesses
on it's legs so probably escaped from a loft, aviary or mews. My daughter's put it on facebook so it shouldn't be long before
the owner turns up.
Click to expand...
Your chicks should be safe as long as it's not a Rolf Harris.:p:rolleyes:
 
collierboy said:
Walking past the chicken run this afternoon I noticed all the hens were under the raised henhouse, which was a bit odd
as it wasn't raining. Then I spotted the reason half way along the run, a Harris Hawk plucking a very dead chicken. Luckily
it was one of the cockerels. It didn't want to give up it's dinner and mantled over the corpse when approached, I managed
to pick it up still holding onto it's prey and put it in an old aviary, apart from being a bit thin it seems ok. No anklets or jesses
on it's legs so probably escaped from a loft, aviary or mews. My daughter's put it on facebook so it shouldn't be long before
the owner turns up.
Click to expand...
Hey CB, how are you going to know that the person who gets in touch is the rightful owner if
the bird has no jesses on or anklets?
 
Half cocked said:
Hey CB, how are you going to know that the person who gets in touch is the rightful owner if
the bird has no jesses on or anklets?
Click to expand...
Manthing said:
I would think a photo of the person claiming the bird actually holding the bird would help. They are similar but each bird will have a unique bit of unique plumage somewhere possibly.
Click to expand...
It's got a closed ring on it's leg. To be honest I thought someone would have been in touch by now. I'll catch it up tomorrow to see what's
on the ring. Probably just breeder initials and a generic number for that bird. Harris hawks being non indigenous to Britain and also not
similar or easily mistaken for a British raptor, do not need to be registered with DEFRA. Some breeders use IBR Rings which have a unique
number plus the phone number of the Independent Bird Registry for you to contact if you find a lost bird. This bird's is the wrong colour.
 
peteff said:
He'll know it's name won't he ? A bit like a ferret I found which was very popular :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
I remember an old man telling me once, " If someone asks you if you've lost a ferret, say NO ! cause it's
probably just wiped out a whole henhouse or pigeon loft."
 
It's funny how things happen. In a reply to RWS a week or so ago I said I wouldn't have another
Harris, and now there's one in the shed.
 
collierboy said:
I remember an old man telling me once, " If someone asks you if you've lost a ferret, say NO ! cause it's
probably just wiped out a whole henhouse or pigeon loft."
Click to expand...

This one was in a neighbour's washing basket having a nice nap. They were terrified of it but it was as tame as a kitten and had obviously been handled, I just lifted it out by the scruff and took it home. It had got out of a shed on a nearby estate.
 
Finished late so didn't check the ring just took this pic, most of my prize winning bantam cockerel's
been eaten, must have been worth 3, 4, no £500 quid at least. Still no potential owners on the horizon.
 

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collierboy said:
Finished late so didn't check the ring just took this pic, most of my prize winning bantam cockerel's
been eaten, must have been worth 3, 4, no £500 quid at least. Still no potential owners on the horizon.
Click to expand...

Cheaper to pay for a new hawk than replace that banty :p I'll get you some free range eggs from the farm and one of your broody hens will replace him.
 
peteff said:
Cheaper to pay for a new hawk than replace that banty :p I'll get you some free range eggs from the farm and one of your broody hens will replace him.
Click to expand...
They're trying to sit already, I've got 2 more cockerels from last year to get rid of, I only want the older bigger one
to breed so the birds and eggs stay the same size or even increase. The Harris has finished eating the cockerel, picked
clean, she's having pigeon tomorrow, had to be a defrosted one though, frozen for at least a week to kill the frounce
bugs that woodies can carry in their throats.
 
collierboy said:
She's keeping shtum on that HC, but is obviously used to being handled, I can stroke her head and she's not
"footy" which makes me wonder why nobody's come forward as yet.
Click to expand...
You will have to take a daylight pic mate, I can't make out her colour she's got a lot of white
or is that the flash?
 
Half cocked said:
You will have to take a daylight pic mate, I can't make out her colour she's got a lot of white
or is that the flash?
Click to expand...
She's white under the tail, the light patch on the front is from the torch. She's got full adult plumage so is at least
one and a half years old. This doesn't mean much because once they get their adult plumage in the second year
they do not change appearance for the rest of their lives, so she could be 10/20/30 years old. I'll post a daylight pic.
 
My friend used to walk round to our house with his Harris on his wrist, it liked a change of scenery. It would sit on a perch in the garden eyeing up the pigeons on the roof.:D
 
After looking after and observing her for a few days now, I think the reason no one's come forward
and reclaimed her is because they may have deliberately let her lose to get rid. I suspect by her actions
she may be a full imprint, this happens when young birds and animals are hand reared by humans. The
result is the bird in question transfers the relationship it should have had with its real parents onto the
human owner feeding it. The good side of this is they become very tame and quick to train and enter
to quarry, the bad sides are, they might scream at you whenever hungry or even when they arn't, they
do not look after themselves or their plumage as well as parent reared birds, don't bath as often, remain
forever "childish" in behaviour, mantle over any caught quarry and really do not want to give it up. All these
bad habits can I suppose be put up with but when it comes to imprint female Harris hawks they can become
very aggressive towards people, not the falconer/owner, but usually wives, children, neighbours or even
farmers. This gradually gets worse as they reach breeding age at 4 years. ( imprints will not breed with
another bird, they believe they are human ) A dilemma now, what do I do with her.
 
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