Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What raptor is best for a beginner at all this stuff. Smallest and eats the least.
~elcheal~

I would encorage you to contact your state F&G department, and to learn a bit about everything involved in falconry before you think about makeing the jump - Its an expensive and time consuming sport - In the US, you can not be a falconer, or obtain a falcon without the proper permits, and a 2 year apprenticeship with a trained falconer -

Im sure that your local Fish and game can give you a falconry packet, and you can look at alot of whats involved with being a falconer -

The best "falcon" for a beginner would, IMHO, likely be a passage redtail hawk, (I believe this is pretty much what they start everone on anyway) As thier hardy, and will survive and manage in the hands of an unexperianced falconer. Deffenetly not a small bird like a kestrel, which are not only difficult to train and manage, but easy to injure, or adversly affect through inproper feedings and weight control -

Raven -

In your other post, you mention CT, which i am assuming you are from? Falconry is illeagal in CT. Raven is right, contact the DNR and they can help you out. Falconry is VERY expensive and I think that falconry NEEDS to be researched before you try anything in it. Raptors are not a thing to be messed with, unless you know what you are doing. That is why they have the apprentice level permits.
Passage red-tails are in my opionion as well the best apprentice bird. That is what i fly, and i love it.
Check out this site for more info
Apprentice Falconry

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- Falconer44
Go ARMY!

>>What raptor is best for a beginner at all this stuff. Smallest and eats the least.
>>~elcheal~

In addition to all hoops one has to jump through to become a falconer who can legally keep birds of prey, .....

Raptors eat quite a bit.

We currently have 1 Red-tail hawk, 1 Red-shoulder hawk, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Barrded Owl, 1 Great Horned Owl, 1 Screech Owl, and 1 Bald Eagle. Between all the birds, we go through an average of 3-4 dozen mice a day, a few turkey chicks, and some fish. Occasionally some of the birds even get rats or roadkill rabbits/squirrels/etc. Our birds are not even flighted or only partially flighted so they are not using as much energy that a fully flighted bird would use. I would imagine you'd probably need more food for fully flighted birds on a daily basis especially if you are not flying a bird to hunt their own food regularly.

Not only do you have to consider the exspense of the food for any birds you keep (assume $2/mouse min.), you also have to come up with the money to build and maintain proper aviaries/mews for these animals, buy and maintain the equipment (gloves, jesses, etc.) and you also have to find a veterinarian who is not only trained in treating raptors, but is also lic. to do so! Specialty vets like that don't come cheap or easy.

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Wyvern

Are you paying 2$ a mouse minimum ?

If so, you're getting ripped off - I get my mice for about 40 cents each - I know thats a great deal, But I often see them for 60 cents each - My 2 ravens eat 4 to 6 mice a day, along with other food, or instead of mice, half a quail each - The quail I get are like 1.25 each -

Id search aroound for a new mouse source if that is the case -

Raven -

Feeding day old chicks? I feed them to my hawk with great sucess and i know many other falconers who do the same. (of course their diet is supplmented with mice, squirrels, whatever they catch). I know of a few places where you can get chicks really cheap, like 25 cents a piece, and i have heard rumors of a place where you can get them for a nickel a piece.

As for mice prices, $2 a piece is a rip off. There are many good suppliers who sell cheaper, especially if you buy in bulk.
You could also breed your own mice, which is relitivly easy. It may save you some $ in the long run if you have a lot of animals to feed. I currently dont do this, but i know many falconers who do, and i also know many falconers who breed pigeons for hawk food, which also works well. (they are very careful about their breeding stock, making sure that there are no dieses in the flock.)
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- Falconer44
Go ARMY!

>>Are you paying 2$ a mouse minimum ?
>>
>>If so, you're getting ripped off - I get my mice for about 40 cents each - I know thats a great deal, But I often see them for 60 cents each - My 2 ravens eat 4 to 6 mice a day, along with other food, or instead of mice, half a quail each - The quail I get are like 1.25 each -
>>
>>Id search aroound for a new mouse source if that is the case -
>>
>>Raven -

Oh... we don't pay for the mice at all...get them all free (they are donations) About every 2-3 months, we pick up a few thousand mice already prekilled and usually frozen (unless the kill off was done the same day of pickup). Likewise, we have someone who donates excess turkey chicks. Can't do any better than $0.00

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Wyvern
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Wyvern

n/p
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- Falconer44
Go ARMY!