by Ascen on August 3rd, 2016, 7:13 am
Once Ascen has read what each tool's purpose is for, the boy is now going to have the time of his life learning how each tool is set up. First up is the Mews that details both of how a Mews should function and determine what appropriate size the Mews has to be for comfortable space to the bird. 'The overall design of the facilities to keep the bird must take both the bird and the falconer into consideration. A falconer with hundreds of acres of relatively flat land without restrictions from zoning boards may decide to build very large flight cages for each bird. A falconer in a suburban environment may have a very small mews to meet the legal requirements and keep the bird in the house or garage weathering her in the yard every day. A falconer with a Kestrel can keep her in fine condition in a 3' x 3' x 3' box with shelf perches and barring on two sides. This sort of mews can be kept on a table in the house, in the garage, or outside, even. A falconer with a Red-Tailed Hawk might want a mews that is 8' x 10' x 8' wanting to freeloft her, and will be able to keep her in perfect feather. There are a million ways to keep a bird healthy and in great condition, and more than a million ways she will find to damage a feather or injure herself. Good falconers will look for many options, try something out, and observe how it works for him ready to make changes as necessary.'
'The first consideration is the bird's safety. A mews must be completely enclosed not just to keep the bird in, and preferably in the most private area available. It must be enclosed to keep other animals out. Neighborhood dogs, coyotes, eagles, and other animals will all take advantage of a bird. Even cats can inflict enough damage to a large bird to mortally wound it. The first concern is the bird's safety. If one is making a weathering yard where the bird will spend the vast majority of her time unwatched, then it must be completely enclosed either with wire or a roof structure. For a small falcon like a Kestrel, a dog exercise pen is portable and allows the bird to be safe from most potential harm while being low impact on the falconer. For larger birds a larger structure will be needed.'
'One very common aspect to a mews is a two-door entry system. This is more typical with a free-lofted bird where there is the potential for a bird to fly out if the door is mishandled. Having a two door system reduces the likelihood of this from happening. Many falconers who use the two door system take advantage of the space between the doors to make a storage room or otherwise use the space well. If there is no way to implement a two door system, consider using a heavy canvas or duck cloth drape to act as a second door. Even a clear shower curtain will allow Ascen to view the bird as the boy enters, but make sure she is not able to get past him or attack him. Some falconers have both a two door system as well as a door drape. A note to make the inner mews door open into the mews and not into the preparation area. The reason for this is, again, to help control the bird's ability to get past the falconer or attack him.'
Asen's head was spinning with all of this new information, for yes he didn't expect there to be so much information and factors just to consider getting a Mews. In truth it just opened more doorways to who knows what can lead to. Still, the boy kept reading for there happened to be more information regarding about the Mews. 'As with anything, a flooring is only as good as Ascen's maintenance of it. There is no perfect floor, but some substrates will fit his situation and constraints better than others. Keep it clean and regularly clean out bones, castings, food particles, and mutes. Keep it dry and well ventilated to prevent mold or insects from developing. In general, avoid concrete and brick unless they are overlaid with something else such as padded leather or plywood. Consider how the flooring itself will decay, particularly when damp or with mutes sitting on it. Consider how the hawk food will sit on it, sand will stick to food, and food may sit and rot on a plywood floor depending on the techniques and environment. Consider the ability to sanitize in case of disease. Consider if it attracts or allows insects and other vermin to hide. Consider how it dries after being cleaned. Consider if larger predators can get under, either by digging or by coming through a wall. Lining the ground with a foot or so of chicken wire or hardware wire will help prevent animals from digging under a mews. Extending this out from the mews wall will also help prevent invasion.'
'Wood chips can make an excellent flooring material if they are used in a way where they are not breaking down. Wood chips don't overheat in direct sunlight. Wood chips also will not dull talons if a bird bates a lot. However, wood chips are a biodegradable material and, when decomposing, they will harbor mold, fungus, and bacteria. In circumstances where they are not getting wet, and are rotated out appropriately, they can be an excellent material. On the other hand, so is sand. Sand can be readily available and work for many falconers. It is easily cleaned out and raked and is easy to manage. However, it will reflect a considerable amount of heat on a bird. A bird who is tethered and bates will have the effect of filing her talons into razor sharp needles. Some falconers spread an inch or two of sand over just a small area of the mews to have the bird bate on that area. However, sand can get under anklets and can abrade the skin. If a bird is fed on sand the particles can be ingested and impact in the GI tract. Sand works particularly well directly underneath a falcon's perch since she mutes straight down. This allows the area to be picked clean regularly.'
'Shavings may work well enough for a flooring in cold climates, but should be cautioned in warm or moist climates. Being fine, they will produce an amount of particulate matter in the air, moisture gets held in them and they can mold, but perhaps more importantly, they are small enough for a bird to ingest them, especially if food is dropped onto the floor. Shavings in the system will cause an impaction and can be difficult to diagnose and put over. Straw, different from hay, is the perfect substrate for mold spores. It likely has some mold already in it from the moisture and spores from harvest, then it has been bundled up and the mold has been allowed to grow. Being an organic material it should be avoided at all costs. Straw even near the mews should be cautioned as the propensity for developing asper is very high.'
"Great, so no putting straw near the Mews since the straw is likely to cause mold that can drive the bird ill." Ascen mumbled to himself as his young brain felt like it was almost throbbing with all of the information being poured into his mind. Least to say that he's learning more about how to maintain a Mews and would know what kind of flooring the Mews should have. Additionally Ascen would have to pick up if not practice on spotting the numerous possibilities of how the bird can injure herself so that Ascen can help avoid it from happening. This was something that Ascen is going to need practice and not just reading from a book of what he's supposed to be doing.
'Perches inside the mews must be provided with the bird in mind. A variety of perching surfaces should also be provided. Perches and windows go together as poorly placed perches in relation to the windows will cause the bird additional stress. Some birds will want to look out, while others will want a perch where they can feel secure and hidden. In a free lofted situation with part of the mews exposed to the weather, placing a favored perch in the weather will help her be exposed to enough sun, rain, etc. Be careful of perches in mews so that they are spaced far enough from the walls that if the bird turns around, her tail will not rub. And a tip to position the bath away from perches to avoid mutes in the bath. Some falconers will even place a large rock, like a large sandstone rock or even a large chunk of salt in desert climates, on a shelf perch or on the floor as another option for the bird to perch and feak on. Placing a window perch about 18" from the window gives her a way to look out of she wants, but keeps her far enough away from the wall that she will likely not damage her feathers.'
'Mews should have windows, primarily for ventilation. As humans, they would design windows for their comfort with large expanses of open view, however the bird's needs are slightly different. First, the windows need bars to prevent the bird from getting out and other animals from getting in. Most birds want to be able to escape and to hide. Mews windows can help her achieve the feeling of hiding by having slats that appear to be solid wall from certain angles. The ventilation will help air exchange, keep the mews fresh, prevent mold from taking hold, and allow moisture and mute to dry quickly.'
'Consider which direction the window will face. A southwardly facing window will bring in much direct sunlight and allow the bird to bask, however if that is the direction of winds or rain, then shutters may be appropriate or a mews which faces another direction, or vents placed in particular areas around the mews to allow the proper amount of cross ventilation. some birds are ok with large windows (24"x24") others need smaller windows to prevent bating. Larger windows may make a weathering yard completely unnecessary. Some falconers put an open strip all along the bottom of the mews to allow air exchange and the bird to view the outside if she wishes, but to increase her sense that she can "get up" and hide in the corners. Some birds prefer perches in front of the window, others do not. Consider amount of light to be let in, angle of sun, and wind direction. For mews bars, thick walled metal bar will hold almost any bird in and will not rot although it may be come brittle in cold weather or as it ages. However even the thick walled bar will flex beyond what some falconers are comfortable with. If one is using wood slats, anything from a 1"x2" to a 1"x6" will work. Mews bars for a Red-Tail sized bird should have no more than 1.75" of open space between the bars. Ideally there would be only 1.5" of open space between the bars. For a mews to hold any bird from a kestrel on up, it should have no more than 3/4" of open space between the bars.'
'An additional advantage is that from an angle the bars block the visual allowing the bird not to see some things that may alarm her, and keeping her more private and unbothered by onlookers. Also consider screening the window to prevent mosquitoes and bees from entering the mews. This will reduce the probability of a bee stinging Ascen's bird. If the boy plans on feeding meat in the mews, consider the early spring when wasps and yellowjackets are searching for meats and attracted to this. Either a fully enclosed mews or a change in the feeding pattern can prevent attracting a nest to be built next to his mews, and help reduce the chance that the boy's bird is stung. Creating window insets allows a window to be fully blocked if necessary in case of storm or need for greater privacy such as breeding. For a management setup with the bird in the house, some birds are fine without any modification to the home.'
Last edited by
Ascen on August 3rd, 2016, 8:40 am, edited 1 time in total.