What is the rule or guide to housing new birds with old ones? I have a year old Male Harris which is a great little bird, and I would like to get another to keep him company, probably another harris, but as big a male as I can get. this will be in December now as the chick has only just hatched. I only have a small avery, and I am concerned about putting an immature bird in with a seasoned hunter on hunting weight what do you think??.. Cheers mark
Harris hawks like to see each other, but if you have got them at hunting weight, then keep them tied far enough apart that they can't reach each other. This normally means that you have to have a substantial mews, of you will need to partition your existing one if it is too small to keep them that far apart.
A friend had just taught his kestrel to wait on, when his peregrine got loose and ATE it... not a happy camper as you can imagine.
Obviously Harris's are different in temperament, but I have seen another friends female harris take down her own brother and pin him down, fortunately she was removed before she started plucking!!!
Yes I did mean free lofting, I was hoping that after a period of Bowing them down to get used to each other it would then be possible to free loft together. The Avery is 8'6''X 7' X 7'6'' High. Maybe I would need to think again as to wether the idea of a second bird is possible.
I certainly would not recommend getting a second bird to keep the other company.
If you're socialising with and flying your bird on a regular basis, then this is all he will need. While not hunting, wild birds sleep anyway.
Although Harris's are sociable birds, I think that this would end in disaster and large vet bills for one or both of the birds.
It would be my advice to keep the set up you have.
I have my parent reared, hunting harris on his own, loose in an aviary but regularly bring him into the living room on a bow. He gets to watch Corrie and socialise with the family, the dog and the cats! He's more than happy and I believe that this has helped cement the bond between us.
have seen it done with harrises before without too much bother obviously the scrap but nowt serious went to a blokes house a couple of years ago n he had quail,2spars,2buzzards,a tawny,and abarn owl as well as chickens all in the same avairy not much bigger than your living room lol made me laugh. just goes to show anythings possible
all the best rob
ps forgot to mention the birds i saw was 2 females one 7 the other a first year bird
