This was her second hunt to a quail. As long as she is at a good flying weight she responds very fast. After two years of hunting vigerously in a desert - I think she is appreciating being brought to food by a falconer [8D]
The rabbit was a bit harder for her to bring down then a quail - quail she just pops the head off and it's over. Last quail she swallowed the entire head. A falcon, like most raptors eats very fast and fills a crop up before the food enters the stomach. Once in a secure area they begin to digest - and several hours later they spit up undigestable items like feathers and bone in a cast.
It is currently the offseason and she will soon begin to shed her wings (showing some signs of it now) and the day time temperature will get around 110-130. So for now, I get her prey from a local animal market - but by the late summer, early fall... she will be more than ready for free flight hunts. She is fed primarily with frozen pigeon and quail - both very nutritious. When I first got her I fed her a lot of beef steak - but she is much more submissive in training to the quail and pigeon. I hear raptors love egg yolk - but I haven't tried that yet...
HELP - need raptor forum interests! PLZ
Ever since I started letting her chase game, she has been very eager during the evenings to see me... during her scheduled feedings... the last few days she has been a bit vocal - almost like she is begging... and very alert.
