I thought a lot about whether should I take and share photos about this, but I decided to do it. Maybe there is a vet (or someone with the same or similar experience) on the Hive blockchain too. I already wrote to a vet on the Facebook Messenger, but he have not seen my message so far. I sent a few photos to him too. I have not posted these photos on Reddit so far, because currently I do not have a Reddit account.
The vet is far away from me, working in a wild bird hospital, but I really hope that someone will be able to take my Harris's hawk to a vet in the next few days. The postwoman offered a car transfer, and she also said that she will asks vets in the nearby. Maybe the bird hospitals will also have volunteers for a car transport, seeing how bad is the current condition of my bird.
My current condition of my bird:
Many of her feathers fallen out (especially on/around her crop), but fortunately/luckily there is no wound on her. He looks very tired almost constantly in the previous few days, but she have good appetite (she eat 15-20 gramm of meat per day), and she is tame, and she jump/fly to my arm.
But something is certainly not right. I currently do not know what can cause this. Multiple people mentioned that probably this is caused by some kind of infection. There was a mouse in the house approximately one week ago. We sat. Probably it was from that mouse. At first we thought about a rat attack, but there is no wound on my Harris's hawk.
I really hope that soon a vet will be able to check her. And I also hope that this is not so bad as it looks.
Either way, yesterday (on 2023.01.25) I talked to @guiltyparties on Discord, and he transferred $100 HBD to cover gasoline/diesel cost of the car transfer. Thank you so much again for the help/support.
If I will have any news, then I will write about it.
Have a nice day. All the best. Greetings and much love from Hungary.
Hey there. The overall bad state of the plummage and the overgrown beak suggest poor nutrition (lack of proper calcium:phosphorus imbalance, hipovitaminoses), and the crop seems distended, especially on your last photo; if the photo wasn't taken after a meal, that can mean some problam can be happening on that department as well. Nutrition and ectoparasites can also be responsible for that loss off feathers you're noting. Unfortunately, apart from correcting eventual nutritional imbalances (again, just guessing, since I don't know what you feed her normally), there's not much you can do withouth taking her to a vet. Some conditions may look bad and actually be easy to correct (such as parasites) but without a diagnosis, it's just a game of guessing... and that normally doesn't end well for the bird. Hope everything goes well with your Hawk!
Hello. Thank you for the detailed opinion. I feed her various meats (for example chicken and pigeon), and sometimes I add a Lavet calcium tablet to her food. I will take my bird to a vet as soon as possible.
Try to also feed whole prey if possible; remember, in the wild they eat the whole animal and not just lean meat. Viscera and organs are also a good source of nutrients, liver is a good source of vitamin A. Best of luck.
Today, in addition to a chicken wing, I gave her almost 20 dkg of turkey liver (with one Lavet calcium tablet). She liked it very much. She took it from my hand, chirping, and ate it very quickly.
Thank you for the advices.
Approximately 15 minutes ago I posted news about her: Two telephone calls, and a condition update (2023.01.27).
Have a nice day and have a nice weekend.
All the best. Greetings and much love from Hungary.
Also try a uv lamp for her to bask under as they need it to utilize calcium. I learned this from raising a goldfinch. I used an avian basking light https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-AvianSun-Compact-Fluorescent/dp/B000KH9S88
@xrayman @pardinus can you take a look?
Any ideas what is wrong with her?
Hello everyone!
Yes, it's true that I'm a Veterinarian, but I work in the Radiology Department on a Small Animal Hospital. So, my diagnosis, and expertise it's worthless in the @xplosive hawk health condition. I only know that some birds, and virtually all the animals that are kept in captive, the carer must be very attentive with the environment conditions (food, light, temperature, etc), besides the prophylactic measurements...
My advise to you, @xplosive is to take your hawk to a wild birds recovery center (not sure about the "name" of this institution). Her condition looks quit poor, in fact. Here in Portugal, in some areas, the animals are carried to those centers once they are placarded. Try to find one of those centers, and call them. Maybe they can offer your hawk a chance to get better.
Hope that she gets well soon!
These are called bird hospitals in my country (in Hungary). Currently I know only two of these in my country, but both of these are far away from me. I will talk to more people. Hopefully somewhere they can help her, and hopefully I can arrange the car transport there.
Thank you for the advice.
Try to contact the Bird Hospital, and listen to what they propose you. Maybe you don't have to take by yourself your animal, and maybe that have means to pick her at your place.
I remember saying, months ago, that you were not caring for the bird correctly and that you should let it fly free. Now it looks in bad shape and will probably die. In my country this bird would be removed from your possession and you would be fined for animal cruelty.
I feel sorry for the bird which has not known the freedom it deserves. 😥
I cannot free fly her legally in my country (in Hungary) without a hunter and a falconry exam and license. Otherwise I would have already done it. I do what I can. I am learning for the exam since 2022 November. I really hope that my bird will not die.
No, you misunderstand me...I mean the bird should not be in your possession, you are incapable of caring for it, that's abundantly clear.
I hope the animal welfare people remove it from your possession.
Should I break the local law, and free fly her illegally? Or what do you expect from me? I really try to learn for the exam, and do it legally. I feed her various meet every day, and sometimes I add a Lavet calcium tablet to her food. There is always fresh water for her. I regularly walk with her outside, so she get fresh air and sunshine too. She probably received some kind of infection from the mouse we saw approximately one week ago. There was no problem with her before that. I/we (my brother and me) really do not have control over what is happening, when we are not home.
I don't understand why you're having trouble comprehending what I'm saying here.
I'm not talking about you breaking the law to fly the bird. I'm talking about you owning the bird and letting it get in that condition. It's irresponsible. It's animal cruelty.
YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THAT BIRD AT ALL TIMES.
The fact you make excuses for not caring for it further underlines my point. You are ill-equipped to care for the bird, so it should be taken from you and I hope it is.
You're going to disagree with me if course, and that's ok...but what I see is someone who is not caring for the bird and that is animal cruelty.
I have not made excuse for nothing. I do everything I can for my bird. Even if you do not see it. But no one can be with their bird (or with any other animal) at all times (0-24). I still spend most of the day with her. Currently I do not even have a part time job. It is not the owner's fault if his/her bird get an infection from another small animal, like a mouse or a rat. It can occur even on the field.
Many animals, birds included, wash/preen themselves too much, so that feathers or fur fall out, when they are bored or stressed. Does your bird get enough exercise? Enough and varied food? A calm and quiet place to itself, where it can feel safe?
She regularly fly (mostly to my arm) in the room. I often feed her on my arm. To fly her outside in my country (in Hungary), I would need a hunter and a falconry exam/licence. Maybe this is different in other countries.
She eats multiple types of meat (for example chicken, pigeon, quail) every day. She have a good appetite. She usually eat 15-20 gramm of meat every day. Sometimes I add a Lavet calcium tablet to her food.
The room is quiet and safe. I often take her on my arm to walk with her outside in the garden, but she is also often alone in the room. Mostly when we (my brother and me) are not home. We saw a mouse in the room approximately one week ago, and the problems started a few days after that.
It's probably the same everywhere. Try to get a licence. She is a hunting bird, and needs both the physical and mental exercise of flying and trying to catch prey.
Actually I am already trying to learn for the hunter exam. It is very hard. I was at a training course in 2022 November. I am trying to learn for the hunter exam since then.
That's great! Even if it's hard, I am sure you'll succeed 👍
I'm no expert but as previously mentioned, it could be boredom as you have mentioned your bird is often on it's own, habit or perhaps mites. I'm afraid I'd be bored if I was sat in a room on my own.