This 7/8 Gyr was the last we raised our own way. He was perfect, and probably would be with us still. But a supposedly experienced falconer, a biologist, begged us to let him “start” the bird on game. In a week he fed it a bridge pigeon and killed it– but he didn’t tell us for a month.I was so depressed I didn’t even tell the breeder, who probably thinks that we’re the idiots. It was the last Gyr, my favorite species, I felt able to keep up with — Gyr flights can easily go four miles on Lee’s ranch. He was a good bird. We have raised little birds this way too.
Excuse my ignorance, but what's a bridge pigeon? (Just so I don't eat one too…)
Just a street pigeon from under a bridge, caught and fed to the Gyr, a species always immunologically innocent, especially in its first year. We usually "fog" first year Gyrs with fungal preventatives. The disease-ridden birds were fed straight out of the wild without any medicines or precautions, I hear he also lost a Gyr/Merlin. An apprentice should have known better never mind a master falconer and biologist.
That sucks!