my first catch

[stubby 175]

some of you may remember I was a guinea pig in making one of johnb's larsen traps via instructions, well I thought I did a good job with it, but on setting it the first week or so, saw nothing going near it, and so it stayed, bunged up on top of the ferret court

 

 

well, since then, I have built another enclosure on the side of the chicken coupe, to hold a duck (cambell) and another chicken (silky) and today, the missus comented on how the magpie's were getting a bit to close, either stealing the chicken pellets, or trying for the young silky, so thought I'd give the larsen another go, setting it up inside the duck coupe, I made a false straw nest with 2 chicken eggs, and forgot about it, until going down to feed the ferrets around 8pm, and noticed both!! doors shut, on looking found two very wet magpies, although these are clearly youngsters, will they be ok as call birds?

have seperated them, one in the larsen call bird section, with food and water inside my shed for tonight, as the weather is terrible, the other is in a cage in the kitchen, my missus wants to keep it as a pet

 

are call birds left outside with foxes around?, as we have one or two that visit the garden

 

[stubby 175]

the pair;

 

[Hob&Jill 258]

Is there any water in there with them stubby?

[scothunter 12,609]

Is there any water in there with them stubby?

 

Aye there in his shed with food and water you been smoking the weed again hob lol

[wasp 0]

RESPONDING ON HUBBY STUBBYS ABSENCE........... Yes they have water and bit of meat and some chicken pellets as they seem to like them! one bird seems bigger than the other but still both youngsters, One of my friends years ago kept one as a pet and even taught it to speak and i've always wanted one as a pet but am wondering if the laws allow it

[ferreter216 0]

well done

good job

[john b 38]

Well done Stubby - about time too

And very well done for getting them out of the wet - does show the need for regular checks as you were doing.

 

They will be fine as call birds but personally I would keep the smaller one. My experience is that they are more effective somehow.

 

As for pets ? I don't think it's legal to make any wild bird captive as a pet, although, as in the case of call birds, the law make some exceptions for specific purposes.

[Holdaway 2]

John. Is it possible to keep the smaller one for a call bird and also as a regular pet? When not in use as a call bird it could be kept in an aviary?

 

I'm not too sure how long they last as call birds even with sufficient food and water.

 

H

[masmiffy 82]

Nice looking trap mate!

Had both a maggie and jackdaw as 'pets' when I was young!

Magpie drowned in a waterbutt!

Must have seen its reflection and thought it was an intruder?

Dont think you can keep them now though.

 

Seem to remember the old fellas used to split the tongues to help them talk?

[stubby 175]

well magpie number 3 was caught today, am keeping the first two as call birds, seperatly of course, so I can swop them over weekly, untill we get the full pack, have seen around 7 to 8, so a little way to go yet

 

 

 

[john b 38]

John. Is it possible to keep the smaller one for a call bird and also as a regular pet? When not in use as a call bird it could be kept in an aviary?

 

I'm not too sure how long they last as call birds even with sufficient food and water.

 

H

 

 

I do not believe you could legally keep one as a pet. However a small stock of call birds, to be used in rotation, could in my view be kept quite legally in a suitably sized aviary.

[wasp 0]

Noisy blighters aint they! and it's the smallest one making all the row...

[stubby 175]

going good so far, maggy number 4

 

[richie 1]

going good so far, maggy number 4

 

 

 

good going.....

 

how many call birds have you got ?

[stubby 175]

of course richie,

 

thats 10 ferrets your picking up, minus 1 my missus is gonna have, plus the extra one (dark poley) your taking back, plus your dropping a mole off, oh and you can take the maggy in the front room