BLUE FALCON - MARK ROBB
Breeding
Breeding
|
BLUE FALCON - MARK ROBB Breeding |
|
| RETURN TO HOME PAGE |
|||
|
Each season I produce a limited number of high quality hunting falcons through natural reproduction and artificial insemination. The breeding stock, carefully selected from a variety of bloodlines throughout the world, are recognized for their performance in the field, colour, size, configuration and temperament. At present I have bloodlines originating from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Canada, the United States, New Founland and Russia |
| ||
BREEDING STOCK For over 20 years I have carefully selected breeding stock from a variety of the finest bloodlines around the world. Falcons are chosen because they possess special characteristics, such as morphological traits or temperament, or because they have shown outstanding performance in the field. Each season I select new falcons for imprinting or to establish naturally breeding pairs. |
|||
  |
|||
|
|||
|
NATURAL PAIRS Individual falcons are carefully selected and paired together in specially designed skylight and seclusion aviaries. Eggs produced by naturally breeding falcons usually have a higher percentage fertility and hatchability than those produce by AI. Gyrfalcons, peregrines and gyr / sakers are produced from naturally breeding pairs. Although considered to be separate species, gyrfalcons and sakers hybridize naturally in captivity producing fertile offspring for an indefinite number of generations. Indeed some ornithologists and taxonomists believe that these two species naturally hybridize in the wild to produce gyr / sakers hybrids in the Altai mountains known as “Altai Falcons”. Although this natural hybridization is uncertain, it is true to say that gyrs and sakers are very closely related and have descended from a common ancestor and, together with luggers and lanners, form a super species known as the desert or great falcons. Gyrfalcons and peregrines, on the other hand, are not as closely related and hybrids between these two species are usually produced via AI techniques. Gyr / peregrine hybrids are infertile. However, male gyr / peregrines can produce moderate quality semen. Indeed there have been some reports of male gyr / peregrines successfully breeding with wild female peregrines. Although I believe that hybridization occurs naturally in the wild, and at a level greater than originally thought, falconers and falcon breeders must act responsibly when flying these types of hybrids and take precautions to prevent their accidental lost, such as using telemetry. |
|||
 INCUBATIONFalcon eggs are incubated using three different methods: 1. Natural incubation with falcons, 2. Semi-natural incubation with bantams. 3. Artificial incubation in incubators. Eggs are carefully monitored for weight loss and during hatching. |
|||
REARING
|
|||
ATION (AI)
