How and Why, I Raise Rats for Birds of Prey - learn why rats are good as a food source for raptors.

Viewer discretion is advised...
In the video I mention that I got bit on my right ring finger. This is the first time I have been bitten in over a year, from a female protecting her pups. Most rats are not aggressive! Every once in awhile you will come across an aggressive rat, and for me they need to go visit the owl pen.
In this video watch a falcon devour a rat and learn how I set up and house my rat breeding colony. Learn and see how I set up a rat breeding colony for my birds of prey. I explain why rats are an economical good source of food for all sorts of animals to include reptiles.
See behind the scenes set-up for providing food for captive birds of prey.
Animal husbandry such as housing materials are shown.
Raising rats is not for everyone, some prefer to just purchase frozen rats from a producer, in this video I talk about nutrition and proper feeding of the rats to obtain maximum nutrition value.
Those who keep certain reptiles or other animals that would benefit from eating rats could learn something from this video.
I am not promoting a particular company in this video; you can search rat housing containers if needed.
Please do not forget to hit the like button, and please subscribe I try to post a new video each Thursday of the week.
Thank you..
Falcon Quest - Birds of Prey

[@rhondadole5806]

I loved how you showed how the falcon ate in slow motion at the beginning of the video.

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

Thank you, slow motion helps see more clearly what is taking place for sure.

[@moritzlaszlo3115]

A really informative video! I keep snakes and there are a lot of good videos abute rodent breeding out there. Maybe african soft furred rats are interesting for you as well? They are a bit smaller but they have a lot of advantages over Norwegian rats: -they smell less -they have much bigger litters -the females rais each others offspring -they are very high in protein Greetings from Germany

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

Thank you for the comments and glad you enjoyed this video. I have read about the African rats, haven't had a chance to experience them yet in my area. No doubt about it no matter what version of rat being used, they have great potential and beneficial as a healthy food source. Great to hear from you in Germany. Danke, Auf Wiedersehen

[@markovasic1107]

What is the way to humanly dispatch rats when harvesting? I have saker falcon and researched what are the best food source for raptors. It is pigeons and rats. I don't have room for pigeons but rats seem like a good option.

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

Rats are really easy keepers and reproduction rates are hard to beat, much more than pigeons. You can search online for methods of humanly dispatching them for the harvest. One way is to use what I think is carbon dioxide, just basically puts them to sleep. There are other methods the key is for it to be quick. Some say a quick blow to the head. You will have to research and find the way that works best for you. Bottom line for me is that it is that done quickly. I have a separate freezer just for food items for my birds of prey.

[@liviut.7919]

Do you feed rats to owl? to long eard owl

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

Rodents such as mice and rats are very nutritional and natural foods for owl species. I would say that rats make up about 60-70% of the diet of my owls.

[@johnlindsay8630]

Can you feed rats to falcons periodically?

[@falconquest-birdsofprey7326]

I have fed rats periodically to my falcons for a few years. In fact, I feel that they help nutritionally. Even in the wild many falcons will periodically feed upon mammalian quarry. Prairie falcons in the USA checking off and flying a cottontail rabbit as an example. Some falcons such as the gyr, saker, lanner, prairie, and such actually make mammals as part of the diet. I personally believe that a varied diet is good for birds of prey. Feeding packaged frozen quail is a staple for most falcons in captivity, but that becomes a mono nutritionally sourced diet. I am a firm believer of variety nutritional sources to include sources from the wild who are feeding on an assortment of items in the wild. Domestically raised rats is part of what I put in my bird's menu of food.

[@maksymnovytskyi8786]

I raise pigeons