# How do you manage dead birds?



## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

If they are really nasty then don't use them. By really nasty I mean guts hanging out. Beyond that don't worry about it. It's gross but if you're going to do field work, time to get over it. Just use them the way you would otherwise.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I had one that just kept bleeding but since I really don't have that many what I did was freeze it, thaw it, change the newspaper it was wrapped in and repeat the process several times. The newspaper caught the blood and was disposed of.

It was early summer so the process went fairly quickly, and I did not want my dogs handling (or mis-handling) bloody birds. But, my dogs are not that experienced and I wanted a goodly amount of bird work done before possibly creating a problem because of a bloody bird.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Sunrise--thanks I will try wrapping them.

K9Design--you are right. I haven't been bothered by it until now--mostlynow because it feels nasty to have duck blood on your hands and then use those hands to put your whistle in your mouth. Plus, I haven't had such bloody birds before (although guts are inside).


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ducktape? cute pun!

The first time Tito retrieved a shot flier it bled all over his face and down his legs. I thought he had cut himself on something and I was mortified. It was just bird blood!


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Just use them frozen. 
They'll thaw a bit during your training session (enough for dog work). Take em home and throw them back in the freezer so they're ready for your next session.

(The only birds we use in a non-frozen form are live flyers.)


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Good practice for when you get a flyer in a test--they can really get you messy depending on how they've been shot.

We keep our training birds until they are practically falling apart. I figure if they will pick up nasty, stinky, green or bloody birds in training they will have faced just about every thing they might encounter in a test. The birds are supposed to be fresh at a test, but sometimes on a really hot day they are getting pretty disgusting by the end of the event.


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