Reborn in the 1980s: I made my fortune hunting wild game in Changbai Mountain

The black gyrfalcons in the outermost eagle enclosure are sub-adult gyrfalcons that were bred this spring. They are all well-fed and healthy, and because they haven't paired up yet, they are currently living together.

Four black falcons perched in a row on the falcon platform, providing a significant sensory experience for visitors.

"Beautiful! Are these fledglings that just bred this year? There are four black ones!!"

Evan's eyes were practically watering as he looked at the fledgling eagle. He couldn't resist and turned to Yue Feng to ask him a question.

Yue Feng nodded: "That's right! These are four black falcons from the same nest! Two males and two females, they haven't mated yet, so they're kept in one eagle house!"

"Are all the newly bred foals this year black? As far as I know, a normal gyrfalcon breeding season only produces four to five offspring at a time!" Robert couldn't help but interject with a question.

After listening, Yue Feng shook his head: "No, my main breeding group of falcons consists of a black female gyrfalcon and a white male gyrfalcon!"
Their offspring can be black or white!

The reason why this eagle enclosure is only black is due to space limitations, plus conscious color management!

In fact, this spring, through some technical means, I raised seven eaglets from my brood to adulthood in good health. The other three white gyrfalcons nearby are also their offspring, born of the same parents!

Seven??

Upon hearing Yue Feng utter this number, Evan, who prided himself on being an expert in raptor breeding, gasped and subconsciously exchanged a glance with Allen.

Upon hearing this information, Allen looked confused. Although their Peregrine Foundation had overcome the technical hurdle of artificial breeding of birds of prey, it was still a relatively short time, and they were still accumulating and making breakthroughs in many professional details.

Allen swallowed hard and asked, "Mr. Yue Feng, would you mind discussing the special technology you mentioned earlier?"

A healthy pair of breeding gyrfalcons typically lays four to five eggs, which is considered very good! How did you manage to produce seven eaglets in your brood?!

Yue Feng grinned: "Under normal circumstances, it is indeed difficult for a clutch to lay seven eggs, but there are ways! This involves my technical secrets, so I can't tell you all. Please understand!"

If it were someone from his own club asking this question, Yue Feng wouldn't hold back. But when it comes to a group of Americans like Evan, Yue Feng isn't so easy to talk to.

These foreigners are very pragmatic. Since they asked a serious question, it means they haven't mastered the technique of hiding eggs to make birds of prey lay more eggs. It's not wrong to refuse by using the excuse of technical secrets.

"I see, alright! I wonder if we could call the eagle over so we can admire it up close!"

Evan was a little disappointed at not getting an answer, but he managed to hide his displeasure well and moved on to make his next request.

Yue Feng nodded: "Wait a moment, I'll go get some meat!"

After saying this, Yue Feng turned and went to the storage room, where he took a small bowl of meat for feeding the eagles from the shelf.

Having obtained the meat, Yue Feng returned, clutching a slice in one hand, and stood at the cage entrance, whistling and shouting, "Big Hair!!"

The largest black female falcon, upon hearing the whistle and its owner calling its name, immediately fluffed up its feathers into a ball.

In less than two seconds, it shook itself off and flew directly towards Yue Feng, landing without hesitation on Yue Feng's arm where he was holding the meat.

Gaa gaa gaa!

Da Mao barked loudly at Yue Feng as if he knew it all too well, then bent down to tear the meat from Yue Feng's hand.

While Da Mao was eating meat, the group stared intently at the closed silver leg ring on Da Mao's leg from the doorway.

Yue Feng knew that Evan and the others wanted to verify Da Mao's information through the closed silver anklets on his legs, so he simply carried Da Mao out of the cage and let everyone see it openly.

Da Mao received the most mature dual-signature training from a young age, so he is not afraid of people at all. Moreover, his daily training and feeding have always reinforced his commands such as whistles and names, so he is not timid at all now. He is a healthy and well-fed sub-adult falcon.

Evan leaned closer to examine the numbers and related information on the closed-loop ring, then nodded.

"This black female eagle is very well cared for! If I'm not mistaken, she probably weighs close to two kilograms?"

Yue Feng nodded: "Pretty much. Eagles of this black griffin lineage tend to be relatively large, with females generally weighing over two kilograms!"

"What if it's a male falcon?"

"The male falcon is smaller, weighing between two and eight or nine ounces and a little over three pounds!"

As Yue Feng answered, he put the large falcon, which had finished eating, back into its cage and called out to the other falcon, which was about half a size smaller.

"Sanmao, come here!"

Sanmao immediately flew onto Yuefeng's arm and then repeated the process of close observation.

“Excellent, very excellent! Whether male or female, the black gyrfalcons are perfect in terms of body condition, skeletal structure, and even their level flight posture!” Allen whispered to Robert in English.

Although Yue Feng couldn't understand the detailed English, he could tell from their repeated nodding that the other party was quite satisfied.

"Now that you've seen this year's Blackhawks, take a look at the white ones from the same nest! If you're considering introducing new breeds, this will be your pool of falcon options for exchange!"

After feeding Sanmao, Yue Feng stroked the eagle's head feathers and returned it to its cage.

Upon hearing the implication in Yue Feng's words, Evan's expression changed: "This... We've come all this way, does Mr. Yue Feng not intend to trade or exchange the black-type spear falcon this time?"

Yue Feng shook his head: "I'm really sorry, but I don't currently have enough black eagles to breed enough for a basic number of eagles! So I can't cooperate with you in introducing or trading them!"
If you're looking to introduce or trade them, you could consider white gyrfalcons, which also have black falcon lineage. Pairing them up and breeding can also yield black-blooded gyrfalcon chicks!

"Well... let's wait and see!"

Evan was a little disappointed after hearing this, but he still forced himself to follow Yue Feng to see the eagle enclosure next door.

In the eagle house next door were three white gyrfalcons, two females and one male, all with the same closed leg bands. Yue Feng used the same trick again, calling the eagles to his hands so that the guests could examine the details up close.

Objectively and fairly, the offspring of Black Hawk and White Spear have perfect genes, and their offspring are top-notch in all aspects.

However, with the impression of the Black Falcon in mind, these white offspring were viewed through a different lens, and Evan and the other two Americans' interest noticeably waned.

Yue Feng pretended not to notice the change in their expressions and continued to politely introduce the situation, providing the necessary information to the people behind him.

After viewing the first two eagle enclosures, the eagles that followed were either paired or free-range adults. Among these eagles, those that had been paired beforehand were kept together, while those that hadn't yet paired lived in individual enclosures. Throughout the visit, the eagles appeared to be in excellent condition and healthy.

"Are these all young, lone falcons?"

“Yes, a two-year-old falcon will definitely be paired up next spring! As long as the pairing is successful, they can start trying to breed! Female falcons take two to three years to reach sexual maturity, while male falcons basically reach that in about two years!” Yue Feng explained with a smile.

“Your data is very accurate. The data we get from our breeding farm is basically the same!” Robert nodded after listening.

Yue Feng stretched out his arm and pointed forward, saying, "Look further ahead, this spring I also obtained a nest of hybrid falcons! They are offspring of a gyrfalcon and an Altai falcon!"

"A hybrid falcon resulting from the Altaic falcon and the gyrfalcon?" Upon hearing this information, Evan's interest was instantly piqued.

The Altai falcon is a relatively uncommon falcon in the raptor world, with limited literature and records, and its habitat is quite narrow, so many industry professionals have only heard of it.

Unexpectedly, Yue Feng possessed an Altai falcon, and even more unexpectedly, he successfully hybridized it and produced offspring.

"Yes, the female falcon is a wild-caught Altai falcon, and the male is a second-generation white gyrfalcon! Their offspring also have some black falcon blood!"

"How are the offspring of the hybrid falcon performing? Let's take a look!"

"Haha, the cages are right ahead!"

Yue Feng quickly opened the cage of the hybrid falcons, and the several hybrid falcons that had not yet been separated into their own cages all started cawing at him.

Among them, the smallest one, the one that Yue Feng cherished the most, was not raised with its brothers and sisters from the same litter. Instead, Yue Feng placed it in a separate room in the empty cage next door.

The plumage, skeletal structure, body proportions, and cere and iris colors of these hybrid falcons are all subtly different from those of purebred gyrfalcon chicks.

In particular, the large nostrils, a distinctive feature of the Altai falcon, are very prominent in these hybrid falcons.

Yue Feng held a hybrid falcon in his hand and then showed it to Evan and the others.

Evan and Allen exchanged a glance; both of them were captivated by the hybrid falcons.

If a choice had to be made between the white gyrfalcon and the hybrid falcon, the hybrid falcon with Altai falcon lineage would be an excellent alternative for this introduction.

The advantage of black gyrfalcons lies in their uniqueness and rarity, while hybrid falcons with Altai falcon lineage are not only rare in lineage, but also more practical in special circumstances than gyrfalcons.

For example, when dealing with customers in the Middle East, hybrid falcons of the Altai falcon lineage have a significant advantage, since they have larger nostrils and are much more heat-resistant than purebred gyrfalcons.

If they are selectively bred and cultivated, after several generations of development, it is possible to obtain hybrid falcon offspring with stronger heat resistance, which is the favorite of those Middle Eastern dog enthusiasts.

Of course, the cunning Evan even considered more possibilities.

For example, by crossbreeding black-feathered gyrfalcons with offspring of Altai falcons, black-feathered hybrid falcons can be obtained. This combines the double benefits of feather color and heat resistance, resulting in a higher potential.

"Tsk tsk, no wonder it's a hybrid falcon! It's really beautiful!! Look at its special plumage, the pattern is clearly different from that of a purebred gyrfalcon!" Evan stared at the eagle in front of him and couldn't help but exclaim.

At this moment, Zhang Chaochao couldn't help but interject, "That's for people like you who specialize in breeding. For enthusiasts like us, it's not so easy to tell the difference!"

"The most obvious difference is in the patterns on the tail feathers! The purebred gyrfalcon has crescent-shaped patterns, while the hybrid falcon's are flat!"

Mr. Yue Feng, could you show us the breeding birds of this brood of eaglets? I've never seen a purebred Altai falcon before!

Evan pointed to one of the feathers, explaining as he made a new request.

Yue Feng readily agreed: "Of course, that falcon is also in my breeding ground! However, this breeding eagle that has paired up is a wild individual, and its affinity is not as good as these chicks. I can't guarantee that it will be able to handle the chicks for everyone to see up close when it hears the command!"

"It's alright, we just want to see what a proper Altai falcon looks like!"

Soon, Yue Feng led them around the little one's individual cage and arrived at the eagle enclosure where the Altai Falcon and White Spear lived.

Yue Feng hadn't interacted with the Altaic falcon for a while, but unexpectedly, after half a year, the falcon still recognized him.

"Caw caw caw caw caw!" The gray falcon perched on its platform, raised its tail at Yue Feng, and let out a series of loud caw caw caws.

"Hey, you still recognize me! Little Grey, come here!"

Yue Feng grinned, blew his whistle to reveal his flesh, and the gray falcon quickly jumped onto Yue Feng's arm.

"This falcon is so smart! Its plumage does look quite different from the Inner Mongolian subspecies of saker falcon!" Feng Huanping couldn't help but exclaim from the side.

Yue Feng stroked the gray falcon's breast, and the little guy swallowed a piece of meat in a few bites. Then, with its feathers fluffy, it perched on Yue Feng's arm, looking quite relaxed.

“This is an adult Altai falcon! Its color is slightly lighter than that of a saker falcon, its nostrils are wider, and its overall head proportions are also slightly more robust!” Evan and his two companions whispered to each other as they observed.

"This falcon is very bold. I brought it back last winter, and it quickly became a coiled bird! I haven't seen it much in the last six months, but I didn't expect it to still recognize me!"

Yue Feng was also very happy and took out another piece of meat to feed Xiao Hui.

"I heard about the falcon being caught in the nets in Hebei, but unfortunately, I don't know anything about it!"

Master Niu, who had been following behind Feng Huanping without saying a word, said with regret in his eyes.

Feng Huanping was quite optimistic. He grinned and said, "Haha, even if we buy it at a high price, we'll just be raising it to catch rabbits or something. Its true value will only be realized with Xiaofeng!"

"I guess I got lucky. I originally thought it was a gyrfalcon, but it wasn't when I saw the real thing! This kind of falcon is very rare in our country!" Yue Feng said casually.

With drool dripping from his mouth, Evan said, "Mr. Yue Feng, the falcon resources you have are truly enviable! This Altai falcon, which can be paired for breeding, would be worth a fortune in the United States!"

Yue Feng chuckled: "Haha, Mr. Evan, there are too few hybrid falcon samples, so we're not considering a deal for now."

Let's go take another look at the white gyrfalcons. There are a few three-year-old second-generation gyrfalcons over there that haven't paired up yet, and they've all learned hunting skills. Perhaps you could consider them! (End of Chapter)