Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HI! I found a beautiful crow with a broken wing. Other then that, he is very healthy and eats a cup of food a day. I feed him semi'cooked ground beef, alpo canned dog food, skimmed milk powder, grated soy cheese, hard boilded eggs, wheat germ, corn, peas, beans, crickets, vitamin C, calcium powder, bread crums, and rice all blended together. He drinks a lot as well. I have read on various sites that if you tape the wing in a natural posistion instead of hanging down, it should heal. DO you you think so? I cant take him to the vet, because they put pests to sleep, and I think he was raised by humans, because he is quite tame and knows the up command. What should I do? Its illegal to have him, but I belong to a animal rights group and we do education...should i get a lisence and use him for education if the wing heals wrong? WHat should I do for his wing? HELP

Hrmm - Well, first off, Without proper vet care, you are not even giving his wing a chance to heal - haveing an animal with a broken bone, and not takeing it for medical attention, no matter the species, is plain out animal abuse. No other words for it.

He is most likely "tame" becaus he is in shock -

Second, to posses a crow for educational purposes, its alot more then a liscance. You would need to be a rehabilatator. Belonging to a "animal rights group" will hold absolutely no water, and I personally can not see where haveing a crow as a pet, or for educational purposes, and anything regarding "animal rights" coincide at all -

The nicest, most humane, and smartest thing you can do for that bird is give it to a liscanced wild life rehabilatator, who can give the animal the care it requires, and hopefully nurse it to health for its eventuall realese, back to being the wild animal it is -

Please do the right thing.

Raven -

K, One I am not abusing the bird. I did what the vet said. I have it splinted against his body in a natural posistion. I have him in a large cage and have good food for him. He is not in shock. He was in the wild for a few days before I caught him and was very wild for the first few days. He now jumps onto my hand on command. THe vet knows we have him , but they told us that they put crows and magpies to sleep, so I cant bring him in. You Do need just a liscence in my province...we have crappy laws. They are easy to get as well, and we could build him an aviary if it didnt heal well, but I think it will. Please do not suggest I abuse animals, as i protest against that very thingg, ad I have taken care of many injured wildlife succesfully.

Well, if all you need is a liscance, you must not be in the USA - Sorry for assuming you were, as our laws here, along with those in canada and in some of mexico (the migratory bird treaty) do not allow the keeping of migratory birds, which includes crows, ravens, and magpies. You need a rebilatators liscance to do so, or, I believe, a specialty educational permit, which is extremely hard to get.

If all you need is a liscance to keep the bird, your "crappy laws" are much more leaniant then those in the USA, and, from everything I know, canada.

You never said you spoke to a vet, and I hate to say I am supprised, and its a shame that your vet just told you to splint the wing at home, as, the bird will likely never fly again, with this lack of proper veteranary care, from someone trained in avian medicine.

I, as many other people I know, consider denying an injured animal properly trained veteranary care, abuse. A wildlife rehabilatator, liscanced, and the like, would give this animal proper veteranary care. I take it though, sience you have "tamed him" you never planned on releasing him anyway -

I dont want to argue this thing, as it seems you want this bird for a pet, but for some reason, you came here looking for advice on opinions on what to do, and, I told you exactly what I would do with the poor animal - Place it in the hands of a trained and liscanced individual, whom could provide it with all the proper and nessacarry care -

Raven -

Hi. Today I am taking 'Jesse' (the crow) to the avian vet by my house. She said that in my province, they are no longer considered migratory birds, as they don't migrate. She said that she won't take him from us, because then she would be forced to put him to sleep, but she will treat him ans give him back for us to foster until it has healed and we can RELEASE him. I never intended to keep him as a pet, I was only thinking ahead to the possiblility that it may never heal. WE wouldnt want a perfectly healthy bird to be put to sleep, and we thought that if we got him licenced, then we could give him a happy life at our house, with a indoor outdoor aviary. BUT THIS IS ONLY WITH THE SLIGHT POSSIBILITY THAT IT WONT HEAL!!!! we would never keep a wild animal as a pet, if we didnt have to. My vet said he was LUCKY to have been found by people who have expeirience, and KNOW how to splint him and care for him.

Crows, all around are indeed listed on the migratory bird treaty, and even though they don't migrate are protected by the same laws - I spoke to a federal gafe and fish officer friend of mine, and this is what was relayed to me -

That is why I am 100% sure of this -

Im verry glad to see that you are takeing him to a vet, and am/ was just curious why you are so adimate about keeping him in your hands and not takeing him to a trained rehabiatator ?

I hope he gets better and is releasable -

Raven -

My vet is part of the rehabilitation center in my city. We have been talking to her for some time now, and she checked with fish and wildlife to be sure. SHe told us that crows are NO LONGER protected by our laws. WE took him in this afternoon, and apparantly, his wing has been broken for a couple weeks before we had him, and it cannot be fixed, as it has already healed wrong. She said it would have been worse if we hadnt splinted it. SHe also told us that if she had left it with her rehab place like we had intended to originally, they would have euathanized it because they have to prioritize their birds. She said that it would be best for the bird if we gave it a chance to adjust in captivity and build it an aviary, which we plan to do. We wanted to keep it in our hands for this very reason....we didnt want him to be killed. He will never fly again, but we will give him a good life. She said she is very happy that we took him, because he is so sweet, and her rehab place would have KILLED him....he is happy, and plays with his toys. Please stop critisizing me, and help me out a bit. Am I doing this right???

1) I am feeding him a mixture of corn, raw beef, canned dog food, hard boiled egg whites, grated cheese, peas, breadcrums, calcium powder, vitamin c, wheat germ, and skin milk powder. I blended all that together and he loves it. I also give him crickets and banana.

2) How do I tame him better? He is pretty good now....should I just be gentle and nice and he'll come around?

3) should I try to find him a already captive and tame friend? There were some pet crows at our citys SPCA...should I watch for those out for a companion?

4) how big should his cage be? We were thinking of including one of our trees in it, once his wing is fully healed and not in danger of swelling.

Thank you

I think you are feeding Crow an excellent diet, he is going to be a big fat beautiful bird if he isn't already! I also am caring for a crow, who I found on a trail while out hiking - she gaped at me, my friend, our dog - which means she was less then a couple weeks old or so, they eventually get selective as to the gaping so I've read. Our local rehab center has the vet kill crows instead of rehabilitating them, because alot of crows carry Avian Pox, highly contagious to other birds. They won't risk the health of the other more endangered birds to help a crow. Crowbaby is tame and affectionate with my sister and I, and comfortable with our dog and cats, but she is afraid of strangers, cows, and other dogs. She does not like wild birds (though she was raised for several weeks with a starling) or chickens. She is very wary of my brother and friends, people we see every day. She may just be a very timid crow, but I have a feeling they might have a narrow socialization window, if you miss it, they can't learn to trust you. I could be wrong! I wish I could have found other crow friends for her, she seems awfull comfortable as a pet now and I doubt if she'll ever leave - she spends days in the garden, digging around, bathing, preening, and her nights in a cage in the house. By the way I am on Vancouver Island, Canada.

I believe I saw you on the corvid list recently ??? - I replied to you there.

If not, this is as valid here, as anywhere. Ok - No more arguing wiether the bird is legal or not - Im pretty sure, now, after doing some more reserch, and asking around, that American Crows are legal to keep in Canada, (check your local F&G ordinances)and carrion crows are, I believe, legal in Europe, but I know that native corvids are entierly illegal as pets here and anywhere in the USA -

No exceptions -

I would say if your local "pound" has crows that need homes, I would aquire one for company for your bird, to put with him in an outdoor flight (I will detail later) - Corvids do best in the company of others of thier species.

Your diet sounds pretty decent, but I would add things like fresh fruits like a good quality soaked parrot pellet (formulated for macaws is nice), some dry dogfood, like "benifuill", grapes, cherries, and chopped apples, and meats like pinkie, fuzzy, and small adult mice, and fresh sliced lean beef, beef heart, venison, etc.

On an extremely important note ! - In my photos you will see several of my trained pet birds have chords on thier feet. These are called Jesses.

TO ANYONE WHO HAS A CORVID - I would most deffently not jess your bird! Especially if he/she is just "easier to handle" because of the jesses. That probably means he was staying on you out of fear of being strapped to you, rather then because he wanted to be with you. JESSES ARE FOR RAPTORS, AND TRAINED RAPTOR HANDLERS.

I use jesses on many of my tame pet birds, but I am a trained bird handeler, and my birds are all extensively trained. Jesses are not to keep birds still, or "hold on to them" - They are a teaching aid to let the bird know when to fly and when to sit tight. If used inproperly even on tough birds like hawks, you risk severe injury to the birds.

Your birds temperment changes are likely from fear and shock wearing off, rather then a new fear of you. A birds calmness during new situations can often be mistaken for "tameness". Once a bird settles into its surroundings, it will often act much much differently then when I has first arrived. This goes for any birds, and for that matter, most animals.

If a pet bird on jesses bates (attempts to fly away), especially out of fear, those jesses could break one or both of his legs, or his hips.

For your crow, I would not jess him at all, and for any reason. Im sure, in addition to the possabilaty of breaking his legs or hip, subject him to severe arthitis during his lifetime - Without the abilaty to fly, your crow will already be on his feet, and useing his feet harder, and for more then a normal flighted crow would.

Try to train him with food reward (pinkie, and fuzzy mice in my experiance work well - I haven't found much else that they cant "do without" to come to your hand, and take food from your hands. Then you can work on trying to train him. Just being around him may help some.

Being a wild animal, he may not come around once he gets comfortable with his situation. He could even become aggresive if kept inproperly, and afraid of you. I would not suggest you force him to by useing jesses, or by holding him tightly, and would suggest that you rather just provide for him and build him a proper flight. Im sure he will not, for the long term, be comfortable, or tame if kept in a "bird cage".

He would probably enjoy a walk in flight, even if its built low -It would most simlate the outdoors and wilds he is used to. It would probably help you to "tame him" too, being able to get close to him, and interact with him, in an eviroment where he will eventually feel safe.

I would suggest you build a 9 foot, by 6 foot, by 5 foot outdoor (can be longer, or wider, but I would not make it higher) (or indoor if you would prefer, and have the room and time to maintain it) flight for him, (and a friend if you can aquire one legally )with lots of different perches for him to choose from.

You can even incorporate a partiual tree or large limbs in it for him to get around on. Sawed stumps, or "slices" of dead trees can make nice perches for birds with damaged wings. - Shelves biult in to one of the walls of the flight work too - you can make a "stair effect" (like "illistrated" below), by positioning them, so he can get up high, where he will feel safer.

Single boards

Nailed in

make stairs

The flight will need a sheltered are for the birds to keep out of the rain, and such, but a quality flight can probably be well constructed for around 250$

If he calms down, and AFTER he is calm being handled, I would like I suggest to all bird keepers, purchase a feather teather harness. - It is a much much safer option then jesses. It is built as a leash to hold onto a bird with, ulike what jesses are desighned for.

Raven -