# Licenses n crows?



## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Jus bin readin th thread bout squirrels n saw bit bout licenses n was curious bout if u need a license 2 keep a pet crow not a raven but a jackdaw?if it was a young 1 n 2 hand rear it!Iv heard they can make good pets n bin thinkin bout it 4 a while was wonderin if ny1 had ny experience wi em as pets n rearin em?


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

i think you need paper work with them because they are native species.if you phone your local rescue centre im sure they can help. crows/ravens/jackdaws/jays are fantastic animals and ive reared quite a few. ive had crows tamer than birds of prey, had them trained to fly to my hand and even had one that spoke (well swore)
the british wildlife rescue centre will be able to tell you the laws, i havent worked there for a while so im not upto date on the rules.


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## the keeper (Dec 16, 2007)

hi i had 2 carrion crows and a magpie the crows both had broken wings and the magpies was out the nest (i found some kids with them 2 magpies no one of my birding trips out ) 1 died over night but the other lived with the 2 crows for a long time Jacky the magpie learnt to talk when the time came to let him go he had bonded with me this was not my intention this was in 1991 all 3 lived in a 22ft aviary happy days:flrt:


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Cool cheers will google it n c wat i can find out!R they difficult 2 rear?Wat would they get fed?


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## herp boy (May 4, 2007)

beef, cow heart (full of protein) day old chicks, rabbits that kind of stuff lol


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## the keeper (Dec 16, 2007)

as above and scraps of food pinkies


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

they will eat anything, eggs, meat, digestive biscuits ect. when they are young we used to soak beta pet dog food and feed them that by putting it down there crop. if i was to have any bird it'd be a crow .


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies and jays are all on the pest list, and can be legaly taken and kept, not that I advise raiding a nest. nestlings and young fledglings are often found wandering on the ground in spring and early summer and are often picked up by the public. (unfeathered young should not be out of the nest, and rooks will not feed their fledglings on the ground if they canot climb back up the tree, however many of the birds are picked up unecisarily as the parents are often still caring for them) you can contact local vets or wildife centres stating that you are intrested in rearing any young corvids that come in, or you may be lucky enough to come across a young bird in need of rescue yourself. altrernativly ravens, jackdaws, magpies, jays and a few exotic species such as african pied crows can be bought captive bred. albinos and other colour phases are even available ocsasonaly, although breeders are few and far between. I have kept and reared all 5 common species (there are 7 corvid species in the uk, including ravens and choughs, although these are rare in most places and protected.) I rear them on a mixture of washed, tinned cat food, dry insect mix and parrot rearing formular, as well as mealworms, choped chick and mice. they are highly intelegent and do make fantastic, although very high maintanence pets. they are also highly sociable so need constant interaction and stimulation, otherwise they easily become bored and can develope servire phycological problems. they are also extreemly messy, destructive and love stealing and hiding small objects, so your house must be carfully bird-proofed!


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Thanks ppl wasnt actually sure if id get ny replies!Me 2 i like birds but neva really wanted em as pets only 1s id eva consider r a bird o prey or a crow!Used 2 hav a barn owl yrs ago but she h8ed me she would hiss at me everytime i went near her but she was fine wi ma sis so ma sis took her n spent time gettin her tame!Iv got a st tiggywinkles book at home but cant mind wat it ses bout em dnt think its v detailed!Thanks corvid2e1!Do they get v tame?n is it easy 2 do?Will get in touch wi local vets n not sure if there r ny rescues up here locally (it was me ppl used 2 bring stuff 2) think most ppl that r likely 2 find em dipose o em n not in a nice way!Where would u buy em fae?


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## annewynne (Jan 5, 2008)

when we first got our magpie,it was very young and we fed it mealworms and insects by hand-when it got a little older we dangled insects in front of it so it had to flap its wings(learning it to fly) as when we first got it it only had down and some feathers coming through,he bonded with all of us,he lived up to his name when he got older,would pinch cigarettes(sometimes lit) fly across the room and drop them on the settee,so we had to be vigilant,he even learned to mimick us,we used a piece of rubber tubing and spoke to him through it when he was in his aviary outside,he could say his name and coughed etc,really comical,and cheaper than any parrot.


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

if you are rearing an orphaned bird it depends on the age as to how tame they will get. a nestling reared on its own will more than likely become very tame. my last magpie I reared came in about 3 weeks old and he bonded increadably strongly. he basicly lived on my shoulder. I could walk down the buisiest street in the middle of the city and he would be sitting there fast asleep! he would ride the train, he would ride in the car, he lituraly came everywhere with me. whenever I was outside in an area he didn't know he wore jesses and was teathered to me for safety, just incase he got spooked, but he never once attempted to fly off. on the other hand, a fledgling will be just that little bit older and more indipendend, and will have already descided that other species can be dangorous, so it will be harder to gain their trust. some individuals are better than others, some will tame, some will not so well. a captive bred bird will most likely come to you already hand reared and socilised if that is what you ask for, so should be tame. finding breeders can be dificult. personaly I have located raven and pied crow breeders on a couple of ocasions via bird and aviary forums. jackdaws, magpies and jays I have yet to find, although I know they do exist.

this was mistrel, my magpie, working with some school kids we had down for a visit to the wildlife centre. he is actuly looking a little scruffy at that point as he was in moult.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Do u hav ny site addresses of forums that i could look on?Hes gorgeous do u still hav him?


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

I wish I still had him. he was a constant conpanion, and is greatly missed. he was compleatly fearless, and ended up having a tragic accident when he managed to open the viv door of a rescued boa constrictor one night, then descided that the 6ft snake crawling across the floor was something intresting to play with. I do plan on getting another one when I get a chance, but they are very individual, and he will never be replaced.

I don't have the site addresses at the moment. try googling "bird forums" or something similar, see what you can come up with.


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

here is a site worth trying for jays, magpies and jackdaws. British Birds In Avicuture - British/Eurasian bird keeping site
there is an artical on breeding and rearing jays, and the auther has kept and shown all 3 species previously, so he may well be worth contacting. otherwise I am sure someone will be able to point you in the direction of a breeder.

from another site, here is a magpie for sale.BRITISH SOFTBILLS FOR SALE For Sale - Birds For Sale With Free Advertising on Bird Trader UK

and a pair of african pied crows, although being a breeding pair, they are most likely not especialy tame.African pied crows For Sale - Birds For Sale With Free Advertising on Bird Trader UK


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Wat a shame!Shows how clever they r (or mayb not) bein able 2 open th viv!Cheers 4 those addresses will hav a nosey at em th now!Id had a look on google but most o wat i found wer bird watchin sites!


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## basky (Dec 11, 2006)

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/exotics-classifieds/87145-pied-crows.html


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Hi corvid2e1 i joined th forum address u gave me 2 get some advice!found a good care sheet on th corvid aid site!Cheers basky i saw that wee while ago on here n also on other sites iv been looking at think their a breeding pair i think or a related pair!Im jus afta 1 as a pet at th mo rather than a pair!


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