# Hand rearing a Rook



## gekolover (Jan 12, 2011)

Its quiet young still un able to fly but has all its feathers. i left it a couple of days and parents were coming but they have now stopped so i have brought inside. any advise?


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## spottygeckos2011 (Mar 25, 2011)

Keep it nice and warm at 30 degrees, and feed it warm milk. 
After feeding it stroke its chest( to burp it)
and include crushed up worms aswell in its diet.
You will need to feed it every 2 hours.
Hope this helps


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

I hand rear loads of these every year, have had about 12 so far this season, still got most of them (you don't want to see the mess!) Best option would be to get it into a wildlife rehab centre as they should have plenty of experience with hand rearing orphaned birds. unfortunetly some who do not know corvids will tell you to put it back for the parents to feed. If they say this, find another one. Failing this you may have to do it yourself. remember it is a time consuming, messy job, that you should not be too eager to take on. first of all, is it gaping? they are much easier to deal with if they will take food from you. if not you will have to carfully prise the beak open and poke the food down until it gets the idea. food should be meat based, cat food, chopped day old chicks and insects are all good with a little vit powder sprinkled on. don't give water. when its starts to pick up food for itself it will drink from a bowl when it wants. until then it doesn't need it and will get enough moisture from the food. Feed as much as it will take about every 2 hours during daylight. Is the inside of the mouth bright pink as it should be or pale? Any sign of wheasing or coughing? the call should be a slightly higher pitched caw than the adults, not a wheasy hiss. if it has any of these symptoms it most likely has gapeworm and will need treatment. rooks will very rairly feed a grounded branchling as they are very vunerable under the canopy but if the young bird can get back up into the branches they will return to it. I usualy feed them up for a couple of weeks until they can more of less fly, asuming they are healthy to begin with, then take them back to the exact spot the come from and launch them into the trees. once up they will climb back to the canopy and the parents will find them. Corvids are extremly inteligent and have a very close bond with their parents. this makes hand rearing them tricky as they are very easily imprinted, which results in a bird that can't be released. to avoid this try not to handle the bird more than is needed and aim to get it back to its parents as soon as posable. this is another reason why it is better to go to a rehab centre if posable. they will most likely have more of them in already and rearing them in groups is the best way to avoid imprinting. good luck!


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

spottygeckos2011 said:


> Keep it nice and warm at 30 degrees, and feed it warm milk.
> After feeding it stroke its chest( to burp it)
> and include crushed up worms aswell in its diet.
> You will need to feed it every 2 hours.
> Hope this helps


No. please don't do this! if it is fully featherd, as most rooks are now, room temp, or just above is fine, unless it is sick or thin. All but 2 of mine (they are sick) are currently living in an unheated outside aviary, although it is fully sheltered. Birds can't digest milk, only mammals can, and basicly only cows can digest cows milk. Do not stroke its chest, birds do not need burping and this un-necicary contact will only increase the risk of imprinting. The worms are fine.


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## spottygeckos2011 (Mar 25, 2011)

corvid2e1 said:


> No. please don't do this! if it is fully featherd, as most rooks are now, room temp, or just above is fine, unless it is sick or thin. All but 2 of mine (they are sick) are currently living in an unheated outside aviary, although it is fully sheltered. Birds can't digest milk, only mammals can, and basicly only cows can digest cows milk. Do not stroke its chest, birds do not need burping and this un-necicary contact will only increase the risk of imprinting. The worms are fine.


 Well at least i got the worms bit right:lol2:


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## anthony reilly (Jan 16, 2010)

Am pretty sure its against the law to release them back to the wild as they are pests? tell me if i'm mistaken


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

anthony reilly said:


> Am pretty sure its against the law to release them back to the wild as they are pests? tell me if i'm mistaken


there is a trick to that law lol dont tell people you did it, i have released many gray squirrels back to the wild that my cat catches


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

anthony reilly said:


> Am pretty sure its against the law to release them back to the wild as they are pests? tell me if i'm mistaken


 It is only illegal to release a non native species without a licence. Even Grey Squirrels can be released legaly if done the right way. Pest or not makes no diference. It is perfectly legal to release native corvids as long as they are capable of surviving. (if disabled, including imprinted, it is classed as animal abandonment and is illegal.)


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