# imprinted crow dilemma.



## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm hoping for peoples experiences or balanced views on the captive life of an originally wild bird.I hand reared a crow from around 4 weeks old.Found on the ground with deformed feet which with the help of a member on here were fixed pretty successfully with splints.However it then became obvious that the birds hips were not correct and the bird is disabled,not chronically.The bird is now approx 16 months old ,lives in a small flight which once I've finished work is open until nightfall.The bird has been very slow to learn to fly due to panic over perching with the disabled legs.Rubbing along the floor has also caused the flight feathers to be shorn off.However in recent weeks the hang of flying has been mastered and the bird is fully feathered and fit.Now she(I think)is testing those flying powers more and more.I can't decide whether to continue allowing total freedom which might lead to losing her and inevitably death in the wild or to get a new aviary and make her a total captive.Aviary size would be limited by our garden size.I'm really torn,I have a good bond with her but work and family pressures means I can't give 24/7 attention although I continue to hand feed every day with out fail and have at least one session of head preening/grooming/stroking.What to do?


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## 123dragon (Jan 15, 2011)

sarahc said:


> I'm hoping for peoples experiences or balanced views on the captive life of an originally wild bird.I hand reared a crow from around 4 weeks old.Found on the ground with deformed feet which with the help of a member on here were fixed pretty successfully with splints.However it then became obvious that the birds hips were not correct and the bird is disabled,not chronically.The bird is now approx 16 months old ,lives in a small flight which once I've finished work is open until nightfall.The bird has been very slow to learn to fly due to panic over perching with the disabled legs.Rubbing along the floor has also caused the flight feathers to be shorn off.However in recent weeks the hang of flying has been mastered and the bird is fully feathered and fit.Now she(I think)is testing those flying powers more and more.I can't decide whether to continue allowing total freedom which might lead to losing her and inevitably death in the wild or to get a new aviary and make her a total captive.Aviary size would be limited by our garden size.I'm really torn,I have a good bond with her but work and family pressures means I can't give 24/7 attention although I continue to hand feed every day with out fail and have at least one session of head preening/grooming/stroking.What to do?


i would let her have freedom but also let her come home as much as she wants, crows arnt the sort of bird you can just shut in a flight, she would go MAD literaly MAD, (yes i have a crow)
why do you think she would die in the wild if you lost her (any faster than normal) 
my crow now spends every hour of daylight outside with her flock coming in through the cat flap :lol2: to roost and nick some food if she has had a hard day due to bad weather 

these are birds that find parrot toys boring (please remember this) my girl plays with kids toys that make noises and will also play fetch, 
if you keep her captive i would recomend getting jesses fitted so you could take her for days out ( i take my girl to the beech, my friends house and when i go fishing


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## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

she's disadvantaged with her legs thats why she won't survive in the wild.I have an aviator harness but it hasn't been the success I'd hoped for.She doesn't like going out,doesn't like strange people at all and despite being tame is surprisingly nervous of strange places as well as people.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

I'd say keep her. You maybe can't give her the full spectrum of experience she'd have in the wild, but if she's as disabled as you say, she wouldn't exactly appreciate it anyway. A lot of 'lost' hatchlings suffer from inadequate care at the crucial stages, but it seems you've done all the right things, where you can. If she was healthy and active, I'd say let her make her choice, but if that is effectively a death sentance, you'd be right to give her what chances you can.


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## corvid2e1 (Jan 21, 2007)

Even a otherwise healthy imprint should not be allowed compltely unrestricted freedom. Free flight sesions by all means if trained, but they should never be alowed to roam unsupervised. I have experienced the problems caused myself (I have a magpie who loves entering peoples houses through their windows and making off with their stuff!) and have heard the "I had a pet jackdaw but my neighbour shot it" story far too many times. I have a friend with a jackdaw and we recently had to build him a huge aviary conected to her window due to his habbit of flying several miles to visit the local school, where he found the screams of the children he was divebombing highly amusing! The parents found it less amusing however, and he had to be contained for his own safety. Being disabled as well, complete freedom is unfortunetly not an option for your bird. I seem to remember you were working on recall training at one point. did this not work well enough to still allow supervised free flight? Do you bring her into the house at all? having a change of scenery, even if its not freedom, will break up the routine and count for incredably valuble enrichment as long as she is comfertable with it. In any of these cases, I would agree with the jesses in principle, although if she has never worn them before you made find it dificult to get her to accept them. My Rook always wore them when young, but we never realy used them, so eventuly took them off. a couple of years later when they became necicary again (she also only then learned to fly due to feather damage from the wild) we realised what a mistake it had been to take them off! Even now, although she wears anklets permenently, she gets very angry about wearing jesses and line. With a bit of imagination, enrichment can be provided fairly cheaply and easily. small carboard boxes stuffed with treats and shreaded paper or straw work very well as a starting point, although new ideas have to be continuesly thought up. With my aviary birds, the most important thing I do in this sence is never using food bowls. the floor of the aviary is a mixture of natural vegitation, dirt, sand and bark, and all the food provided is scatered in this so that they have to forage for it.


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## Stary eyed (Feb 7, 2011)

Keep her Sarah, I know you will worry like Hell if anything harmed her.

Fill that fish pond in and make a bigger flight.:2thumb:


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## slugsiss32 (Nov 14, 2010)

Keep on doing what you're doing, its also not fair to give her total freedom with her disabilities, she could be picked on by other animals as she is vulnerable, preyed on by foxes etc...Keep her entertained and she will be fine! Its not as if you've taken her from the wild as an adult bird, shes never seen total freedom.


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## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

thanks for the responses.I haven't had her in the house during the summer.As I start work long before dawn and home by midday then out with rodents/rabbits til dark with the bird out it hasn't really been necessary.I gave up being house proud decades ago so I don't mind the bird in,perhaps start it again now the nights are getting dark.I've been toying for a long time with having the bottom of the garden roofed in.I spend so many hours outside and this dreadful summer has tipped the balance.The wooden posts arrived this morning and the whole of the bottom area is to be roofed.The birds house will fall under the cover.That will stop instant upward flight and also the menace from birds of prey.I can loosely net the 2 open ends and I think the problem will be solved.I haven't so far actually found the bird dreadfully demanding,a lot of time is spent peeling wood from enclosures:devil: and fly catching.I'm aware that maturity may change that though.I can't imagine her dive bombing anyone:gasp: but I guess there's no telling what sexual maturity might bring.


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## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

Stary eyed said:


> Keep her Sarah, I know you will worry like Hell if anything harmed her.
> 
> Fill that fish pond in and make a bigger flight.:2thumb:


that pond now has a custom built polytunnel over it,if the fish had toes they'd be cosy.In passing I asked how much the whole thing from start to finish was and nearly keeled over.Not to worry,truth is out and feeling somewhat sheepish my new animal area is to be created to salve his conscience,all is forgiven.Will take a few weeks but it will be a large weather proof area ,already have a wildlife pond down there and a nettle patch.Will be a good sized interesting area for the bird and the rest of the animals will be protected from harsh weather:2thumb:


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