# Jackdaw not eating well, bit worried



## al4x

We have a jackdaw that we have had a few months [likely hatched in april] and all he/she like to eat is meal worms, nothing else at all that i can tell, seeing as jackdaws are scavengers etc im worried he/she is missing out on some nutrients/vitamins/minerals.

reason i ask is his plumage is very tatty more so than recently, im not sure if its just a moulting stage but the diet issue has me worried.

Any help would be much appreciated,

his name is shadow... this is him looking better than now.


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## poohdog

Jackdaws are omnivorous and will eat almost anything...mealworms alone are no good.
A good quality canned dog food.Pieces of fresh meat...fruit and vegetables....hard boiled eggs, and some seeds.
Not sure on the UK law with regard to keeping members of the corvid family as most are classed as pests.


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## al4x

thanks for your reply, we keep offering him those sorts of foods, he just doesnt seem to eat them,

i guess im asking [hoping] that someone will have a tip for getting him to eat other foods?


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## hawksport

poohdog said:


> Jackdaws are omnivorous and will eat almost anything...mealworms alone are no good.
> A good quality canned dog food.Pieces of fresh meat...fruit and vegetables....hard boiled eggs, and some seeds.
> Not sure on the UK law with regard to keeping members of the corvid family as most are classed as pests.


As long as you have permission of the land owner you can legally take corvids and keep tem as pets. As far as I know the only thing you cant do is sell them


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## AlexArt

I'd try and make him hungry and get him weaned off the mealworms, is he very active to make him want to eat, what are you keeping him in? You could try holding him and force feeding him some dog food until he realises it is actually very tasty!, or coat the mealworms in some mushy dog food just to get him going - they are naturally really curious birds and will usually peck at anything so it is not really normal for him not to be eating other stuff, you could also try syringing some egg down him, once they get a taste and have the drive after doing lots of stuff they are usually eating anything and everything. 
He will have serious nutritional deficiencies and will die if you keep him on just mealworms as Poohdog said they are omnivores. I'd also get a multi vitamin and calcium powder for the moment and put it on all his food just to get some into him. Is he flying at all? 

Also just a thought did you find him or did you hatch him? - often if adult birds realise there is something wrong with their chicks, they seem to have pretty good instincts and often there can be nothing visibly wrong with them, they will chuck them out and start again. I hand reared a couple of jackdaws that had been chucked out and they only got to the fledging stage then went down hill and died within 2 days of each other - I was 10 and so gutted as I'd put so much effort into them, the next 2 I reared were fine, their nest had been blown down in a storm, they eventually flew away!!!


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## twilight

ive raised many corvids always with the advice of my vet friend andy do you have such a person you could go to for help.i wish i could phyically help you but its difficult.without seeing him.cat food dog food any thing like that.yes they are omniverous mine always had lovely appettites.it took a bit of persuading to start with.yes you can keep him as a pet.in fact if he ends up silly tame then dont relise him.he wont know whats hit him. i have a crow he started of in the house in the spare bedroom with a large cage to get into if he wanted but sat most of time on a parrot stand. now he is in a large avairy coming out regularly to play or comes inside with me.good luck if i can help i will. let me know how you get on.all my babies are rescue.kazx


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## al4x

he is flying around and is perky, its just his plumage is a bit drab compared to what it used to be and thats what i thought, he wont survive on just meal worms.

we are pretty sure his parents were shot, [we found him starving on the floor] we have had him since end of april, he is living in t5he bedroom in a parrot cage and often comes out all evening after work.

when we were rearing him he ate dog food, cat food, egg etc, but force feeding now seems impossible, he just gets stressed out.

cant think of anyone personally that we can go to for help.

We keep trying to put the meal worms with other food but we are unsure if he is eating it or just picking out the worms.

Needless to say i am a fair bit worried,

is there also a supplement to add to his water that we can use?

thanks for the help so far!


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## twilight

if your stressed he will be.yes there are supplements.im going to pm you and give you my tel no if you want to ring you can kazx


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## al4x

any recommendations for supplements? 

ive never had a bid this awkward to feed when he really shouldnt be as a scavenger!


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## AlexArt

If you've raised him on other foods then that isn't so bad, I would be really worried if that had been all he has had!! You can buy vitamin powders from the internet, but if you can get him back onto a normal diet he should be fine without them, at least he does know what other foods are. I would just cut out the mealworms and give him no other option but to eat other foods - it maybe he is just really picky and can be as there is so much available, make him hungry and that should kick in his instincts. 
They are very smart birds and get bored really easily - make him work for his food as they would in the wild, hide it in things or under things he needs to learn these skills if he does ever get back to the wild, when feeding an egg give it whole and raw with just a tiny hole in it to give him the idea, and leave the TV on or a radio for some kind of stimulation when you are out.

His feathers maybe drab as he is coming into moult before winter, plus they do need regular baths to keep them in good condition, so either provide a big shallow tray with water in it or use a spray bottle/shower set on a fine spray. 

They do make good pets but if he is only out for a few hours when you get home and alone for the rest of the day it really isn't enough, they require as much attention as a parrot as they are just as smart, not to mention very social and can get depressed if lonely either people or one of their own kind is needed for most of the day - have you tried a sanctuary they may have others that he can be with? 
But well done for rescuing him and getting him this far!!!


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## al4x

ok hes started pecking at other things now, hope he is on his way.. thanks so far


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## Ozcat

Hi I have just seen your post and have read through the thread. 

I'm concerned about this jackdaw. He is a wild bird and deserves a chance to live a normal life in the wild with his species. You have done a great job in giving him a chance at life, but all wild birds need specialist care if they are going to stand a chance of being able to live a natural life such as being able to forage, interact with their own species, avoid predators and breed. Being inside with humans is completely unnatural and stressful for a wild bird such as a corvid.

I do wildlife rescue work as I am a registered wildlife carer in Australia. Whilst we do not have jackdaws we have other species of corvids that often need to be raised from young nestlings to releasable adults. It is absolutely vital that they not only get the correct diet and stimulation but they also must be raised with members of their own species so that they know what they are and how to behave. 

There are many wildlife carers and rescue centres in the UK. Where abouts are you based? It really would be in the best interests of this bird if he was placed with a carer with the intention of re-release, where he can have a chance at a normal life.


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## Devil-Dogz

al4x said:


> cant think of anyone personally that we can go to for help.


contact St Tiggy Winkles Wildlife Hospital - their website is easily found through google.


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## keithfsimmonds

AlexArt said:


> I'd try and make him hungry and get him weaned off the mealworms, is he very active to make him want to eat, what are you keeping him in? You could try holding him and force feeding him some dog food until he realises it is actually very tasty!, or coat the mealworms in some mushy dog food just to get him going - they are naturally really curious birds and will usually peck at anything so it is not really normal for him not to be eating other stuff, you could also try syringing some egg down him, once they get a taste and have the drive after doing lots of stuff they are usually eating anything and everything.
> He will have serious nutritional deficiencies and will die if you keep him on just mealworms as Poohdog said they are omnivores. I'd also get a multi vitamin and calcium powder for the moment and put it on all his food just to get some into him. Is he flying at all?
> 
> Also just a thought did you find him or did you hatch him? - often if adult birds realise there is something wrong with their chicks, they seem to have pretty good instincts and often there can be nothing visibly wrong with them, they will chuck them out and start again. I hand reared a couple of jackdaws that had been chucked out and they only got to the fledging stage then went down hill and died within 2 days of each other - I was 10 and so gutted as I'd put so much effort into them, the next 2 I reared were fine, their nest had been blown down in a storm, they eventually flew away!!!


I feed mine on chopped grapes tinned sweetcorn mealworms tuna and maggots turned to casters


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## Lurcherlad

keithfsimmonds said:


> I feed mine on chopped grapes tinned sweetcorn mealworms tuna and maggots turned to casters


This thread is from 2011.

Check dates before responding … the new software is throwing up lots of ancient threads … save wasting your time 🙂


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