Domestic crow: conditions of detention, food

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

When you hear that someone you know has a bird in a cage at home, a parrot or a canary immediately appears before your eyes. In fact, it may be an ordinary gray crow.

She is extremely smart and quick-witted, and looks very elegant, so she may well become a pet and recognize a person as a master. If you are interested in such a bird, you should find out how to care for it and in what conditions to keep it. In this article you can find the information you need.

Grey crow: photo, description

In appearance, according to its constitution, the domestic gray crow is a bit like a rook. Only the physique is denser and the wings are wider. Its weight does not exceed 650-700 g. The beak is slightly inclined downwards.

The wings, tail and head of these birds are completely black, they seem to shimmer with a metallic sheen. The body of the bird is gray, which is why it is called the gray crow. The brown color of the plumage is observed only in young individuals. Mouth pink, eyesblue.

Bird intelligence

Watching the way of life of crows, ornithologists noted that these birds have an extremely developed intellect. They are able to turn the situation in their favor in any circumstances. For example, crows living on city streets collect food on the carriageway only when the traffic light is red. On a walk in the forest, you can see that crows are not at all afraid of ordinary tourists and completely ignore mushroom pickers. But if a hunter with a gun in his hands enters their field of vision, the birds become restless, sensing danger.

Keeping a crow in the house

It is quite difficult to keep a crow in a city apartment, and the bird itself feels uncomfortable in a cage, it needs space. If you decide on such a pet as a gray crow, then it is better that you live in a private country house, then you can equip an aviary for such a restless feathered pet and create proper conditions.

Domestic crow must have "apartments" with dimensions of at least 1x2 m, the height of the enclosure is required to be two meters and not less. In the bird house, it is desirable to place a dry tree with horizontally arranged branches. If this is not possible, fit different perches in the enclosure.

The floor should have a floor that is easy to clean. From above it is sprinkled with sawdust or laid out with moss. Cleaning is carried out as needed, during which the old bedding is replaced with a new, clean one. Drinkers and feeders should notstand without fastening, the bird will quickly knock them over. If you decide to have your pet fly around the house, it is better to immediately abandon this thought. The fact is that the crow cannot be called a calm and assiduous bird. This creature is overly active and also curious. In just a few minutes of free flight around the room, a domestic crow can scatter things, tear off wallpaper, knock over small flowerpots, or mischief in some other way. In a word, harm to your home is guaranteed if you do not equip an aviary for a restless, active bird.

How to care for a crow at home?

Caring for a domestic crow is easy, the main thing is to know its habits and what it needs for a normal existence in captivity:

• You need to install a birch block to sharpen claws and beak.

• So that the bird does not get bored in the aviary and does not spoil the interior that you have created, give him shiny balls or other toys.

• Place a container of water in the aviary for bathing several times a week. The domestic crow is very fond of water procedures and can splash in the water at least every day. As you can see, everything is quite simple, except that this bird has to be cleaned up quite often, it does not differ in accuracy.

What to feed a crow at home?

An indisputable plus of such a pet as a gray crow is that this creature is an omnivore. The only condition that must be observed when compiling a diet for a crow is a variety of “dishes”. The main feathered menu consists of the following products: chickenoffal, boiled or raw meat, various cereals, eggs, fish, vegetables and fruits, bread.

In addition to the above, crows can eat frogs, insects, chicks and all kinds of plant foods with pleasure. For wild birds, the main food is food waste.

For normal growth and development, domestic crows need to be given vitamin and mineral supplements. It is not recommended to mix them with food, instead place them in a separate feeder so that the bird chooses what she needs.

The diet of chicks is not much different from the adult menu. The first time, in order to arrange the feathered babies to themselves, they are fed from their hands. Then they gradually teach to eat from the feeder on their own. Chicks are recommended to cook mash from the following products: porridge, meat and vegetables. The last two ingredients should be finely chopped. A feathered pet should always have fresh, clean water available. In order not to harm the bird, you can not feed it spicy, s alty, fried foods and fatty meats.

Walks

Surprisingly, crows, despite their restless disposition, are easily trained and get used to the leash. Of course, this is not a dog or a cat, so some precautions must be observed in such walks:

• When training a crow, the hand must be in a special leather glove.

• It is necessary to select equipment for walking very carefully so that subsequently, the bird was not injured.

• When walking, make sure that there are no relatives nearby. Large concentrations of wildRavens can make your pet want to join their freestyle lifestyle. There are times when a crow pounces on other birds, trying to protect its territory. This can also turn into tragedy and injury for her. If it is not possible to walk with a crow in the fresh air, then the owner of this feathered beauty should provide her with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet rays in the house. Sunbathing is ideal in this situation. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the fact that ultraviolet does not pass through glass.

To date, scientists have not come to an unequivocal answer to the question of how long the gray crow lives. It is only known that in captivity this bird can live up to 18-20 years with proper care. A domestic crow will require a lot of patience from its owner, but in the end it will become a devoted and intelligent feathered friend for him.