Nursing a poorly Jackdaw.

Carlo

Carlo

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Carl
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we found this Jackdaw with an injured wing on Saturday and after a hilarious chase managed to catch it before one of the many cats on the estate!
We took him (think it's a he!) to the Vets but they couldn't do much, the receptionist even said coldly all they'll do is put him to sleep! A student vet took a look at him and advised to either find a bird sanctuary that'd take him or try to nurse him ourselves.
So...fingers crossed he'll be back to full fitness asap!
Any tips from bird experts greatly appreciated!

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[/url] jackdawand Hazel by Carlos575, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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a couple more shots, not brilliant but even with an injured wing he's quick!!

You can see the affected wing in this shot, maybe it flew into something as the other wing is slightly damaged too, or was victim to one of the many cats around the village.

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[/url] jackglobe by Carlos575, on Flickr[/IMG]




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[/url] jack by Carlos575, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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Isn't he/she a beauty?

Looks like you have a bird that is pretty much, if not completely, adult, though it could be one from earlier this year and therefore quite young.

Did the vet examine him/her to see if there is any major damage? If there is nothing seriously wrong with it then letting it recover for a few days may be all it needs before it can be released. If there is enough damage to mean it will never fly then the choices are

have it put down as it can never be released,
give it to a rescue centre that may look after it for the rest of its life, or
look after it yourself.

If you go for the latter then that is a mammoth task. Can you make sure it does not get outside where it may be killed? Can you accommodate it in your house? Apart from the potential mess I think there is a good chance it will be into everything. What would happen to it when you go on holiday?

I could understand if you did want to look after it, they are delightful birds but it is a lot of work and if it cannot be released a rescue centre may be the best option. They are gregarious birds and should be with their flock, but this may be possible.

For food I'd try a bit of soaked dog biscuit or some wet cat food. One thing I'm pretty sure it will eat are live meal worms - readily available online, but unfortunately not cheap.

Dave

G
 
Tringa said:
One thing I'm pretty sure it will eat are live meal worms - readily available online, but unfortunately not cheap.
Click to expand...

Decent sized boxes are in pets at home for £2.50 or 3 for £6, alternatively Morio worms as they are a bit bigger and last longer.
 
They can live on tinned dog/cat food & fresh water, definitely no milk, good luck Carl (y)
 
My daughter (in the first pic) scoured the web and found out what it should eat;
mealworms, bread soaked in water, but Dog/cat food has too much protein for anything but a chick and can damage the liver!
It also loves the seeds and middle parts of watermelon and strawberrys!
The vet was a student nurse i think and couldn't really tell if it's wing was broke or dislocated.
He's a lovely bird, still very scared and shy and it's right wing is still hanging lower than other which worries me, but found he's more mobile but can only manage to flap from the floor to the TV or bookshelf about 4 ft with some trouble. At the moment it's lock the cat out, take the dog upstairs and let him have the freedom of the living room for 30-45 mins every 3 hrs.
We'll see if he gets better by saturday and in the meantime look up the nearest bird sanctuary where he can have his wing looked at to diagnose it properly.
Fingers crossed!
 
I'm in agreement with Will I'm afraid. Jackdaws are seen as pests and shot which is such a shame as they are very intelligent birds. Good luck in any case and keep us informed as to the birds progress.

Andy
 
He;s so cute. I had a duckling to look after once, It was a little yellow chick and a big brown one before I found it a proper home. Turned out to be a female Mallard,

Anyhows, just a warning, it was a messy little (f)sucker, and I do mean that birds do like to crap anytime, anywhere,,, any place, I called her Martini.
 
Spent all night and this morning searching the web and eventually found a bird hospital that'll take him!
Putting him back last night i had a good look at him, comparing wings etc, and it's definately broken so he needs treatment that we can't provide.
Will be sad to see him go but it's the right thing to do.
 
Hope he makes it. Sometimes even if they can't be released into the wild, a home can be found.
Also thankyou for restoring some of my faith in humanity Carl :)
 
took him to the wild bird hospital Tues evening.
After examining him they thought the wing wasn't broken (ie seperated) but probably fractured due to the excessive swelling. He's now on antibiotics and painkillers so hopefully on the mend. Good to know even if he can't recover he'll spend the rest of his days there in one of the many aviaries.
Phoned them yesterday to check on him (am i soft or what?) and he's doing well, still inside but on a perch and feeding well!
 
Nice to see all the effort you went to, and hopefully he/she recovers well in the sanctuary it's now in :)
 
Well done on finding a sanctuary, definitely worth the effort.

Thanks for helping, it's something we should all do.
 
Well done mate, you did a really decent thing and trust me on this, you are a hero to your daughter now.
 
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