Treats for Crows?

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

A wild crow has made friends with me. He has shown me he likes my company, and sometimes I give him a small piece of wholemeal bread as a treat which he loves.
But although I know a little occasionally won't harm him, I wonder if anyone knows of some birdie treat suitable for Crows which I can buy? Because he is asking for his treat every morning now.
He is able to feed himself very well. I watched him foraging for worms, snails etc. The treat I give him isn't essential for him, more a symbol of our friendship.

I did think of meal worms but he likes something well-sized enough that he can pick it up and carry it into the orchard to eat it. He is not scared of me, but is very skittish in my garden which is surrounded on all sides by trees. He wouldn't like having to hang about in that small space at ground level to pick up tiny meal worms.

[LPC Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close LPC]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Tobi, I found this page, which may help:
http://www.crows.net/food.html

Quote from that page: "....kibbled cat or dog food (pea sized chunks) is cheap and provides complete nutrition for the omnivorous crows. Meat scraps are always a hit as is cheese and egg yolk. Sunflower seeds, peanuts...."

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Oh thank you LPC. I can work with some of those suggestions, and maybe mash something together to make a piece about 2-3" long that he can pick up and carry off to eat.

Wow! There is a lot of food to choose from on that list! Crows really are very omnivorous. I imagined they were basically carnivores....got that wrong then!

He likes to communicate with me from the trees around the garden, but is unsure about being on the ground in there. But he has a designated 'pick-up' spot which he is used to now.
He follows me 3/4 of the way down the lane when I go to visit the cat. He waits for me coming back and is there to greet me 1 hour later!

[andrea01 Cub Find all posts View Profile Close andrea01]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Hi @tobi, I can see that you also have a heart for birds maybe this link can help. http://www.avesnoir.com/the-10-best-...o-feed-a-crow/

BTW @lpc is right, you can feed him cat food, I guess you'll be going to spoil a crow if this the situation.

[LPC Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close LPC]

Re: Treats for Crows?

That's a wonderful link, Andrea! Thank you for that.

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Thank you very much for that link, Andrea, and for your help.

[andrea01 Cub Find all posts View Profile Close andrea01]

Re: Treats for Crows?

That's a wonderful link, Andrea! Thank you for that.

Thank you very much for that link, Andrea, and for your help.

Your always welcome, I'm glad I've been able to contribute something in this community :)

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

Re: Treats for Crows?

I am very much enjoying reading all the comments on that article too! It seems quite common to be befriended by Crows. Crows must like humans more than I thought they did.

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

Re: Treats for Crows?

I have found out that my Crow friend, Koori very much likes slices of baked potato topped with Salmon spread! A bit of buttered brown toast goes down well too. I gave him blueberries once and he didn't like them. Ditto apple slices. But he has eaten a few left-over green lentils.

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Well my crow has been friends with me now for over a year. He isn't really keen on cat food even though it's supposed to be good for Crows. A cat food sandwich is often pulled apart and the cat food taken out before he flies off with the wholemeal bread.
Not so with meat paste and salmon paste. He loves that. He will also eat black eye beans, rice leftovers, baked potato (which he likes very much!) and lentils.

[LPC Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close LPC]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Fascinating, Tobi! I am so glad that Koori is still coming to see you - and is getting spoilt, haha!

[Tobi Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tobi]

Re: Treats for Crows?

Koori has now worked out....
When I am in the bathroom in the morning -and nags me!
When I am in the "fireside room" in the evening having my dinner -and nags me!

He sits on the orchard hedge and looks in on me. It's not always for food. Sometimes it's just to connect with me before the sun goes down. He is a good friend.