# Need advice on Grackel



## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Yep, I have one now.
Someone brought him to the clinic and he has obvious bad pox. He was very lethargic when brought in and they wanted to PTS, so I took him.
I hydrated him every hour and he is back, very feisty, mean and terrified of me.
I think it's a very young one, has no flight feathers.
I offered dry cat food and he went straight for it only that he picks the pellets up but doesn't swallow, so my guess is he doesn't know how to eat, yet. I gave him some canned cat food and I think he was able to pick up some.

BTW, he is very skinny, his breast bone is sharp.
This is my first Grackel, so I would need some guidance here.

Thanks 

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hope this helps:

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/information/Quiscalus_quiscula.html


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you, Treesa, that is very helpful.
I wonder if he eats dead insects from the pet store.

Thanks.

Reti


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Reti,

I've never had one come into my care so don't have any useful advice to offer. This site has some good info about their diet in the wild: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/BOW/COMGRA/

Terry


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Reti, 

You could feed him mealworms that are dead with the heads cut off or crickets from the pet stores. Their diet is very similar to that of a crow and the nutrients they need. Boiled eggs would be appreciated as well as nutritious for him.

I would suspect it is too young to know how to swallow so you're going to have to place the soaked dog pellets or whatever you offer to the back of the throat and then he will swallow it.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi again Reti, 

Here is some information on what to feed a baby crow from the yahoo crows group I belong to. These instructions on a baby crow diet would work well for your young grackle too:

*FAQ: I FOUND A BABY CROW (or other CORVID), WHAT DO I DO? 
*
First, thanks for taking this challenge / opportunity on. 

Canned dogfood is good. . .what I have found, too, is that Beneful
dry dogfood, by Purina, is very well-balanced. (NOTICE that I
become repetitious later on, mainly to emphasize my point). Many
of my 
omnivorous birds are thriving on it. In addition, I've been adding 
hardboiled eggyolk, sliced lean beef (Top Roundsteak) rolled in 
calcium powder and bird vitamins, as well as crickets and
mealworms, 
killed, of course, to the dogfood diet. I alternately feed several 
chunks of the different colors of dogfood, then a couple of finely 
sliced pieces of the meat, a few crumbles of the yolk and a few 
crickets and mealworms at each feeding. 

* FEEDINGS:* hardboiled eggyolks and chicken livers are great! High
protein baby cereal, mixed with some chopped top round steak,
beefheart, and soaked, kibbled dogfood. Purina Beneful dogfood
seems to have all required nutrients for most omnivorous baby
birds. Sprinkle with a vitamin powder for birds (Super Preen is
good). Also offer canned whole kernel corn, crickets, mealworms
and waxworms (gotten from most pet and feedstores). For a three
week old baby, feed every half an hour to start, (until the crop is
almost full, not too tight), then every 45 minutes, and finally, after
another week or two, every hour. A heating pad (set on low,
beneath half of the box or carrier the bird is inside of), is good right
now; baby's body should be warmed before feeding. 

I like to soak the kibble in warm water and slightly squeeze it out 
before feeding; this gives the baby enough moisture to start with
while it's still young. Gradually introduce a water-bowl; stainless
steel with a heavy, clean, smooth (or rough) stone is good to use,
as the bird won't be likely to tip it over. Clean it several times a day,
as the baby will eventually and more than likely, start pooping in it.
Crows can be very dirty - or very clean - depending on the individual
birds' personality. Each one is different.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you Terry and Brad.
Seems like I need to do some cooking for the grackel tomorrow.
He seems to be eating the canned cat food, that is all I have for now, will get dog food tomorrow.
Better I get him some beef and eggs. Monday I will buy some worms and crickets.
Great info you gave me there. 

Thanks

Reti


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Boy, does he love the egg. 

Reti


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Reti said:


> Boy, does he love the egg.
> 
> Reti



That's great Reti!!!


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

They will eat flies, worms, meal worms, wax worms, moths, anything that is meat really. Soaked cat and dog food will do. These birds are very smart, they wash their food before eatting it and when they have a nest full of babies they carry their poo outside the nest so it doesn't harm the babies. I took care of one last year and he was such a jem, The other thing I noticed with mine is he/she loved bathing. Hope this helps out. Let us know how he is doing. 

Cindy


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you. They are adorable indeed and I noticed he dips the food in the water.
He had steak, eggyolk, grapes and corn and hamburger.
He is very active especilly when I look at him. Now the pox is starting to close his left eye and he is covered in it so badly, he has it everywhere, incliding both legs and feet.
Hope he recovers poor thing.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Reti, 

Sorry to hear that the pox is getting worse on the young grackle. Is there anything you can put on the lesions to help dry them up?


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am putting on tea tree oil, but can't apply it on the ceres and eye and they look the worse. I hope he will be alright.
He also gets so stressed only when I look at him and starts jumping around in the cage, now his lesions from his foot are bleeding.

Pigeons are so much easier to deal with.

Reti


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Reti said:


> I am putting on tea tree oil, but can't apply it on the ceres and eye and they look the worse. I hope he will be alright.
> He also gets so stressed only when I look at him and starts jumping around in the cage, now his lesions from his foot are bleeding.
> 
> Pigeons are so much easier to deal with.
> ...



Hi Reti, 

Yes, I understand about the eyes and not beging able to put anything really on those areas. All you can really do is treat him for the pox like you would with a pigeon at this point. Pigeons are so much easier to care for like you say, but the pox is making things more difficult for you.

I hope he makes it too, you're doing wonderfully for him


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Reti,


I wonder if topical applications of the Colloidal Silver might help?


Otherwise, they do need Chlorophyl also, which normally they would get form the stomachs and intestines of their Insect fare...for which, you can get powdered 'Super Greens' at a Health Food Store...and you can sort of roll moist Food bits in the powder...

Too, ripe, dark Cherrys or syrup extract, benifits them for their Calcium assimilation needs...

Fresh 'Sushi' is also a very good food for them, and if you have access to a friendly suchi House, try and get some of the skin and or guts too, if they have such...but bear in mind they really need the roughage of the exoskelitans of Insects, as well...

Meal Worms can poison them from bacteria and should be used sparingly...no earthworms, for the same reason...

If you buy the packaged Meal Worms, they will ne usually torpid and malnourished, and you can raise 'them' some more in a bowl with fresh slices of Apple and Potato in a bed of ragular Oat Meal...and at room temperature, not in the fridge...

If feeding Moths of other Winged Insects, pull the Wings off and feed head first of course...

I am not sure how their likeing food 'washed' might complicate things, but you will find out of course...

I sure wish you luck with him...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I can't believe this. I found him dead this morning.
I am just beside myself, I don't know what happened, he seemed to be doing good, was eating, pooping and seemed so active, maybe a bit to stressed.
This is just terrible.

Thank you for all your help.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Oh, Reti.....I'm so SORRY.   

That had to be such a shock since he seemed to be doing so well, except for the pox. 

Sending you a BIG hug.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Reti, 

I'm sorry that the little grackle didn't make it It was probably very sick with the pox as you had mentioned it was covered in scabby lesions. These types of birds are so much more fragile than our pigeons are, in many ways. You did your best and that is all you could do, sorry to read of this outcome this morning


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thank you.
I am thinking now, I should maybe put him on some antibiotics and natural treatments, I just thought I shouldn't handle him too much since he was soooo stressed.
Oh well, too late now.
Seems indeed they are much more fragile than our pigeons.

Reti


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Reti,

I'm so sorry the grackle didn't make it. Crows and ravens are also very susceptible to pox and don't seem to have the ability to withstand the virus as well as our beloved pigeons can and do.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Reti,


Oh hell...


My limited experience with these broader kinds, suggests to me they are pretty fragile sometimes...or at least some seem to make it, and others do not, with little to go on as to 'why' sometimes.

The Pox may well have been acting in areas unknown as well as those conspicuous...

Good try...

I am sorry...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Peapicker (Sep 18, 2000)

Hi Reti,

I too have a baby grackel and I was talking to a rehabber friend about him this morning. She said they are very hard to wean but a good way is to par boil corn-on-the-cob and put a piece in their enclosure - their curiosity will cause them to start pecking at it, and apparently they love the taste. I'm keeping this in mind for my little one.

 Marjorie


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