Crows aren’t picky. They will generally eat anything they can get their hands on, mainly when they are older.
On the other hand, baby crows need a more specialized diet and help to consume their food.
What do baby crows eat? Baby crows need a crow diet high in protein, so food like eggs, meat, human baby food, pet food, nuts, seeds, and grains are perfect. The food must also be softened so the crow chicks can eat them more easily.
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What Do Baby Crows Eat?
Like all young, baby crows need a lot of nutrients to grow strong and healthy. In particular, a crow baby bird diet should be at least 40-50% protein. The same is true if you are wondering what do baby ravens eat.
Here are eleven things you can feed a baby crow.
1. Eggs
Chicken or duck eggs are a great source of protein for baby crows. They can eat eggs raw, scrambled, poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, or any other way you want to prepare them.
2. Meat
Raw beef heart, kidney, and liver are excellent protein sources for crow chicks, but they will gladly eat any soft, preferably mashed-up meat, whether chicken, fish, beef, or turkey.
Always remove all bones before feeding them to the baby crow to avoid choking.
Note: Do not feed your crow processed meats such as ham, sausage, or anything salted or cured.
3. Pet food
Cat or dog food is an excellent nutritional option for baby crows. They can enjoy pet food both as pellets or as soft treats.
4. Vegetables
Baby crows love their greens, too! You can feed crows pumpkins, peas, beans, potatoes, peppers, and almost all other vegetables as long as they are adequately mashed up or softened.
5. Berries and fruit
Strawberries are a crow’s favorite food. They also enjoy other berries and soft fruits, including blueberries, cranberries, bananas, grapes, watermelons, and more.
6. Insects
When the baby crows reach about two weeks old, they can begin eating insects, much like what baby blackbirds eat. Great insects for crow chicks include green caterpillars (that are NOT hairy), grasshoppers, crickets, and mealworms.
Other Food That Baby Crows Like
The following should be given in lesser quantities to your baby crow. Though they contain essential vitamins and nutrients, they aren’t quite as crucial to a baby crow as their protein intake.
1. Seeds
Crows like to eat almost any type of seed, mainly black oil sunflower, and pumpkin seeds.
2. Nuts
Baby crows will eat almonds, acorns, peanuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, and more. Make sure to feed them only shelled, unsalted, and sugar-free nuts. Also, in the wild, nuts, seeds, and grains are essential for crows in the winter.
3. Grains
Grains are great not only for protein but for their fiber! What food do crows like in the grains category? They like corn, wheat, barley, oats, millet, buckwheat, sorghum, and rice.
Cooked and uncooked grains are fine.
4. Bread
Baby crows eat bread but only feed them bits of whole grain brains that do not contain much sugar. You should also soften it in water first.
5. Baby food and cereals
Mashed baby food and cereals are nutritionally curated to help with a baby’s growth–and those nutrients are perfect for baby animals such as crow chicks, too!
Tips to Feed Baby Crows
Feeding baby crows is a little more work than feeding adults, but it can be gratifying once you get the hang of it.
- Always soften its food first by soaking it in water or mashing it until the crow is about six weeks of age.
- Take note of its preferences. Each bird will have its likes and dislikes. Be observant and notice which foods your crow gobbles down and which it pushes away.
- Make them comfortable. Birds can get scared by things like loud noises and their reflection. Try to create a comfortable environment to feed them with no mirrors or sudden loud noises.
- Feed it on a regular schedule. Giving your baby crow a predictable routine helps it trust you and develop a schedule.
- Take note of its feeding requirements. As crows age, they need feeding less often. Here is a timetable for reference:
| Age | Frequency of Feeding | Amount of Food |
| 1-2 Weeks | Every 30 minutes, from sunrise until midnight. | Newborn: 1mL food per feed.
One week: 2-3mL food per feed. Two weeks: 5-6mL food per feed. |
| 3-4 Weeks | Every 45 minutes | 1-2 tablespoons of food per feed. |
| 4-5 Weeks | Every hour | 1-2 tablespoons of food per feed. |
| 5-9 Weeks | Dry food must always be available, with fresh food given 3-4 times a day.
They should slowly be weaned off hand-feeding as they get older. |
|
| Four months onward | Dry food must always be available, with fresh food given 2-3 times a day.
They will be eating independently already. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do not baby crows eat?
All birds are lactose intolerant. Never give your baby crow milk or other dairy products! Chocolate, in particular, can be lethal for them!
Additionally, never salt or season food for crows. Crows eat salted peanuts, but it is not suitable for them. Birds are much smaller than us, and even tiny amounts of salt can be enough to dehydrate them or cause kidney problems.
Particular food can be toxic to crows, both babies and adults alike, including uncooked and dried beans and the seeds of peaches, apples, pears, and cherries.
How often should you feed a baby crow?
In the beginning, baby crows must eat very frequently–about once every half hour. As they age, they eat less frequently, eventually settling at only 2-3 times a day in adulthood.
Should I give a baby crow water?
Definitely! All living creatures need to eat and drink to survive.
When baby crows eat in the wild, the newborn baby crow gets water through its food. Its parents soak the food in water before feeding it to the chick, which softens it and allows the baby crow to become hydrated.
At home, it is advised you do the same thing until they are about three weeks old. After that age, you can leave water in a bowl for the juvenile crow to drink.
Conclusion
What do baby crows eat? Pretty much anything! However, their optimal diet will include protein-packed food, including eggs, meat, and fruit.
However, try not to get too attached to your crow chick, especially if you have raised it from infancy. It is illegal to keep crows as pets in the US, and you would need to release it once it comes of age at 5-6 months.
Ultimately, it’s comforting to remember that we only want the best for our baby crows, and they will be the happiest in the wild among their kind.
George and I became friends after a birdwatching trip with our new group. And we have been enjoying every adventure together. When he told me the idea of establishing a site that shares our experiences and fun, I immediately agreed. After trials and errors, here we have Thayerbirding.
