The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Other => Topic started by: Hatty on May 15, 2011, 06:51:30 pm
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I have found a baby Magpie there was no way I could leave it where it was, now I have the dilemma of what to feed it? I have been giving it a mixture of meal worms and layers pellets made in to a sort of porridge with warm water. has anyone any ideas
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Hi Hatty,
If it was me that found a baby magpie, I would have no hesitation to bump it off. Sorry the truth is, they steal all the free range eggs and kill the young birds of other species. This is just my opinion.
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I used to have a baby maggie and a jackdaw, I looked after them for a charity. If I remember rightly we used mushed up cat food and worms. If you use worms on really tiny babies you must break the skin so they can digest the inside of the worm. The mother birds dash the worms on a stone to do this.I beleive this to be true but my memory might be playing tricks. Dont get familiar too familiar either, they are like magnets and neighbours might not like Magpies landing on their heads. That bit I do remember!
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Thanks Hermit, I'll try the catfood thing, it was in the middle of a busy road and so scared, I just couldn't leave it. I had a Magpie as a Kid it adopted me someone had had and clipped its wing. that spent a lot of time on my head lol.
I've got 5 acres so its welcome to share, as for it eating eggs, me too!! hope you wouldn't do me in lol its all part of the food chain
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should try to keep itas a pet,yes magpiescan bea pest but they are very intelligent birds, and get a bad press.
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In a nutshell anything.......I'm afraid I'm not a lover of Magpies but I can understand your sentiment in lifting it out of the road.
They are just so destructive on the wild bird population ,their inquisitive intelligence and nature makes them the perfect predator for nesting birds, they observe all that's going on.
I had many magpies as so called pets when I was younger….. they sent fear into neighbouring family's a fair distance away that didn't like birds in general let alone landing on them or following them around.
Personally I would dispatch if it were me or if push comes to shove a local animal sanctuary may help….And wouldn't recommend keeping a Magpie as a pet.
Just my thoughts!
Dave
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This is the time of year when it is quite common to find baby birds away from the nest as they start to fledge. They really are best left alone and nature allowed to take its course. Either mum/dad isn't as far away as you realise or ... But then it only needs two birds to survive out of the all the young reared together with their parents until the next year for the population to remain the same.
However in answer to the question they eat meat - try tinned dog or cat food.
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Little one doing well, on the cat food meal worm mix, daren't tell the cat where his dinner is going lol,
Everyone who thinks I'm a bit mad doing this your right!!! but that's just me I would not have forgiven myself if I had left it and it had got squashed. All animals/birds deserve a chance as far as I am concerned, who are we to pick choose what deserves to live and what dies?
I would do exactly the same for any animal or bird not sure about the humans though? As a whole we do more to decimate wild bird/animal numbers than any magpie, through development, so called progress and intensive farming methods.
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If one's seen on my land is has a bullet straight away. Magpies love cat food, our larson traps work well with it. Unfortunately they also love the insides of my lambs, particularly whilst their still alive ... nasty, horrible creatures!!
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Add raw meat & bits of chopped liver and the odd small uncooked cracked egg into the diet to keep it healthy .
Also offer some soft fresh greens and the odd slice of apple it will also be happier with clean water that has stood for 12 hrs to lose the chlorine or stream water if you have it fresh on site.