It's great that you are doing so much research but try not to worry too much. Corvids survive on some very random diets and in very harsh conditions.
As far as peanuts go, I just avoid them altogether in any form. Others feed peanut butter, but I just prefer not to. I dislike peanut butter anyway, so I don't have any in the house
I found this site, that has information about Diet for an African Pied Crow, so another Corvid from Africa.
'Diet
Although they take an incredibly wide range of foods, Pied Crows have distinct carnivorous leanings. Rodents, carrion, eggs and insects form a large part of the natural diet.
Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by Greg Hume
Crow owners have had success with diets based on cat and dog foods, but I prefer a diet similar to that I’ve used for many Corvid species in zoos. Commercial bird-of-prey diet, into which I mix pigeon pellets and softbill food, provides the bulk of their food intake. I believe that whole mice (or chicks) and insects are essential in assuring proper calcium intake and general good health. Tossing a handful of crickets or other insects into your crow’s aviary is a wonderful way to keep the bird occupied, especially if the insects are able to hide. Canned grasshoppers, snails and other invertebrates can be used to provide critical dietary variety. A wide range of vegetables, chopped nuts, and fruits (in moderate amounts) should also be provided. Hard-boiled eggs are an especially favored treat.
The Pied Crow’s natural diet contains a good number of whole animals, and is likely calcium-rich. In addition to pink or adult mice, pets should receive calcium and vitamin/mineral supplements. Natural sunlight and full spectrum bulbs will help assure adequate Vitamin D levels.'
Crows as Pets: The African Pied Crow, a Most Intelligent Bird It seems that this person has worked with Corvids in zoos and it looks like they may have some interesting links. I'm sure you could email them.
I also found this http://www.riverbanks.org/subsite/pact/corvids.pdf - perhaps you could hunt down other material by the author?
Here are some other links that may be of use. I'm at work so can't read them properly to check:
White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis
camelsandfriends.com
White-necked Raven - Pictures and facts - Birds @ thewebsiteofeverything.com
Also, some links on high iron foods:
Top 10 Foods Highest in Iron
Top 10 Iron-Rich Foods: Foods High in Iron
You could try contacting some zoos that keep them and see if they could give you guidance on diet? If you get hold of a keeper that loves Corvids, I'm sure they'd be willing to give you lots of info. Also, see if you can contact people who post videos of their Ravens on Youtube or have blogs about them. Bird people are always willing to share.
Have you read Corvid by Esther Woolfson? It's a beautiful book about a woman who rescued various members of the corvid family over the years.
Also, Caw of the Wild:Observations from the Secret World of Crows by Barb Kirpluk?
Anyway, like the breeder says, they are highly adaptable. Bird nutrition is still massively under debate for captive parrots, so probably even more so for captive corvids. Sometimes you just have to make educated assumptions and feed what you think is best.
As far as peanuts go, I just avoid them altogether in any form. Others feed peanut butter, but I just prefer not to. I dislike peanut butter anyway, so I don't have any in the house
I found this site, that has information about Diet for an African Pied Crow, so another Corvid from Africa.
'Diet
Although they take an incredibly wide range of foods, Pied Crows have distinct carnivorous leanings. Rodents, carrion, eggs and insects form a large part of the natural diet.
Uploaded to Wikipedia Commons by Greg Hume
Crow owners have had success with diets based on cat and dog foods, but I prefer a diet similar to that I’ve used for many Corvid species in zoos. Commercial bird-of-prey diet, into which I mix pigeon pellets and softbill food, provides the bulk of their food intake. I believe that whole mice (or chicks) and insects are essential in assuring proper calcium intake and general good health. Tossing a handful of crickets or other insects into your crow’s aviary is a wonderful way to keep the bird occupied, especially if the insects are able to hide. Canned grasshoppers, snails and other invertebrates can be used to provide critical dietary variety. A wide range of vegetables, chopped nuts, and fruits (in moderate amounts) should also be provided. Hard-boiled eggs are an especially favored treat.
The Pied Crow’s natural diet contains a good number of whole animals, and is likely calcium-rich. In addition to pink or adult mice, pets should receive calcium and vitamin/mineral supplements. Natural sunlight and full spectrum bulbs will help assure adequate Vitamin D levels.'
Crows as Pets: The African Pied Crow, a Most Intelligent Bird It seems that this person has worked with Corvids in zoos and it looks like they may have some interesting links. I'm sure you could email them.
I also found this http://www.riverbanks.org/subsite/pact/corvids.pdf - perhaps you could hunt down other material by the author?
Here are some other links that may be of use. I'm at work so can't read them properly to check:
White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis
camelsandfriends.com
White-necked Raven - Pictures and facts - Birds @ thewebsiteofeverything.com
Also, some links on high iron foods:
Top 10 Foods Highest in Iron
Top 10 Iron-Rich Foods: Foods High in Iron
You could try contacting some zoos that keep them and see if they could give you guidance on diet? If you get hold of a keeper that loves Corvids, I'm sure they'd be willing to give you lots of info. Also, see if you can contact people who post videos of their Ravens on Youtube or have blogs about them. Bird people are always willing to share.
Have you read Corvid by Esther Woolfson? It's a beautiful book about a woman who rescued various members of the corvid family over the years.
Also, Caw of the Wild:Observations from the Secret World of Crows by Barb Kirpluk?
Anyway, like the breeder says, they are highly adaptable. Bird nutrition is still massively under debate for captive parrots, so probably even more so for captive corvids. Sometimes you just have to make educated assumptions and feed what you think is best.