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When should I start feeding the birds again?

2

Posts

  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    They need food all year round. Not sure you can do much about rats. They are there, whether you feed the birds or not.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I buy my bird seed from Leclerc @floralies and our assorted visitors hoover it all up.   I add whole sunflower seed when I see them on sale.

    We can get net free fat balls form CAVAC but I've rarely seen sunflower hearts on sale and yes, they are very expensive.   Haven't seen peanuts for ages and can only get fat blocks with fruits, peanuts or mealworms in autumn and winter.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    edited October 2022
    I feed the birds sunflower seeds all year round. Mainly have goldfinches and tits.
    recently changed supplier to get chopped sunflower seeds as I found there is less waste on the ground and hopefully less rats (which we see occasionally). Actually I found a dead one this morning by our garage, most probably poisoned.
     I pay around £53 for 20.1kg  every 2 or 3 months  with free postage.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • sutton.langleysutton.langley Posts: 38
    There are still plenty of seeds in the countryside where stubble has yet to be plowed, but yes give them all a choice from now onwards
  • SYinUSASYinUSA Posts: 243
    We feed year-round as well. If rats were a concern here, I'd still feed but try to place the bird feeder as far from the house as possible. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We feed them off ground and sweep up at night. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'm thinking it's not a good idea to let the birds become dependant. What happens if you go on holiday for a couple of weeks or move to another house or move to a better place? I would like to think of my feeding as back up. More necessary at some times of year than others.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    My feeder is quite a way from the house but the rat I saw was carrying a lump of something , not from my feeder along the fence and across my patio.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    @B3, I suspect they just go elsewhere whilst we're on holiday. They soon come back within days of our return. There is a housing estate behind us and woods/countryside nearby so I'm sure they don't go hungry!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • InTheMoorlandsInTheMoorlands Posts: 161
    We feed all the year round.  I've notice that late summer is the time when the birds lose interest in the bird feeder, so there must be an abundance of food elsewhere.  Rats are no problem as we have two cats!
    At about 750 feet on the western edge of The Pennines.  Clay soil.  
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