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Bird Feeding.

cowslip2cowslip2 Posts: 137
in Wildlife gardening

Does anyone have knowledge or thoughts on feeding fat to garden birds. I am particularly thinking of the fat  which has been used for cooking a meat joint. I hasten to add , this would be rendered many times so that all impurities have been thrown away.

Posts

  • Beaus MumBeaus Mum Posts: 3,554

    I don't know cowslip but look forward to those who do know 

    Wouldn't chicken meat fat be like cannibalism? image

     

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    Beef fat is harder. Pork fat can be messy. Don't use if you have salted the joint before or during cooking. Salt is bad for the birds.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,136

    As Fidget says, don't use fat that doesn't harden at room temperature (this includes chicken and pork fat).  The birds get the grease on their beaks and then wipe it on their feathers and they get in a mess and the feathers don't work to keep them warm etc. 

    Beef fat is fine as long as it has no salt in it.  Don't use fat mixed with oil. 

    If you want to make Birdcakes you can buy tubs of beef dripping from the butcher image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FlorriebundaFlorriebunda Posts: 1

    Thanks, Dovefromabove -- I'd read somewhere that fat from cooked meat could gum up their feathers but couldn't see how that works.  I see now!

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