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Feeding birds.
cowslip2
Posts: 137
I am most concerned having just read about the fat balls so many of us hang up for our garden birds. It was said that many of these are low in fat, and include fillers like sand, sawdust, and even glue. Oh dear, I am shocked and upset. How can we be expected to know such things? I guess there are many makes. and indeed shops selling bird food. No doubt a paying game, as so many of us are keen to do our best for our lovely garden birds at this time of year. What can we do?
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http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/bird-food/suet-and-fat/suet-balls.html
As with most things in life, we get what we pay for - and if something looks too good to be true, it usually is
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Not just quality also size.
several years ago it took three balls to fill feeder now four.
home made does the job
There are several sources rpound here and they all seem to be about the same price as the RSPB ones. I suppose the best way to check is to heat one of them and see what transpires. Could also apply to several other suet/fat bird feeders like coconut halves.
I am guilty of buying cheap fatballs
although I do always make sure they don't have nets.
I love feeding the birds and seeing them in my garden but feel loathed to be spending more on garden birds than I do on my own pets.
Does anyone have recommendations of reasonably priced and good quality bird food that you can buy in reasonably large quantities online?
Thank you muchly!
Have a look here http://www.wildaboutbirds.co.uk/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Why not make your own fat balls or fat feeders, its very easy and you know what the birds are getting.
Recipe: lard, suet, various nuts and seeds, bread, dried fruit, meal worms, bung the lot into a saucepan to melt the lard mix then pop the mixtures, into old yoghurt containers to set. You can pop a piece of wire/string in the in the middle to hang them, hey presto, fat feeds. Quality assured, no dangerous plastic or netting for the birds to get caught in. You can use old pine cones and pack them with the mixture as well.
How long does it keep when you make your own?
I have bought cheap ones before in a sealed tub. When I opened them they were very crumbly but I put them out (without nets). Birds refused to eat them!
I now give them either suet pellets which they love (but aren't cheap) or the 'basics brand' of raisins from my local supermarket. I also mix with the wild bird seed to keep the smaller species happy.
Bumping up
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.