PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Feeding the Birds

Options
Can anybody tell me what the best home made food for wild birds is? I ask because I put one of those nets of peanuts out for the birds on Tuesday, and it's nearly all finished! It was 99p, not terribly expensive I know, but I haven't noticed any robins helping themselves (awww!) even though I have seen them in the garden.

NB I don't buy bread otherwise I live off sandwiches (I am such a slob) so breadcrumbs aren't really an option.

Oh just in case anyone is wondering about me being a cat owner and the wisdom of attracting wild birds to my back garden...one of my cats is 17 and in all the years I have had her has only ever caught fleas (sorry!) so i don't think she's going to start hunting now. The other one hasn't a clue about how to hunt - he practically rings a bell to let the birds know he is there. And I hung the peanuts high up on a fence which the cats can't climb anyway - the birdies are therefore safe.
«13456738

Comments

  • rchddap1
    rchddap1 Posts: 5,926 Forumite
    Birds eat food like its gone out of fashion. However, when the baby birds are around its better to use seed than peanuts. We bought a large 25Kg bag of wild bird seed from Pets at Home last year for £9.99.
    Baby Year 1: Oh dear...on the move

    Lily contracted Strep B Meningitis Dec 2006 :eek: Now seemingly a normal little monster. :beer:
    Love to my two angels that I will never forget.
  • Nile
    Nile Posts: 14,845 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    SnowyOwl wrote:
    Can anybody tell me what the best home made food for wild birds is? I ask because I put one of those nets of peanuts out for the birds on Tuesday, and it's nearly all finished! It was 99p, not terribly expensive I know, but I haven't noticed any robins helping themselves (awww!) even though I have seen them in the garden.

    A better idea is to buy a wire feeder for peanuts. This will help in two ways.

    1 It will make the peanuts last longer, because the birds won't be able to widen the wire mesh (like they could with a net bag) to speed up access to the peanuts.

    2 It will be safer for the wild birds who are currently feeding young chicks. If a young chick is fed a whole peanut it will choke and die. However, a wire feeder will only allow a bird to take small bits of peanuts out, not a whole peanut.

    My tip is to visit your local pet shop (not the big superstore type) and buy your peanuts and sunflowers (without husks) at a cheaper price.
    10 Dec 2007 - Led Zeppelin - I was there. :j [/COLOR]:cool2: I wear my 50 (gold/red/white) blood donations pin badge with pride. [/SIZE][/COLOR]Give blood, save a life. [/B]
  • Galtizz
    Galtizz Posts: 1,016 Forumite
    There's a recipe for lard cake somewhere, I'll see if I can find it, it doesn't seem to be on the recipe board :D

    Edit: HERE it is, also loads of ideas HERE

    Check out the Springwatch website It's got how to make a bird table, nest box and feeder from a milk carton, and don't forget to order your free pack
    When life hands you a lemon, make sure you ask for tequilla and salt ;)
  • Vermilion
    Vermilion Posts: 33 Forumite
    Scraps are good, but if you can plant one or two things in your garden that birds like, you create food and/or shelter for free.

    I find this RSPB Guide a big help.

    Some peanuts are toxic to wild birds, including some of those sold as suitable for human consumption, as the toxin is harmless to us. Bulk buying "safe" peanuts is probably the best money saving way of feeding peanuts unless anyone knows another way?
  • SnowyOwl_2
    SnowyOwl_2 Posts: 5,257 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Oh Galtizz what a brilliant site, thank you! I am definitely going to do the bird table and also that trick with the milk carton.

    Thanks also for the tips about whole peanuts, I will go and retrieve my net thingy and give it a few good whacks with a spade to break the peanuts up, then return it.

    I have a Haithe catalogue - it's v.good, however their delivery charges to us in N.Ireland are astronomical.
  • spendaholic
    spendaholic Posts: 1,550 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Debt-free and Proud! Name Dropper
    Hello SnowyOwl.

    We feed the birds and they really can eat for England (or even the wild west). We're not supposed to put bread out because of the high starch levels ... but it never, ever does our birds any harm. You can buy seed very cheaply from little hardware stores or small pet shops - the bigger the shop or chain, the bigger the price - or you can get it in bulk via mail order.

    I haven't quite worked out the lard cake mixes for ours but find they're perfectly happy with a bit of seed and broken nuts covered with cooking fat from the Sunday joint.

    If you have many babies, keep the earth turned so their parents (and them) can dig up grubs and worms - much cheaper than buying live food - and leave plenty of water out.

    EDIT: Bruised apples make a nice snack for starlings, blackbirds and thrushes. And the thrushes will help you with any snail problem.
    spendy/she/her ***DEBT-FREE DATE: 11 NOVEMBER 2022!*** Highest debt: £35k (2006) MY WINS: £3,541 CASH; £149 Specsavers voucher; free eye test; goody bag from Scottish Book Trust; tickets to Grand Designs Live; 2-year access to Feel Amazing App (worth £100); Home Improvement & Renovation Show tickets; £50 to spend on chocolate; Harlem Globetrotters tickets; Jesus Christ Superstar tickets + 2 t-shirts; Guardians of the Galaxy goody bag; Birmingham City v Barnsley FC tickets; Marillion tickets; Dancing on Ice tickets; Barnsley FC v Millwall tickets
  • aurorahelios
    aurorahelios Posts: 376 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Robins are ground feeders, they don't have the dexterity to feed from hanging feeders. You could try a bit of grated cheese, either on the ground or a table. In my garden this attracts both the robins and blackbirds.
  • gemmaj
    gemmaj Posts: 434 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Lard cakes sound good for winter but I read you aren't supposed to give them fats in summer, just seeds and nuts and things.

    I too have just started feeding the birds (bought my house and moved in 2 weeks ago!) - so far my best idea for cheap feeding is to try and grow my own sunflower plants - if they flower they will feed the birds themselves or they could be harvested! (It all started by accident when some sunflower seeds got wet on the table and started sprouting!)

    I'm with you on the Haithes/magazines postage - most places wont post to Guernsey and places that will want double figures!
  • Galtizz
    Galtizz Posts: 1,016 Forumite
    Sorry to hijak your thread SnowyOwl, but I've been thinking about adding loads of things to attract the birds because I like to watch them, but are they good for the garden or not??

    It's my first year of gardening and I've just got things growing, I understand that thrushes eat snails so they would be good, but are they going to eat all my strawberries and seedlings? If they do I might just put loads of food out in autumn and winter.
    When life hands you a lemon, make sure you ask for tequilla and salt ;)
  • born_blonde
    born_blonde Posts: 357 Forumite
    Have a look in Yellow pages for your local seed merchant. I buy my bird food in 20kg sacks for £7 a time this works out at about 17 -18 pence a lb. in old money. I also get my peanuts there by the sack but they are still expensive at £17 a sack once again 20kg. Yes we do have a lot of wild birds, my husband says they come from miles away. I feed them all year but chrush the peanuts during breeding season. They also love cheese and last night old pakoras! I keep the seed in a plastic dustbin under a dry hedge and unfortuately one sack lasts a month.
    C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Able Archer
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.2K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.