Wildbird Food?

Crescendo_2

Hi
What ingredients go in to suet balls for wildbirds - and what can I put out for the following:

Blackbirds, at least 1 Robin, wrens, blue tits, great tits, doves and the usual sparrows and starlings.

I already put out shop bought fat balls but they're not that cheap - peanuts (in a feeder) wildbird seed, wet bread, cheese, sultanas.

Is there any way I can make these into a fat ball to save some money but not letting the birds go without?

Thanks in advance

Cres

longforgotten

I did this ages ago .......

Bought a block of lard, melted some and when it was cool I mixed in some bird seed. I used a yoghurt pot to put the mix in to set, had some string to hang the pot upside down. Anyway I suppose you could put your mix into any container really.

Birds seemed to like it, and the lard was very cheap to buy

Lizzieanne

I've also made the 'fat balls' at home with great success.
You can set all sorts of things in them - seeds, fruit etc.

In my garden, the Great Tits and Starlings seem to love the fat balls, the Blackbirds prefer the dried fruit (I buy the supermarket value range) and the Doves and Robins like the seed. They all have a nibble at the bread. It's a good idea to have some different feeding stations - some birds prefer to feed on the ground, some on a bird table. Blackbirds like to feed under a bush so I always put some extra food under a shrub for them. They soon get used to where to look!

louise_1981

wilkinsons have their fat packs on bogof 99p at the minute, buy nuts 89p and fat balls 6 for 99p from homebargains find that rather cheap, also buy sultanas but me and the birds share them, so I don't really mind, certainly would not have the time to make them!!

frivolous_fay

I've put a couple of the Bill Oddie fat thingies out - the ones with mealworms sticking out of the top!

Everything seems to love them (although I was hoping to attract the robins really) The tits go for it mainly, but we've also seen a woodpecker, the magpies occasionally come in for a big beakful, and I've also seen the squirrels clinging madly to it... one way or another it's been half eaten away in the space of 4 days!

Anyone got any good mealworm recipes... or indeed a source for (dead) mealworms? :rotfl:

sammiboo

frivolous_fay wrote: »

I've put a couple of the Bill Oddie fat thingies out - the ones with mealworms sticking out of the top!

Everything seems to love them (although I was hoping to attract the robins really) The tits go for it mainly, but we've also seen a woodpecker, the magpies occasionally come in for a big beakful, and I've also seen the squirrels clinging madly to it... one way or another it's been half eaten away in the space of 4 days!

Anyone got any good mealworm recipes... or indeed a source for (dead) mealworms? :rotfl:

Your local garden centre should supply dead mealworms although they arent cheap.

I worked at a bird sanctuary for 10 years, if you want a cheap to make food and something they will really like then try making scrambled egg but without milk or salt. To make it slightly runny just add water.

V_Chic_Chick

Just whatever you do, don't give them anything that is even remotely rotten or mouldy - it has a horrible tendency to kill them, with surprising regularity.

glenstan

I have recently been putting the posh bill oddie wild bird food out , cos it was on offer in our local netto, its still there after 4 days. Think they " the birdies " prefer the cheap and cheerful stuff from local greengrocers.

newleaf

I get bags of reduced apples at Morrisons, I slice them in half and put them on the grass, the Blackbirds love them. Got a huge bag today for 79p and they will last a good while.
I get my seed ('Ultiva') from Garden Bird - they are on Quidco. The bigger bags are expensive, but very good value.

setmefree2

I'm lucky enough to have an apple tree in my garden. By now I've usally bagged up all the fallen apples either for cooking or into recycling but this year some got left on the ground. I've never had so many birds in my garden. They are loving those apples - peck peck peck. Next year I'm gonna be leaving some out just for them. Fabtastic.:D

Jake'sGran

glenstan wrote: »

I have recently been putting the posh bill oddie wild bird food out , cos it was on offer in our local netto, its still there after 4 days. Think they " the birdies " prefer the cheap and cheerful stuff from local greengrocers.

I used to buy a cheaper one but noticed that there was an awful lot of one particular seed in it. We had a little used plant pot (wih soil) under the feeder because the birds seemed to throw this seed out. The plant pot is full of grass! Now I buy the one with a picture of Bill Oddie on the front. They sell it at Wilkinsons but it gets eaten very quickly so I am now spending a lot on birdfird. Sunflower seed hearts bring very interesting birds as do nyger seeds (all the tits like these). Fat balls are very popular and I've been buying these at Quality Save for 49p for 4. Must go to Netto to find the good seed. Where all the food is in our garden is a shrubbery area and the noise when I come home is wonderful. I just love birds..... and my garden.