Birdfood (1 Viewer)

[Steve]

I cant believe the speed the feeders can be emptied, at his time of year. I buy The RSPB food sort of brown pink colour, I think its 2kgs, it looks mainly full of sunflower seeds, but boy does it disappear quickly! How much can your average Great Tit Eat?
not to mention the Robins who can also balance on the feeders and eat for africa! I have no record but I should think I passed a Metric Tonne (1000kg or 2200lbs) which is 500 bags long ago, on average they munch there way through 3 bags a week. I should say I live on an old farm, so I presume they come for miles around. I have been feeding The Birds in the same place for over 5 years, so how many generations have come and gone?


I have tried buying in bulk, but I believe the birds really do notice second rate nosh, and do seem to thrive on the RSPB stuff.
My tables have never really attracted anything out of the ordinary, but Rats are a problem, but living in open countryside I cant really complain and I dont think they do much harm?
unless you know different? Anyone else spending a fortune on there Birds, or am I barking?

steve

 

[IanF]

To be honest we find that the cheapest general seed mixes vanish just as quickly as the dearest.

We purchase in bulk whenever possible, since as Steve says, the feeders are emptied daily, no matter how much food we put out. Now they only get refilled once a day.

We have no vermin problems, though we did have a couple of visits from a little wooodmouse in the Summer. Our biggest scroungers are Pigeons. we lawys used to get half a dozen Collared Doves, which I didn't mind as they only used to feed off the gound and bird table. Now they are gymnasts, balancing on the suspended feeders in order to get at the sunflower hearts. We may have to go back to the husked variety at this rate. Pigeons, Feral and Wood, jsut turn up to gorge themselves, up to 20 at a time. I wish I could think of a way of discouraging only them :-C

 

[monkeyman]

It's usually our sparrow gang that make the biggest inroads into our feeders! Yesterday, with this cold snap, we had (all at one time) ten sparrows, two blackbirds, a dunnock, a robin, a wren, a bluetit and eight collared doves making use of the amenities!

We put out a general bird seed mix, sunflower seeds, nuts and a fat/seed/nut mixture both in a drilled log and a dish. Other scraps get put out too, although our cat tends to nick any fresh fat! We also put out dried mixed fruit for the blackbirds (39p from Asda!). This is very popular.

On a more seasonal point, don't forget to break any ice formed in birdbaths and ponds. Our *pond* was frozen over yesterday. I *de-iced* it and within minutes the blackbirds were there for a drink, followed by the sparrows and doves! Make a habit of checking their "watering holes" every morning!

B

 

[MikePearson]

Hmmmmmmmm, call me a hick from the sticks, (go on I dare ya), but rats are not good, I shoot on sight, sorry if that offends. If you watched the life of mammals last night and saw the breeding rates of house mice, well rats are just as prolific. Try to avoid to much spillage of seed on the ground. If you have been feeding for a long time watch at dawn and dusk for these pesky critters. Its surprising how quick they will find there way into your nice warm centrally heated domicile!

 

[ralph]

You ain't kidding that they eat loads ... I went to fill up my feeder at the bottom of the garden and look what I found ...

SEE ATTACHED

 

[Reader]

I envy you all. If I only half fill a feeder I will still have the same amount a week later. I have never known a garden like this. There are days when Ros doesn't see a bird when she is out there. We have so many Rats and Mice around here that our German Shepherd x Collie has a nightly chase with them when we let him out in the Garden.

 

[Andy Bright]

Nice tick, Ralph
I feed about 20kg of hi-energy no-mess seed a month during the winter, from 4 feeders with 16 feeding ports. Table feed is about 30-40kg a month (hi-energy table feed). 5 peanut feeders, fat cake with insects (for Blackcaps) and plenty of apples.

Have thought about Niger seed..... but my Goldfinches seem happy enough with black oil-rich sunflower seed (yanks call it BOSS).

Rat problem arises a couple of times a year..... I'm like Mike, they are clinically dispatched with a silent pneumatic rifle. If I lived in a rural setting I'd be more tolerant, in urban Watford I have to think of the neighbours.... and the council who would turn-up will all sorts of poisons.
You have to act quickly, usually two adults and 8-10 youngsters need to be removed before they start breeding again.
I like Rats... their only 'crime' is being too clever and successful, I never like to see them in the garden because I'll enevitably have to shoot them (but I invite them with the bird food?)
Andy B

 

[wigeon]

I've switched from black sunflowers to hearts, to avoid too much mess, but have just seen evidence if a new rat visitor. This happens every two or three years, and we have to get the rat man in to put down poison, which I hate doing, but it's quite right that you have to think of the neighbours, and Weil's (spelling?) disease. The rat man always tells me not to feed the birds, but there's no way I can stop that. My sparrows have decreased from 15-20 down to 6-8 in the last year. Numbers of tits, greenfinches, chaffinches, collared doves, dunnocks and robins are holding up well, and a pair of goldfinches regularly visit the niger seeds. Incidentally, the sparrows like those, too.

 

[IanF]

Hi wigeon, welcome to the site. We extensively use sunflower hearts too. We cured the problem of the mess and avoided vermin problems by having a plastic tray affixed to the bottom of the feeders. Next to nothing falls onto the lawn now.
we use one of the RSPB Defender feeders with a purpose designed round plastic tray clipped to the base. I don't know whether you've seen them, but something similar can be made using a paper plate.

 

[burhinus]

Hi Ralph

We cannot accept your bird Ralph unless Mr Evans has seen a picture of it and given it his blesing. Then all other mortals can go twitch. Sorry.

On a feeding front my garden is fairly quiet at the mo. It always picks up in the new year from about Feb through to early June. I always get higher concentrations of finch's in my garden then.

burhinus

 

[Paulyoly]

Hmmmmmmmm, call me a hick from the sticks, (go on I dare ya), but rats are not good, I shoot on sight, sorry if that offends. If you watched the life of mammals last night and saw the breeding rates of house mice, well rats are just as prolific. Try to avoid to much spillage of seed on the ground. If you have been feeding for a long time watch at dawn and dusk for these pesky critters. Its surprising how quick they will find there way into your nice warm centrally heated domicile!

I feed the rats!! Rat poison, i keep rat poison on hand just like birdseed, i spread it under my house where only the rats can get at it, works like a charm. the only rats i have now look like thiso

 

[KC Foggin]

As I usually only feed during the nesting season and the coldest days of winter my feeding bill is probably not as large as what you are spending year round. But..... to discourage any ground mess I only feed sunflower hearts and that does get quite expensive. During the times that I feed them my monthly bill for the sunflower hearts can run as much as 100. If I spread it out over the years time though it is not as costly as what you are probably spending.

 

[Toucha kent]

steve Yes, I understand where you are coming from I put out at least 20 lbs.a week . Here lately the squirrels have been getting into it also. So I am going to put out squirrel feeders also. But Im not complaining because I enjoy watching them.