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What's wrong with the fat balls? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter deborah4
- Start date
deborah4
Well-known member
change of mind
Since my first post, I have subsequently removed the coconut shells as they remained uneaten, as did the new ones I had put up.
Following other's suggestions: I made my own mix from suet fat, mixed seeds, and cereal. This also remained untouched. I had put this in a small hanging empty bird bath, but the offground birds preferred the normal feeders and even stopped coming to them.
Today I took the bath down and emptied the contents on the ground. Apart from a tentative feed by a blackbird and a few pigeons that too was largely ignored. (I thought at least the seagulls would eat it!) The finches and tits returned to the feeders about 15 minutes later. Was this a coincidence?!!
I know others here have said their fat mixes and coconuts have been popular and some have said not !!
What, if anything, is making the difference?
Since my first post, I have subsequently removed the coconut shells as they remained uneaten, as did the new ones I had put up.
Following other's suggestions: I made my own mix from suet fat, mixed seeds, and cereal. This also remained untouched. I had put this in a small hanging empty bird bath, but the offground birds preferred the normal feeders and even stopped coming to them.
Today I took the bath down and emptied the contents on the ground. Apart from a tentative feed by a blackbird and a few pigeons that too was largely ignored. (I thought at least the seagulls would eat it!) The finches and tits returned to the feeders about 15 minutes later. Was this a coincidence?!!
I know others here have said their fat mixes and coconuts have been popular and some have said not !!
What, if anything, is making the difference?
GiG
Well-known member
I've been buying the 4 pack fat balls from Wilkinson's for 50p each pack at the moment, and they have been eaten and at home and work. They are in a special fat ball holder - like a metal peanut holder with larger spacing, the birds can get their heads inside, this was only 1 or 2 pounds from Wilkinsons. I have not tried their half coconut fat holders though.
The birds in my garden do not seem to eat the peanuts but at work they go quite quickly - I wonder if their choosiness depends on what they are getting in the vicinity, if they can tell the food is old stock as previously mentioned or maybe it is the brand/mixture of food they are getting. I am trying a different brand of peanuts at the moment to see if they are more likeable.
Could be local tastes!
Gi
The birds in my garden do not seem to eat the peanuts but at work they go quite quickly - I wonder if their choosiness depends on what they are getting in the vicinity, if they can tell the food is old stock as previously mentioned or maybe it is the brand/mixture of food they are getting. I am trying a different brand of peanuts at the moment to see if they are more likeable.
Could be local tastes!
Gi
Renee Redstart
Well-known member
I think you've got very fussy birds, Deborah! I started with the RSPB peanut cake, and that went down very well. But as it's expensive to keep up at the rate my birds scoff, I've been making my own. It's basically the cheapest lard melted, and mixed with chopped and ground peanuts that I do in the food processor, set in large yoghurt pots. No seeds, and it's a general consensus that the black sunflower seeds in shells aren't popular in fatcake. I also make a second type of fatcake mixing in insectivorous mixes, such as Prosecto, Softbill mix or Mealworm Crumble, half and half with ground peanuts. I cover the fat ball holders in cling film and surround with foil for support, then fill with the mixture. When they are set, I remove the wrappings and hang out in the bushes. these are very popular with Blackbirds, Starlings and all manner of Tits. They have even attracted a Blackcap pair!deborah4 said:
Good luck from Renée
Renee Redstart
Well-known member
Trevor Lee said:
Hello Trevor.
I sometimes use dried mealworms. Not as much as I would like because they're quite dear. I tried putting them out as they were at first, and no-one was interested. So I started soaking them overnight and they're always eaten. So if it's raining, it wouldn't hurt. I just put them out next to the ground feed mix.
rin
Well-known member
Wow, I hadn't realised what a debate was going on about fat balls.
I too notice that the birds are either 110% on these containers or else ignoring them altogether. I assumed it was due to what else was on offer in the garden. I get in bother from him indoors, he says the birds are better fed and looked after than he is !!! (it is true too, they don't make demands!)
My regulars are always starlings, sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds and collared doves. The starlings and sparrows are the only birds to munch at the fat ball containers whilst the starlings and dunnocks enjoy the debris that falls to the ground below.
I have noticed that during the periods when I scatter peanuts, raisins, apples, pears, bananas that the fat balls don't get touched.
The blackbirds absolutely love pears, the apples get ignored until these are finished. It was an old lady that told me about the birds love of bananas, it is something that I hadn't ever considered disposing of in the garden.
I very rarely see a greenfinch, blue tit or coal tit and it saddens me as I love these wee birdies. Any tips as to how I could encourage them?
I haven't seen many thrushes in the last year again this is disappointing. I haven't seen any chaffinches in many months and they used to be regulars. My robin hasn't been around for weeks either..........now I am becoming depressed..............I hadn't really thought about the lack of species in my garden until starting to write this mail item.......
I am never short of sparrows and starlings to watch. I get 6 dunnocks mingling amongst them and I used to think that the were solitary birds.
I have one blackbird that has a ginger bib and another with a ginger head. They look quite scary........arggghhh. Anyone else seen that?
Thanks for the ideas of making own fat balls. How long do they take to harden? Do you put a string into the soft mixture for hanging purposes?
I will continue to watch this thread with much interest.
Happy birding, Rin x
I too notice that the birds are either 110% on these containers or else ignoring them altogether. I assumed it was due to what else was on offer in the garden. I get in bother from him indoors, he says the birds are better fed and looked after than he is !!! (it is true too, they don't make demands!)
My regulars are always starlings, sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds and collared doves. The starlings and sparrows are the only birds to munch at the fat ball containers whilst the starlings and dunnocks enjoy the debris that falls to the ground below.
I have noticed that during the periods when I scatter peanuts, raisins, apples, pears, bananas that the fat balls don't get touched.
The blackbirds absolutely love pears, the apples get ignored until these are finished. It was an old lady that told me about the birds love of bananas, it is something that I hadn't ever considered disposing of in the garden.
I very rarely see a greenfinch, blue tit or coal tit and it saddens me as I love these wee birdies. Any tips as to how I could encourage them?
I haven't seen many thrushes in the last year again this is disappointing. I haven't seen any chaffinches in many months and they used to be regulars. My robin hasn't been around for weeks either..........now I am becoming depressed..............I hadn't really thought about the lack of species in my garden until starting to write this mail item.......
I am never short of sparrows and starlings to watch. I get 6 dunnocks mingling amongst them and I used to think that the were solitary birds.
I have one blackbird that has a ginger bib and another with a ginger head. They look quite scary........arggghhh. Anyone else seen that?
Thanks for the ideas of making own fat balls. How long do they take to harden? Do you put a string into the soft mixture for hanging purposes?
I will continue to watch this thread with much interest.
Happy birding, Rin x
Renee Redstart
Well-known member
rin said:
I usually leave them overnight to set and harden, but putting them in the freezer helps if I'm in a hurry.
I tried putting string in once, but it was a complete failure for me. The squirrels managed to knock the whole lump onto the ground. It's much easier to fill a fat ball holder.
Richard Bryce
Well-known member
I've had mixed success with fiddling about with string and twigs. Now I just mould in old marge/soft cheese containers, leave in the freezer overnight to harden and pop in plastic coated wire cages from Wilkinsons (99p or £1.99p from memory). I also harden some of the mix in earthenware pots (the ones pate comes in), or in yoghurt pots to transfer to the heavier ones, for the bird table. If strapped for time I just unwrap the cheap lard and scrape some in to the pot or pop the block in the cage - afterall it's the fat that's most attractive. The rest mix they can get off the table in the pick 'n mix.
2spot Ladybird
Well-known member
I find the ready bought fat feeders way too expensive so I make my own. Here's my mix:
A large handful of chopped soaked sultanas (I use Supermarket's cheapest own brand)
Left over heels of bread
Lard (again Supermarket's cheapest own brand)
I break up the bread into small pieces, mix in the sultanas and then mix in melted lard, leave to thicken a bit then spoon into a half coconut. Any remaining is put into empty jelly pots then half coconut and jelly pots are left in fridge over night to harden.
Coconut hung up on washing line pole, stuff from jelly pots chopped up and put on bird table and ground. My birds, especially the Starlings, love this mixture. The Starlings go through half a coconut's worth a day but could quite easily consume more.
A large handful of chopped soaked sultanas (I use Supermarket's cheapest own brand)
Left over heels of bread
Lard (again Supermarket's cheapest own brand)
I break up the bread into small pieces, mix in the sultanas and then mix in melted lard, leave to thicken a bit then spoon into a half coconut. Any remaining is put into empty jelly pots then half coconut and jelly pots are left in fridge over night to harden.
Coconut hung up on washing line pole, stuff from jelly pots chopped up and put on bird table and ground. My birds, especially the Starlings, love this mixture. The Starlings go through half a coconut's worth a day but could quite easily consume more.
deborah4
Well-known member
2spot Ladybird said:
Hi 2spot
That sounds the cheapest and simplest 'do-it-yourself' so far! I was getting overwhelmed with all the Cordon Bleau for Starlings and Blue Peter construction ideas!
I'm afraid I've 'cheated' again and bought a different type of suet feeder today (a block) and a 'very-probably-not-squirrel-proof' feeder to put it in. I got into a bit of a mess with my homemade stuff - most of which needed a pick-axe to get into, let alone a small beak.
(I still have the coconut containers so there's start at least!)
I will persevere - they WILL eat fat !!!!!!!!!! :eat:
Mary Evelyn
New member
willowa said:
I crumble them onto my bird tables and the birds love it.(Bought)Fat balls can be hard work in freezing temperatures,they do become difficult for the birds.They love them ,but can go through them on a warm day so much quicker,as they soften.Come winter,they do become quite solid and turning them to crumbs is a good idea.I also pop a couple out of the nets in my front garden on a bird table hidden amongst the evergreens and the bluetits have such fun.Working full time,I really can't make my own but the birds here do like the fatballs I buy,they just don't like the fact, that on a freezing cold day they are solid.Tough work being a bird :flyaway:
Drean Mollagh
Member
I was just about to start a new thread about fat balls and safety, when I noticed it had already been done - and that readers were being invited to join this thread.
For those of you who are keen British Isles gardeners as well as garden bird watchers, you may buy 'Garden News'. This week features a design for a bird feeder made from the nets used to hold nuts (Brazils, Walnuts etc). The nets are filled with seeds etc and put up for the birds along with millet strings. (I bought some of these strings once from a pet shop - no interest at all from the birds.)
My question is:
1. Are not the supermarket style nut bags sold around Christmas just as potentially dangerous as the still widely available green and red nets sold as bird feeders? Perhaps a letter to Garden News is in order.
For those of you who are keen British Isles gardeners as well as garden bird watchers, you may buy 'Garden News'. This week features a design for a bird feeder made from the nets used to hold nuts (Brazils, Walnuts etc). The nets are filled with seeds etc and put up for the birds along with millet strings. (I bought some of these strings once from a pet shop - no interest at all from the birds.)
My question is:
1. Are not the supermarket style nut bags sold around Christmas just as potentially dangerous as the still widely available green and red nets sold as bird feeders? Perhaps a letter to Garden News is in order.
deborah4
Well-known member
Drean Mollagh said:
:hi: Hi Drean
I think the general view on netted fat balls is that they could cause injuries. I don't know about the nets used by shops to sell nuts in. However, I personally now don't use nets of any description - even if the holes were large, I think I'd be worried about the risk of strangulation. A lot of people here have suggested fat ball feeders (rather like peanut feeders) which can be purchased at pet stores. I'm inspired by the people who've posted to this thread to start making my own fat balls. There's plenty of recipes here and original ideas for containers (if you have the inclination and the time!!)
Regards
PS. I have been raising this issue with my local pet store recently
deborah4
Well-known member
Just an extra note: The starlings have now returned to the garden and have started to feed in flocks on the homemade fat mix I scraped out of a hanging feeder and tipped on the ground - sounds like the problem was the fat mix was too hard for the smaller birds to eat comfortably as Mary (et al) suggested earlier.
Cathy H
Cathy H
Hi Rin,
If you're listening out, I just thought I'd let you know what's happening here on the west coast - we get absolutely no starlings and although there are sparrows locally they don't venture as far as us.
We do get various tits - coal, great, blue and long tailed, as well as green finches, goldfinches, chaffinches, jays, gs woodpeckers dunnocks, robins, blackbirds, and even this morning, a pheasant.
I'm sure there are folk on this forum who live nearer to you who get a variety of species visiting them. Hopefully, yours will return too soon.
Regards, :t:
If you're listening out, I just thought I'd let you know what's happening here on the west coast - we get absolutely no starlings and although there are sparrows locally they don't venture as far as us.
We do get various tits - coal, great, blue and long tailed, as well as green finches, goldfinches, chaffinches, jays, gs woodpeckers dunnocks, robins, blackbirds, and even this morning, a pheasant.
I'm sure there are folk on this forum who live nearer to you who get a variety of species visiting them. Hopefully, yours will return too soon.
Regards, :t:
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