What do you feed and what does it cost

[pduxon]

Out of interest what do you feed to your birds?

And how much are the little chaps eating you out of house and home?

I tend to avoid fat balls since the starlings go mad for them.

I've 2 peanut feeders and 2 "seed" feeders. These normally have a multi food in them. Can't remember what I picked up from Rye Meads on Saturday, cost £5 a week??

[Andrew]

The Starlings devour my fat blocks too! I generally make two fat blocks a week out of a bar of lard (25p) and some ground peanut/seed combo (£1) and generally put out a bag of shelled sunflower seeds a week (£2), peanuts are filled once every three weeks (90p split three ways, three feeders) so my bill is about three to four quid a week. That would get me a bus ride to Dawlish Warren to see even more birds!!!

[Brian Stone]

Peanuts tend to go slowly in our East Mids village garden. Just one mesh feeder lasts a few weeks. Seed is a different matter. I now buy a "premium" (with de-husked sunflower) mix of seed which I provide in a tube feeder and on a tarmac drive but I will be switching to a ground feeding mix for the drive soon.

About 100 birds max on the food at once at the moment costing probably 12-15 pounds a month. This may increase through the winter. I use Vine House Farm
http://www.vinehousefarmbirdfoods.co.uk/index.html

Fat balls are OK but they get thrown around the garden a bit by the Starlings and Jackdaws. I have a few millet sprays (i.e. still on stalks) hanging from trees at the moment and they are proving popular with House Sparrows, which are hanging from them tit-like to feed.

[joser]

I do occasionally buy fat balls but again, I also find the starlings will devour these if positioned where they can easily get to them. I also have 3 sunflower heart feeders, 2 sunflower seed feeders, 2 nut feeders and a niger seed feeder (which hardly gets used). I tend to buy in bulk every few months or so as I find it easier and cheaper this way. Ive just filled out the form and the next batch is gonna cost me 50 quid but that should last me a while so my bill is about 10 quid a month

[helenol]

Loads. Loads.

[seb_seb]

I buy fatballs but have no starlings so they usually end up being eating by the squirrel, who manages to get it wherever it is put.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Peanuts, black sunflower seeds, mixed seed, porridge oats (very popular with the blackbirds), sunflower hearts, home made fat ball mixture (I have a restricted-size-entry holder for this), and of course - mealworms. We have a BIY (breed your own) scheme for these, but supply often doesn't keep up with demand, especially when there are hungry chicks to be fed, so we also buy some by mail order. Mini size for growing on for 2 or 3 weeks, and regular size for immediate feeding.

I have a large squirrel proof triple tubed feeder (we call it the monstrosity - I posted a picture of it a few weeks ago), 5 hanging peanut feeders, a seed feeder, one squirrel proof bird table, 2 ground feeder tables (the squirrels get a large proportion of the food on these - but it's only oats and mixed seed). Finally two plastic feeders fastened on windows via suckers, for the mealworms.

I've been looking at catalogues for a pole and attachments for more hanging feeders, and it is about to go on my Christmas list - but as I can't expect the birds to wait so long, immediate delivery is going to be requested!

I don't think I dare add up the cost per week - but since I buy in bulk, I'd have to average it out over a long period.

[Tammie]

Here in Canada, I feed them suet cakes with fruit, sunflower seed bells in mesh bags and black oil sunflower seeds.
A thirty pound bag of seed is about $16 CDN. The suet cakes are anywhere from $.99 to $2.49 CDN. The seed bells are $2.39 CDN.
At the most expensive season (winter), I go through about a bag of seed a week along with one or two suet cakes and 2 bells, costing about $25 CDN per week.
I'm not sure if that's good or bad!! ;)

[Geoff Brown]

like Brian I buy from Nicholas Watts at Vine House Farm. There is an article about him in the very latest edition of the RSPB Birds magazine which came through the post this morning. I seem to keep a hungry flock of about 20-40 house and tree sparrows alive and well and the cost for premium seeds and peanuts works out at about £10 - 15 per month. I did notice early in the morning the other day however that a young rat had discovered the feeders so I hope he doesn't bring the rest of the family along.

[Mike D]

Hi Geoff,
Nice to hear you have Tree Sparrows, never seen one in my garden in the 5 years I've been here.
As to the original post, if all else fails I buy corn for chickens from the local petshop, along with black sunflower seeds in the husk and shelled peanuts. All for feeding to caged/domestic birds so it is guaranteed pure. Unfit for humans though, so keep the kids away from the peanuts.
Mike

[Bill Came]

I found a pet food suppliers, on the A4 near knowl hill, its a lock up container in a garden centre, opposite the wyvale garden centre, there you can buy 25 kilos of good quality peanuts for £25.00 and 12 kilos of sunflower harts for £17.50, one of the cheapest suppliers around, for anyone living in and around Berkshire.
regards
Bill....

[smeltmill]

Dear all,

I have just added up last year’s food consumption and wish I hadn’t.

400Kg Black sunflower
100kg Peanuts.
50kg Peanut Granules.
50kg Rolled Naked Oats.
50kg Pinhead Oats.
50kg Oil Seed Rape.
25kg Linseed.
300kg Niger Seed.
20kg Safflower Seed.
50kg Raisins.
25kg Mixed canary seed.
25kg Millet
25kg Hemp
75Kg Fat.

Regards.
G B-S.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Originally posted by Bill Came
I found a pet food suppliers, on the A4 near knowl hill, its a lock up container in a garden centre, opposite the wyvale garden centre, there you can buy 25 kilos of good quality peanuts for £25.00 and 12 kilos of sunflower harts for £17.50, one of the cheapest suppliers around, for anyone living in and around Berkshire.
regards
Bill....

Sorry to be a killjoy Bill - but do these peanuts have a guarantee that they have been tested as "Safe Nuts" - ie aflotoxin free? There is a Bird Care Standards certification from some companies. Tested nuts obviously cost more. The sunflower hearts sound a good buy though. There has been a lot of discussion about this on the BBC nature boards over the last ten days or so, which has fortunately alerted some people to the dangers of aflotoxin contamination.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Originally posted by smeltmill
Dear all,

I have just added up last year’s food consumption and wish I hadn’t.

400Kg Black sunflower
100kg Peanuts.
50kg Peanut Granules.
50kg Rolled Naked Oats.
50kg Pinhead Oats.
50kg Oil Seed Rape.
25kg Linseed.
300kg Niger Seed.
20kg Safflower Seed.
50kg Raisins.
25kg Mixed canary seed.
25kg Millet
25kg Hemp
75Kg Fat.

Regards.
G B-S.

Have you dared to work out the cost????

[Fuchsia]

Here in France it's hard to find suppliers but I have found seed and balls which keep a large flock of blue and great tits very busy along with a couple of marsh tits and my fave nuthatch. Luckily the few starlings here don't come near and no sign of a squirrel.
They get through about 4 small fat balls and one full seed dispenser every other day - cost about 5E (about £3.50) a week. Not bad at all for the pleasure they bring.


Jen :hi:

[Adalia]

I buy a 20 kilo bag of premium wild bird food for £8-50p.I also buy Black Sunflower seeds@£1-12p a kilo and mixed British Finch seed @ 55p per 500gr.Plus of course bread, sultanas,which my Blackbirds rely on to feed their offspring and which the starlings steal at every turn!Peanuts hardly move in the summer months but the Greenfinches and Blue Tits are back on them with a vengeance.

Most of the time I just have my garden birds to look at and they are worth whatever it costs for the sheer pleasure they bring me.

[smeltmill]

Dear Elizabeth,

No

Regards,
G B-S.

[Bill Came]

Originally posted by Elizabeth Bigg
Sorry to be a killjoy Bill - but do these peanuts have a guarantee that they have been tested as "Safe Nuts" - ie aflotoxin free? There is a Bird Care Standards certification from some companies. Tested nuts obviously cost more. The sunflower hearts sound a good buy though. There has been a lot of discussion about this on the BBC nature boards over the last ten days or so, which has fortunately alerted some people to the dangers of aflotoxin contamination.

All is says on the sack is Grade "A" peanuts for wild birds, I'm certainly aware of aflotoxin and would be mortified if I thought by saving money, would put any birds at risk. I shall find out there supplier to see if they are certified.
many thanks
Bill...

[Leif]

I found a pet food suppliers, on the A4 near knowl hill, its a lock up container in a garden centre, opposite the wyvale garden centre, there you can buy 25 kilos of good quality peanuts for £25.00 and 12 kilos of sunflower harts for £17.50, one of the cheapest suppliers around, for anyone living in and around Berkshire.
regards
Bill....

Sounds worth a visit.

I normally pay about £12.50 per 25Kg of black sunflower seed in the husks. This is from a garden centre near the M3 in Hants (junction 5 I think). It is on the same road as, and 100m to the north of, the big Long Acre garden centre. The seeds are sold from a building containing pet food, next to the centre proper. It might well be a Wyvale place.

[Charles Harper]

I feel like I should be posting to a different thread, but--

An orange a day, halved, at a cost of about 2500 yen (£15) per winter.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

I feel like I should be posting to a different thread, but--

An orange a day, halved, at a cost of about 2500 yen (£15) per winter.

What birds are attracted to this?

[Sleeper]

I really do not want to add the cost up! no really.

My biggest expense is mealworm and sunflower hearts.

I am managing to find the hearts cheaper and cheaper as I am findinf there are several seed merchants not to far away.

Sunflower hearts-22.5 kg £18

Mealworm (last year) at least £350 ooouuccchh I have alreadu decided that i will cut down the amount for this year.

Peanuts are VERY slow in the garden so very little cost on those. what nuts i do get I buy from C J.

Black sunflower. again just a few as the coal Tit seems to prefer these.

Make my own fat blocks in 2 litre tubs which tempts the starlings away from the main feeding area. I buy ready made fat tubs from C J which I put in a protected feeder so only the small birds can use it.

I guess one of the biggest expenses is my increasing range of feeders as I search for feeders that fulfil my requirements.

[Charles Harper]

White-eyes, Elizabeth, and you can't keep the bulbuls away from anything. As I was telling shykra, I tried sunflower seeds the first winter, and got plenty of Great Tits too-- but our gardens are so tiny here that they and the bulbuls strewed seed husks all over the neighbors' gardens, and I began receiving unpleasant looks, so I stopped.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

I don't think I'll add up my mealworm total cost - I'll probably say "ouch" too. We do have a breeding programme, but supply cannot keep up with demand espcially in the breeding season. One economy is to buy the mini size, and grow them on for 2 or 3 weeks - this is quite easy to do. At the moment we have 3 buckets in the utility room, one to provide the "nursery", one for breeding and one for recently bought full sized mealworms.

PS - Malcolm has done the sums after all - I'm relieved to say the total is tiny!!! compared with Sleeper's - £80.

[Elizabeth Bigg]

White-eyes, Elizabeth, and you can't keep the bulbuls away from anything. As I was telling shykra, I tried sunflower seeds the first winter, and got plenty of Great Tits too-- but our gardens are so tiny here that they and the bulbuls strewed seed husks all over the neighbors' gardens, and I began receiving unpleasant looks, so I stopped.

Thanks Charles - how about trying sunflower hearts? I can understand about the husks - our garden looks rather messy because of these, but I'm not too bothered. As far as I'm aware the mess is confined to our own garden, because we have lots of shrubs and trees that they dive into to eat their chosen seed.

[Art Thorn]

I only feed in the winter months but I am out in the country with lots of wild seeds, berries, etc. around. I have planted small crab apple trees and mountain ash and these provide a good crop in the fall. But seed seems inexpensive here, compared to what I am reading. I go through 2 or 3 40kg bags of hen scratch ($12 CDN each), 3 or 4 22kg bags in whole sunflower seeds ($16 CDN each) and 2 or 3 22kg bags of niger seed ($55 CDN each). I also go through about 10 suet cakes at about $1.50 each. Depends on the severity of the winter. It is now 28 below zero celcius, so the feeders are replenished daily. Total cost would normally be about $240 CDN. That is not too bad for the quantity, I think.

[songbird6666]

I daren't think about what it costs me each week, but its a lot. I buy 25kg peanuts @ £18.99,(lasts about 6 weeks) 20kg Wild Bird Mix by Ernest Charles @ £8.50 (lasts less than 2 weeks) 12kg Black Sunflower @ £9.99 (lasts about 3 weeks) tinned sweetcorn 22p a tin, lasts 2 days, sultanas, 49p a bag, lasts about 4 days, 4 slices bread a day (loaf 29p) 25kg Mixed Corn @ £4.75 (lasts about a month) 25kg layers pellets @ £5 (lasts 2 weeks)
and sparingly because they are so expensive Sunflower hearts @ £1.65 a kilo (lasts 1 week) So if anyone wants to work that out, please let me know! (I would add that I have three chickens which share some of this stuff, not all for the garden birds)

Edit, I completely forgot the fatballs! I get through about 3 or 4 every day, these cost 6 for a £1 from my local pet shop, which isn't too bad, because they are about double that elsewhere. She is also doing a box of 100 for £14, so am deliberating whether to indulge, but I shall only provide fat balls until April I think.

[Ruby]

The cost of the various seeds and nuts is not too bad - they take a while to get through those....

What is proving to be a real drain is APPLES.... I started putting them out a couple of months ago when some Blackcaps arrived and now have to put out about 6 a day, which are very popular with the Blackcap (only 1 left now) Blackbirds, Starlings and Blue Tits.

If the birds are particularly bold and hungry, a whole apple disappears in less than an hour.

I buy big bags of economy apples from the local supermarket, but it must still cost a fortune...

Must tap up my local greengrocer.....

[Angie]

Well.......
We we feed the birds and animals.
My day starts with breakfast... fill up the empty large black sunflower seed feeder. I also have 2 peanut feeders, 2 bird tables, 1 seed feeder, fat ball, and I have just tried out a 6" mesh tray for seed. As it is successful, today I got another one that I am going to try nyger seed and finch feed. The nyger seed feeder went green at the bottom so no wonder the birds stopped using it. I threw away more than got eaten.
Anyway, I do the feeders and water, and the squirrels and blue/great tits, blackbirds, robins and jays are lining up for their peanuts. So the squirrels are trained (all except one) to eat in one area, and the birds line up on the other side of the garden for their handfuls. Then three piles of no husk/waste seed go on stones that are easy to scrub clean and keep the robins from fighting over it.
So then I notice Little Wonky Coal (a dark squirrel with a wonky tail) so they get some more, then Nobby (great tit with a bump on its head) is looking at me through the window... then it's elevenses....then lunch time....then the squirrels do their futile search and begging routine.....then Fezzy (pheasant) is looking in the back door... then it's supper time...! THEN, its time to put out the peanuts for the deer, badgers, foxes and hedgehogs (hibernating at the moment). This is cleared up by up to 25 mandarin ducks at dawn.

What does it cost? Probably too much. I think it may have got a bit out of hand but we enjoy doing it and they sure enjoy eating it so we are all happy!

[Nancy]

I put out a cupful of mixed parrot seed twice a week just to keep them interested and a sprinkle of lard/oats/cheese ground into fine crumbs for the wrens; a bit more often if we have visitors.
Sometimes I put out scraps of meat or bacon rind for anything that wants it, usually currawongs or Kookaburra. I CERTAINLY don't feed the Kookas as they become very agressive and will take the sausages off the BBQ or the chop off your plate if they are fed regurlarly.

We don't have a severe winter here and there is lots of natural food available so I think its better not to feed.
When I lived in a different place I used to put out nectar for the honeyeaters but found it attracted the large and very bossy Red Wattle Birds; they chase off the smaller birds and take over the area, so I don't use it now but have planted some nectar-bearing plants instead. The great thing about the plants is that they keep on flowering when I am not here to put out food.
I am amazed at the amount of feeders and food used in gardens both in England and in USA and Canada. It must be a big industry.