Hard to keep up with feeding so many birds! (1 Viewer)

[Atti31]

We live in a rural area in Indiana USA, and started putting up feeders a few years ago.
Every year there are more and more birds and we go through a Lot of sunflower seeds. I have 10 of the largest hanging feeders I could find and 4 ground feeders and a bird bath. They easily go through it all in a day.
There are many species.
Now that we have snow, I sweep long alleys into it and pour seed along the length of them.
We love the birds, but cleaning up after them and spending so much on seed is becoming a problem.
1. is there a better feeding solution? Perhaps some sort of huge easy to clean feeder I don't know about?
2. The cleaning part is an issue, I'm afraid disease will come and spread.

Would love to hear some advice, solutions!

 

[grobble]

Try sunflower hearts, fatballs etc., where there is less spillage and waste.

 

[dantheman]

In the UK the kind of bin-sized hopper feeders used in pheasant rearing areas can attract a lot of other species - there are also probably other duck/chicken feeding devices which may be useful.

If you have the land growing a direct fodder crop may be an avenue to explore eg Quinoa/Millet/mixed bird fodder

Grain in feeders may be much cheaper in bulk? - but only for certain species, and if you keep just one or two feeders for sunflowrws that may be an issue?


re cleaning There are apparently recommended cleaners for disinfecting the ground, and recommended to move feeders (eg monthly) to rest the soil beneath feeders.

 

[Atti31]

Thank you grobble and dantherman for your suggestions, I look forward to making some changes.

 

[KristieNat]

Do you know if there is a particular species that is eating the bulk of the food? Some larger species and those that come in flocks will just eat everything and very quickly, while the smaller/more acrobatic birds take a while to empty a feeder. You could try offering the food in feeders that make it more difficult for larger birds to access.

 

[Atti31]

KristieNat, We have quite a variety, mostly the smaller birds. Goldfinches in the greatest number, junco, chickadee. Not as many morning dove, blue jay, cardinal, starling.
More activity now because of the snow and cold I suppose.