Dog Food - for the birds? (1 Viewer)

[Gate]

I was told the other day (by someone who usually knows his stuff) that dog food (of the tinned chunks in jelly variety) is a winner for robins in particular. Before I start searching the supermarket shelves for Kennomeat and Mr Dog, does anyone know if this is true - or am I being "July-fooled"?

 

[jwaldo]

I'm not too sure about robins and dog food, but I know my local blackbirds love cat food...

 

[IanF]

Quite a few birds will eats pet food meats. It think though it's not recommended as you will likely attract vermin such as brown rats to your garden.

 

[Nightranger]

Quite a few birds will eats pet food meats. It think though it's not recommended as you will likely attract vermin such as brown rats to your garden.

I would second that although it is true to say that care should be taken with any surface feeding, especially in late summer when young rats are dispersing. Pet food is also good for larger birds such the Corvids and would possibly be a solution if you have a critical nest piracy situation in the garden. As far as I know, no one has tried this on a large enough scale to know whether it works because of the limitations mentioned by Ian F.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Ian,

What's a "critical nest piracy situation", and why might putting dog food out help?

Michael

 

[Nightranger]

Hi Ian,

What's a "critical nest piracy situation", and why might putting dog food out help?

Michael

I meant if someone feels there is a major problem with local magpie numbers. I am far from convinced about this but it should be possible to provide an "easier" source of food to reduce nest predation. Personally, I am not a great fan of doing anything at all but I thought this might be a useful suggestion.

 

[janine13]

Blue jays and grackles love dog food (pellets), they come and steal the spillage off my porch. Mockers and redwings love it too, sometimes I put some out in a dish by the feeder. As was mentioned above, though, it can attract unwelcome visitors, raccoons and marine toads here.

PS- I don't have a dog-I feed dog food to my starling. The small pelleted kind for puppies. Soaked in water for a bit and add calcium powder.

 

[Gate]

I meant if someone feels there is a major problem with local magpie numbers. I am far from convinced about this but it should be possible to provide an "easier" source of food to reduce nest predation. Personally, I am not a great fan of doing anything at all but I thought this might be a useful suggestion.

I reckon that puts me off putting out the Mr Dog. We have a lot of magpies rond our way, but they never seem to come down to garden level, and I don't want to do anything that might bring them down. We have a juvenile robin just arrived, though, so I must find something to keep him happy. He (or she) is amazingly bold, so maybe a hand-feedng prospect if I can ovecome squeamishness about handlng live mealworms?

 

[birdcoop3]

I have fed dog food alot to birds especially in the winter..Blue jays and Black birds really like it.I usually will put this away from my other feeders to keep these bully birds away..Caution..you will attract many many starlings!!! As for Robins and dog food,,I personally have not seen any robins eat the dog food. I feed the robins raisens and suet in a platform feeder..They are waiting every morning here for their goodies!! Good luck,, chelle