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Kibbled peanuts are expensive. How can I try and make them from whole peanuts (1 Viewer)

I get pleasure watching birds feed in my garden.
Because I have been feeding them since I retired there is a large community now.
Getting expensive so I want a good way of making kibbled peanuts.
Can someone give an idea.
 
Hi the language of crows and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I have never used "kibbled" peanuts for the birds - why would you? Sorry, I just don't understand why. My birds happily feed on standard bird peanuts bought from pet stores.

I guess you could try putting them in a blender, though may be a bit noisy LOL

Whatever you use, ensure they are salt and aflotoxin free.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
 
Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits. Is there a reason for wanting kibbled peanuts rather than whole ones?
 
I started feeding them with kibbled peanuts some years ago. And they went down well.
I asked at my pet shop and he suggested, like you, that I should use plain peanuts. So I bought some and put them in the feeder. I watched the birds land on the feeder. And hardly any were eaten. This went on for some time with ma alternating between kibbled and plain. And I had far more birds when they were kibbled and they were eaten much faster.
Now I have just carried on with kibbled and the numbers of birds increase every year.
I'll try again with plain peanuts and see how it goes.
I have a field at the front of my house and I started feeding the crows about 4 years ago. We had two the first year nest in the trees on the field and they raised one young crow. Now they don't nest in the field they go to the rookery near the canal.
They bring their new young ones each year for feeding. They watch for my car come back and settle on the roof tops calling for food. They have become an attraction especially now that the male has lost a leg. I have witnessed them protect their area and am used to their different calls for food and alarm when in danger and when the cats are about and when it's safe to eat. I started feeding them because I witnessed other large birds killing young birds in the nests and I thought that feeding them might save a few small birds. It seems to have worked we are blessed with more birds each year.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best. My favourite bird food is sunflower hearts and they thrive on them, give them a try.
 
Hi, welcome to the forum. I think you will find us a friendly and helpful group. I had to look this up, as had never heard of it. The only way I could think of is to grind them in a grinder (like a coffee grinder) or smash them with something like a large mortar and pestle.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best. My favourite bird food is sunflower hearts and they thrive on them, give them a try.
Would second that. I have started to use sunflower heart pieces which go down really well and are a little cheaper as they are 'broken'. They really attract Goldfinches in as well with very little waste. Also I would imagine it would slow down the bigger birds pigeons etc.
 
Thank you to all members who replied to my call for advise on using and making kibbled peanuts.
I have bought some standard peanuts and mixed them in the with the kibbled peanuts. The little darlings have eaten all the kibbled peanuts and the standard peanuts are still in the feeder dropped to the bottom. I think I have spoilt the birds by only giving them kibbled peanuts.
Plan B is me trying to make some kibbled peanuts, again.
 
I once minced some peanuts into an old baking-tray of small bits because I’d seen some small fry finding the whole kernel a bit difficult. They didn’t like the result! Starlings came, pecked at the white mince, tossed it around a bit, then flew off. No more takers, but none explained the nature of my error. Choosy customers, apparently!
 
If kibbled is the same as smashed (looks it, from a quick run down google images!), try crushing them in bulk rather than grinding them with a pestle and mortar or mincing them in a blender.
If your bird peanuts came in a big clear plastic bag like they usually do, tip about half out into a bucket or container for safekeeping til later, then fold over the hole you opened, fasten it with tape (not too much air inside) Lay it on a flat hard surface like a concrete path or patio or tarmac driveway, put on some work boots or wellies, and stomp about on it. For as long as it takes to have them looking as smushed up as your birds seem to like. You can use a mallet or chunk of wood for more violent smash effect if desired, but nuts usually do crush up ok just from being walked around on.
Any other tough plastic bag would do, too, if you've got one from animal feed or compost, that sort of thing. Binbags and the flimsy 5p-tax shop carrier bags are not strong enough, they stretch and puncture so you end up with nut crumbs and grease everywhere.

I've never tried this for birds (mine just go at the whole peanuts no problem, I'd never even heard of the kibbled kind being available!) but it works for peanuts, cashews, pecans and walnuts if you need a fairly coarse 'chopped' effect in a recipe. I've had some odd jobs in my life, hahah
 

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