Suet options (& rain)? (1 Viewer)

[Joe94]

Good morning,

Hope everyone is well? Firstly I would like to say another thank you to everyone who has been very welcoming on my first welcome post last week, very much appreciated & happy to have become part of a fab community

Following this, I’m hoping you may be able to after some advice on the following...

So currently I am using suet pellets, a mix of berry & mealworm flavours which are very popular with currently my sparrow & mass of Starlings (which some of you will know from my first post I don’t mind & actually like having, even though there messy aha), my Robin on the ground feeder & hopefully more species to come. However over the last few days we have had the first amount of rain, which has raised a few questions.

So currently I’m using a hanging dedicated mesh suet pellet feeder, which certainly does its purpose, however apart from the mess it can make, which I’m more than happy to rake up (especially from the starling), the things that has become apparent is they don’t fair too good in the rain. They become very playdoughy in the feeder and when on the floor (grass) which makes it even hard to clean up. Now although the birds still use it even in its mushy state, I’m wondering weather I should do any of the following things:

A) Keep going with the pellets, the bird still enjoy them wet & just clean it up

B) Keeping the pellets but using them in a standard plastic cylinder seed feed? I’m not sure whether birds would be able to come them from the seed wholes? And then just scatter a few on my bird table for the starlings (easier to clean)?

C) or I have seen that many people use the suet blocks instead of pellets as these can fair better in rain & cleaner? I use fat ball which some birds like but if I got the proper berry/mealworm suet blocks with a block feeder then I know the birds would still use it?

Thanks everyone

 

[PYRTLE]

Keep feeding good quality suet in all the forms as you already do. There are clear plastic tube feeders with a hinged dome lid and two low feeder ports that I use - these keep the suet pellets dry. Suet blocks are extremely popular in my back garden and dont last long when the Starlings gather.

Henry Bell Wild Bird Essentials Plus Suet Pellet and Mealworm Feeder

A sleek, contemporary, robust feeder in grey featuring an easy opening lid for easy filling and cleaning.

www.gardenwildlifedirect.co.uk

 

[Joe94]

Keep feeding good quality suet in all the forms as you already do. There are clear plastic tube feeders with a hinged dome lid and two low feeder ports that I use - these keep the suet pellets dry. Suet blocks are extremely popular in my back garden and dont last long when the Starlings gather.

Ahh brilliant, in that case then I may look at getting another seed feeder for the suet too then Thank you

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

I’ve just bought a very similar one to that Pat. Haven’t put it out yet though.

Rich

 

[KC Foggin]

Keep feeding good quality suet in all the forms as you already do. There are clear plastic tube feeders with a hinged dome lid and two low feeder ports that I use - these keep the suet pellets dry. Suet blocks are extremely popular in my back garden and dont last long when the Starlings gather.

No problems with the Starlings but the Blue Jays clean me out of the suet blocks.

 

[Joe94]

Morning all, Thank you again for all your help with this one

Thought I would update you all, that this morning I changed the suet pellets over to a standard seed feeder & touch wood after the usual morning mass of starlings & my lovely little sparrows, it’s seems to be working!
Funny thing is the starlings still have a go (and it’s funny watching them trying to hang) & even though they still manage to get some, they certainly didn’t make the mess they were before