Ferret Master Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hi, I was wondering how many of you feed wild birds in your Gardens. Post your reasons. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper-Blend Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Course i do i love the sound of song birds and it also gives me the opotunity to kill some feral pidgeons when they come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waddy Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 We feed the birds in the winter. This way they come back in the summer looking for food and deal with the snails. Nice to see them too. Although a bloody great big rook landed in the garden the other day, I don't think the neighbours would've appreciated a hole in the fence though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted February 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hi, We feed them all through the Winter and into Spring as if you stop feeding birds as soon as it warms up a bit they can starve as they have become quite dependant on you because there are not many natural food resources available in early Spring. We put bread on the lawn all the time for the Starlings and Sparrows apart from late Summer when they are out in the fields but have seed and nuts in the bird feeders all year round. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 I feed them all year round and have weeded out all the big black ones that go grrrrahhhhh.....ahhhrrrrr which are greedy and take all the food My song birds have great life with not a magie or crow in site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Yes mate, do a 12 kilo bag every two weeks, 'king expensive but well worth the money. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Yep and I bought new feeders this year,from Asda of all places :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nildes Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 I only feed in hard weather and then by broadcast - chucking the food around. The trouble with bird feeders & bird baths is that they can help to transmit bird diseases really easily. That Bill Oddy chap is more heart than brain. Don't kill with kindness, if you're going to use a feeder, sterilise it with Miltons every time its empty. Getting down off soapbox now :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipster Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Living in the heart of Lincolnshire surrounded by farmland AND RATS its a little hard to put out fancy little bird feeders when all the little birdies do is spill it all over for the RATS to come out and eat all the left overs :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Living in the heart of Lincolnshire surrounded by farmland AND RATS its a little hard to put out fancy little bird feeders when all the little birdies do is spill it all over for the RATS to come out and eat all the left overs :o Simple, get an air rifle and pop the rats off 1 by 1, should keep the rats away. Ferrets and terries are good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darebear Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 id say aye in a hard winter. whether we are here or not they would have to forage for their own food. so why make them soft and lazy? are we trying to breed that instinct out of them? ............. or i could just be honest and say when i remember to feed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Living in the heart of Lincolnshire surrounded by farmland AND RATS its a little hard to put out fancy little bird feeders when all the little birdies do is spill it all over for the RATS to come out and eat all the left overs :o Simple, get an air rifle and pop the rats off 1 by 1, should keep the rats away. Ferrets and terries are good too. Missing out slipster, you get the free rat shooting with air rifle, stop and enjoy. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipster Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Living in the heart of Lincolnshire surrounded by farmland AND RATS its a little hard to put out fancy little bird feeders when all the little birdies do is spill it all over for the RATS to come out and eat all the left overs Simple, get an air rifle and pop the rats off 1 by 1, should keep the rats away. Ferrets and terries are good too. I have no RAT problem, with 6 Jack Russells, 7 Air rifles, two pole cats and a Rottweiler called wife who is 5'9" Its my neigbours who have the problem but cannot understand why cos its not RAT food its bird food they put out. :o Thick ******** or maybe not cos they is fattening them scayley tails up for the table :< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 28, 2006 Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Living in the heart of Lincolnshire surrounded by farmland AND RATS its a little hard to put out fancy little bird feeders when all the little birdies do is spill it all over for the RATS to come out and eat all the left overs Simple, get an air rifle and pop the rats off 1 by 1, should keep the rats away. Ferrets and terries are good too. I have no RAT problem, with 6 Jack Russells, 7 Air rifles, two pole cats and a Rottweiler called wife who is 5'9" Its my neigbours who have the problem but cannot understand why cos its not RAT food its bird food they put out. Thick ******** or maybe not cos they is fattening them scayley tails up for the table :< ***** :o LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cakie174 Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 What should they be fed. I am always worried about these mixes containing non indigious seeds that will grow like weeds in the gardens and hedgerows. Cakie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipster Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 What should they be fed. I am always worried about these mixes containing non indigious seeds that will grow like weeds in the gardens and hedgerows. Cakie Cakey id be more worried about wheels disease :o And yes i know thats not how you spell it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 We feed all year, as a result we've got a healthy stock of sparrows and get quite a few starlings as well. We don't get many of the rarer species and have tried all sorts of different grub, but to no avail. We do get the odd sparrowhawk coming over though, that ****s them up :o P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
person22 Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 jesus theres just about everything feeding in our garden, the same pheasant comes in everyday he must have escaped the shoot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Well i don`t but the misses does. We also have a nest box in the rear garden, so far two years of Great tits breeding plus new for this year a sparrow box at the front will have to wait and see with this one, it can take a year for them to start useing it. But i think have food close at hand (beak!!) helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 I don't as there are too many cats nearby so I don't want to tempt fate. My parents fed them like no tomorrow, but they are absolutely infested with parakeets now so wish they had a way of soo'ing them off and not the rest :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Stuart, do they live near Kew? P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted March 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Hi, Attatch a biscuit tin lid to the bottom of the bird feeder as this catches most of the food that the birds spill. :o FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNAKEBITE Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 I don't as there are too many cats nearby so I don't want to tempt fate. Believe it or not the more birds you attract your garden the less likely the cats will get them. Because there are more "lookouts" around they feel more comftable. The wife has given up putting food on the lawn for them as the dog eats it. Instead i put it in the hanging baskets, an idea suggested by my six year old girl when we couldn't work out the best way of feeding them ...... :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badsworth Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 I don't because I don't want our cat to get them. I would otherwise though! B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted March 1, 2006 Report Share Posted March 1, 2006 Stuart, do they live near Kew?P. Near Staines (for there sins) and they are making there way over towards us now (the parakeets no my parents :o ) at first they are novel and then that incessant squawking really gets on your t*ts!! And they drive everything else out of the garden, sooner they are 'on list' the better.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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