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Question about feeders


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Hi all

I've got a permission of young woodland ( 100 acres ) it's an ex dairy farm and it is now forestry with a mixture of native trees some spruce and fruit trees.

Because it's the trees are now about 15-20 years old they arnt huge and the blokes has been having problems with muntys and squirrels.

I have had 6 feeders out about a month or so and they are filled with wheat, but nothing seems to use them?

I have put one 3 on the edge of rides and scatters loads of carrots and apples in 30 yard circles to attract muntys and a mixture of seeds to bring the squizzers. I've done this because the area is full of foot paths and horse riders so I've placed the feeders away from where the horse riders go.

Is it just because there is too much natural food about still? Or do they not know my feeders are there?

Many thanks rob

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It takes a while for birds to find them but once they have they'll use them regularly, but probably wont hit them hard until your feeders are the only source of food in hard weather.

You could try scattering grain around them and leading up to them.

I have no idea how to attract Muntjac but Roe will empty our feeders when other food is scarce.

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Stupid question, but are there any birds there to attract? Just having feeders out doesn't mean you will be beating them off with a big stick. One or 2 wild ones will eat a barely noticeable amount. Edit Or have I read it wrong and you are trying to attract squirrels? If so, they are flat out at buying nuts etc, as soon as they get hungry they will use your feeders, and probably trash them!!

Edited by kennett
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Squirrels like a feeder against a tree on their patrol route (i.e. if young and will be coming in from elsewhere) so they have an access/escape rather than stand alone, mixed 'wild bird food'rather than straight wheat as they go for oil/fat content in seeds.

 

Munties, make sure feeder is a distance from distubance and in cover next to their runs as they feel exposed in rides or in open. Get some inexpensive salt licks and attach one to feeders legs, both munties and roe like them, if you have a high water table or clay soil a 1 spade deep, 2ft square drinking pond next to feeder is also handy for attracting and holding deer at feeders.

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That's right Paul, all the bloody horse riders make it abit of a nightmare to be honest.

Thanks for that stone park I picked up some horse licks today so I'll attach that onto the feeders as see how that goes, I've placed all of them just inside the trees ( about 2m) on the rides so I'm hoping that's enough. All of them are placed within 3 m of their runs and where ive seen them moving before.

If it take a couple of months to get I too of them so be it I suppose it's always nice to be out.

And Wiltshirekeeper I'm in Leicestershire bud.

I've as yet saw no signs of roe with surprises me as I thought it would be ideal country for them.

Thanks for the advice lads

Hi kennett no birds down mate I maydo next year though just trying to pull in muntys and squirrels.

Cheers rob

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