How much do your garden birds eat?

[lurcherlou]

I need some advice, I have a seed feeder and a peanut feeder, both of which I fill in the morning and both are completely empty by about 4, mostly it is blue tits and great tits that are feeding, with wood pigeons and other birds feeding on what is dropped.
As good as I feel about feeding them it's costing me a fortune !! I can't help feeling I'm feeding the entire tit population of the west midlands !!
My mother has identical feeders and only needs to top hers up every few days!
Any advice, or do I need to grin and bear the expense ?

[Hedge Witch]

Hi, you are very lucky indeed. I have the opposite problem.

If I had your problem, I'd budget for the bird food and stick to the amount I'd decided.

[Wild-Woman]

It is expensive, I agree but you may find that feeding will drop off in the summer when there's natural food available to them.
The fact that you provide what you do is great and it certainly has a bearing on their well-being in the leaner, colder months.
Check out different suppliers on the net, it varies a lot and sometimes it's cheaper in bulk if you can do it that way. Farm shops also tend to be cheaper.

[camo]

It is expensive but everything we enjoy comes at a price.

Do you want a garden full of Birds (I know you do) or one devoid of movement and sound. The interest and therapeutic value of caring for wildlife is well worth the effort. However both WW and HW offer sound advice, you should not suffer for your interest but even minimal feeding makes a difference and will be appreciated.

Roy

[Ollie]

It costs me a fortune feeding the birds in my garden. Just been watching them and I managed to count over 20 Goldfinches at the feeding station along with countless other birds.

The pleasure of seeing these and knowing I'm doing my bit to help them out weighs the cost as far as I'm concerned but if things are tight and you are on a budget even a little helps them out as long as it's regular.

I buy in bulk 20 kg bags of everything as it's far cheaper that way and as been mentioned it pays to shop around as prices vary a lot from place to place.
Roger

[Henstooth]

I have got to say that I had the same problem HW with there being a dearth of visitors. It took several re-placements of the feeders to get some interest BUT it was the putting out of fine chopped fat from the Sunday roast that changed things. I'm sure that the birds recognise the days of the week here in Hextable (kent), 'cos no sooner have we eaten our dinner and the fats on the ground, then HUNDREDS of visitors arrive!
What can reduce your outgoings for feeder re-fills is perhaps using off cuts - say from the bacon, ham (boiled fat rind is my best) - remains on lamb chops etc. I will have to say that you should make sure that the scraps don't go out too late as pests will be attracted to visit. When we have eaten late, I've kept the bits for the next day, and when I've been off work (shifts) I have the luxury of a quiet house and all day to watch.

[Geoff F]

Work out how much you are prepared to spend each day and when that is gone that is it until tomorrow. I regard my feeding as being a top up and not the bird's main source of food. That encourages them to keep foraging for natural food and limits the numbers of birds in my garden to a more natural level.

But I do try to prevent some of the greedier birds, like pigeons, from eating everything on the birdtable.

[gillwrig]

My goldfinches can easily get through 3kilos of niger in two weeks ! No-one else in the area feeds the birds so they all decend on me.

I get so much pleasure out of watching them that I don't mind the expense.

[Susie]

I fill my feeders twice a week. I can't afford to do any more. When the feeders are empty they eat the fallen food off the ground (and there is an awful lot of it because they are messy eaters).

[lurcherlou]

Well, I can report that by 2pm both feeders are now empty !! I think I am going to follow the view that I put out 2 full feeders every morning and thats it for the day, otherwise I'm going to have to stop feeding my children !!