Monkey Nuts? Ok for Birds???

Natasha_38 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 10:25 AM

Hello, I have a few feeders out which attrract loads of birds & a few black squirrels. To try to stop the squirrels (constantly!) breaking open the feeders I have been putting a some monkey nuts out for them which seems to be working. Lately though a couple of magpies have been taking these which I'm not bothered about as I love this pair but am concerned that they may choke on the nuts. I know that whole peanuts can be dangerous for fledglings but does this apply to larger birds or am I worrying unnecessarily? They seem to have no trouble eating them or massive parts of the fat balls that they break off but they are such fantastic birds that i would hate to think I could be doing them any harm!

Ferret · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 06:48 PM

Hi Natasha and welcome to Wild About Britain, I don’t think you need to worry about Magpie’s or any other species choking on Peanuts, birds feed in a different way to us, not having teeth they swallow large pieces or whole items food which they then grind up in there crop which is a muscular sack in there throat which contains grit and small sharp stones that they have purposely swallowed (that’s why you have to feed cage birds grit) and this is where there food is ground up before passing on to there stomach.

I know there are warnings about chicks being choked by peanuts but I don’t think this is very common and are probably inexperienced 1st time breeders getting it wrong and they would probably fail to raise the chicks anyway although it is always sensible to be extra carful if feeding wild birds during the breeding season to be extra carful what you give them, just to be on the safe side.

Ferret

Natasha_38 · #3 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 10:39 AM

Thanks for that, just wanted to check it was ok. I don't think the monkey nuts were such a good idea anyway, the squirrels appear to have eaten them then just taken the feeders apart anyway!! will have to try & make them more difficult to open!

Elizabeth B · #4 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferret

..............birds feed in a different way to us, not having teeth they swallow large pieces or whole items food which they then grind up in there crop which is a muscular sack in there throat which contains grit and small sharp stones that they have purposely swallowed ....................
Ferret

Actually the crop is rather lower down than the throat. Some time ago I found a good site with a very useful diagram of the internal anatomy of a bird:

Anatomy

Elizabeth B · #5 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natasha_38

Thanks for that, just wanted to check it was ok. I don't think the monkey nuts were such a good idea anyway, the squirrels appear to have eaten them then just taken the feeders apart anyway!! will have to try & make them more difficult to open!

The squirrels can't get at the peanuts I put out - I have a caged peanut feeder and an ordinary one that hangs from a feeder pole with feeders containing sunflower hearts and black sunflower seeds - the pole has a baffle on it to stop squirrels from climbing up to reach the feeders. (The pole is positioned well away from trees and shrubs so that squirrels can't leap directly onto the feeders from these).

Ferret · #6 (**permalink**) 09-12-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Actually the crop is rather lower down than the throat. Some time ago I found a good site with a very useful diagram of the internal anatomy of a bird:

Yes I realise that Elizabeth, just trying to keep things simple, I never now how much detail to go into when answering queries and tent to swing from to brief to half a page of waffle which I am sure just bores people.

Ferret

Natasha_38 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009, 02:35 PM

Thanks for the advise. Unfortunately I live in a converted dairy that has been turned in to flats so we have communal gardens. Due to this I don't want to end up buying expensive feeders in case they are taken or moved. We have tried various methods but none seem to deter the squirrels. It's quite entertaining watching them as they try to work out how they can get in to the feeders but a bit expensive as they get through the feed alot quicker than the birds!

Paul mabbott · #8 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Natasha_38

Thanks for the advise. Unfortunately I live in a converted dairy that has been turned in to flats so we have communal gardens. Due to this I don't want to end up buying expensive feeders in case they are taken or moved. We have tried various methods but none seem to deter the squirrels. It's quite entertaining watching them as they try to work out how they can get in to the feeders but a bit expensive as they get through the feed alot quicker than the birds!

Just make a cage of wire netting - 3-4 cms gauge? - and put it around your feeder - birds will get in, squirrels won't! Good luck.

Jim Ford · #9 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009, 07:41 PM

It's dead easy to keep squirrels off a bird feeder with this arrangement - costing nothing:

We've also got feeders on a pole, with two bottles threaded bottom-to-bottom halfway up. It's very entertaining to see squirrels trying to get past, but slipping off every time because they can't get a grip on the bottles.

We still get squirrels in the garden, but they've given up trying to get to the feeders!

Jim

Natasha_38 · #10 (**permalink**) 22-12-2009, 08:35 AM

That's a really good idea, I'm going to try that today. We have spent a small fortune the past few days on nuts & stuff & that's just for the birds nlet only a couple of hungry squirrels! I'll try to cover up the feeders & leave trays out with monkey nuts for the squirrels.