Fat balls, when do you stop putting them out?

[briar rose]

I was just wondering when you stop putting out the fat balls for the garden birds, I only started giving them to them this year, and the holder holds 4, which usually last them a week, but the last few days they have been demolished in a couple, is this because it's spring, and they are getting ready for nesting, I haven't seen any different birds in the garden, so it may not be newcomers, do they still need the fat balls?, should I stop putting them out?, or continue for a while longer?

Thank you

[artdemole]

Last year I did not stop until summer as Starlings and finches came to feed with young.Still putting out 4 in cage not netting as weather is too up and down.Still lots of activity on feeder station.

[werdnal]

We feed all year too - fat balls, peanuts in small mesh feeders, and mixed seed. I have heard it said that it stops birds natural behaviour and makes them dependant on humans, when they should be reared to look for their natural food. We tend to find that once the weather warms up, and the natural food becomes easier to find, they do stop eating so much of what we put out. Once we find the peanuts are not going down so fast, we do reduce the amount we give them, more to save it going off, than to reduce the amount available to them.

I think general consensus is that feeding all year round is good idea these days, so long as you don't put out anything too large or too dry which might choke youngsters.

[nightshade]

We find the birds here tail off on their own accord, at present fat balls are still in demand as the weather is still wet and cold and likely to stay that way for a while yet and I think they are feeding young with the extra calories

[Stinky Bob]

Being in a rural location I start to reduce the amount of feed and only stop with the autumn glut because I still want them in the garden during the summer as they help to keep the pests of my veg!

[Sprout]

same as werdnal, we feed all year but reduce the peanuts when they don't get eaten as quickly. everything else, including fat balls, gets eaten at the same rate all year.

[Chucky egg]

I've had jackdaws on my fatball holders recently!

x

[Geoff F]

I get Magpies on my feeder; and in my Mother's garden the Rooks have learned to tip the feeder upside down and shake the balls out.

The one disadvantage of using a relative wide bar cage and removing the ball netting is that bigger birds can steal a rather large chunk of ball. Although I do usually remove the netting and some of the ground feeders who don't like using feeding cages can feed on those fallen bits.

I use fatballs all year but, as others have mentioned, the demand does reduce when there are more natural foods available. When the birds are eating less I just put 2 balls into the cage so they don't end up going bad.

A little while a go, I was finding excessive usage of fat balls and noticed they were getting eaten at night; so armed with a torch, and camera, I had a few night time looks. It wasn't long before I found a mouse inside the cage.

[Cowgirl]

Gosh that'll be one fat mouse!

[briar rose]

Thank you for replies

I wonder if we have a mouse or two, it may just be the reason why they are being eaten so quickly

I will continue to feed the seed and fatballs as normal and adjust as and when is needed