Starlings

[wales1000]

hello - I have been putting up some fat balls in my porch and have attracted around 15 starlings - I also put out dried meal worms now and again, but I am finding that they are eating around 6 or more fat balls a day - I also put out bread, but is there anything I can use from my cupboard which I could feed the birds? I am on maternity leave at the moment so money is not great and I did buy 200 fat balls, but my OH is not too happy with me spending my money on feeding birds - I love it, but is there anything I could use from my cupboard which might be a cheaper option to feed the starlings?

Many thanks.

Natasha

[faz]

hello and welcome to WAB almost any scraps from the kitchen will do old biscuits ,bread etc ,cheese bacon rind ,baccon ,you can make your own fat balls using your ol;d cooking fat just add some seeds while still liquid
hope this helps a little

[wales1000]

Originally Posted by faz

hello and welcome to WAB almost any scraps from the kitchen will do old biscuits ,bread etc ,cheese bacon rind ,baccon ,you can make your own fat balls using your ol;d cooking fat just add some seeds while still liquid
hope this helps a little

yes that is a great help - thank you I shall try this! Just one question though, is any fat ok to use?

[faz]

hi
as long as is dose solidify i have used fat from my roast joints sausages etc put in in a plastic tub each time u add a batch of fat add sum seed as well untill the tub is full then pop it out wen set

[wales1000]

Originally Posted by faz

hi
as long as is dose solidify i have used fat from my roast joints sausages etc put in in a plastic tub each time u add a batch of fat add sum seed as well untill the tub is full then pop it out wen set

great thanks - i just tipped some old fat i used yesterday into a tub with some seeds.

[rossy]

starlings are not fussy eaters ,and will eat almost anything you put in front of them , and will have a go at most food, but when they arrive on mass it dosent take them long to clean up, try getting a couple of suet blocks, they last longer and the starlings enjoy them, rossy.

[greenace233]

Hi
I have a cheap recipe for fat balls. Make a batch of pastry, before you add the water mix in currents, peas, seed, biscuits, any fruit past its day and anything else i can find , then add the water and with a little flour mould them into balls, fridge over night, my birds love them, also just remembered crushed cereal is a good one but not porridge it stick to their little beaks. no coconut someone told me once. not sure why.
Anyway hope this helps. debbie

[Kayleigh]

Bacon tends to be salty and bread has no nutritional value..
I put some porridge and wild birdseed suet and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl and pour on melted lard..
Put this in polystyrene cups as a mould then put into a fat ball holder.
There are lots of recipes on wab somewhere.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by faz

hello and welcome to WAB almost any scraps from the kitchen will do old biscuits ,bread etc ,cheese bacon rind ,baccon ,you can make your own fat balls using your ol;d cooking fat just add some seeds while still liquid
hope this helps a little

Some of those aren't a good idea - i.e, anything salty (some cheeses, buscuits, bacon) as salt can and does kill them. Also avoid cooking oil that you've added salt to, such as the roast.

Buy blocks of lard, which are cheap. You can either grate them or melt them down and add bread etc. Cheap brown loaves are also good on their own (dip in water before throwing out), and an own brand costs about 30-50p.

[RKB]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

and bread has no nutritional value..

Tell that to dieters. Bread is almost pure carbohydrate, a very rich source of energy just like the grain it's made from.