to many feeders

[actionfinch]

silly question , but can you have to many feeders in your garden , for the amount of birds you get..
i have a steady stream of little birds with magpies 1-2 and woodpigeons 2-3 and collared doves 2 . just that my sister has given me her bird table and i already have one but im thinking i might be over doing it....

[Gatekeeper]

It's crucial to remember that hygiene is an important factor. Theoretically the more feeders you put out, the more birds you should attract. The more birds you get, the bigger the risk of disease.

This winter I will be using 2 bird baths, 2 tables, 8 nijer feeders, 3 seed feeders, 2 peanut feeders, and a large area for ground feeding.

On a daily basis I can usually expect: 120+ assorted finches, 80+ house sparrows, 12-16 collared doves, 6-7 woodpigeons, 20-30 assorted tits, 20+ assorted thrushes, 10+ assorted crows, 10+ robins/dunnocks/wrens, 40+ starlings, and probably another 10+ bits-and-bobs, with a sparrowhawk thrown in.

That's a lot of birds and I am very aware of the disease transmission potential. Therefore, I'm constantly cleaning, sterilizing, and alternating feeder locations. There's no point keeping birds alive by feeding, whilst killing them through poor feeder hygiene.

I know that I've reached the limit for the number of feeders in my garden, and I wouldn't want to go beyond it. So, it all depends on the size of your garden, and being able to manage an effective hygiene routine for the number of feeders you decide to use.

[actionfinch]

A very good reply... i always maintain the cleanliness and get satisfaction out of doing it, funny enough i cleaned a table my sister gave me yesterday , and was deepliy ashamed of the state it was in , it was terrible.

since getting into it and reading bools and getting tips from this site , i have spread the word about hygiene to others...

[Hedera]

Don't mean to hi-jack, but what do you use for sterilising? I have been using oldfashioned soda crystals or Milton on the feeders. Will that kill most infectious stuff?

[Deb London]

Whatever the number, I'd advise doubling the number of feeders you have.

That way you can clean out, disinfect and dry one set, while the other set is being used.

In the long run, it doesn't cost too much extra. They don't last, even the expensive ones.

I have no idea if you can have too many out at one time, but I know not many budgets stretch that far. And I totally agree with GK's post.

[mrbright]

i have a very small garden i have one table, and 7 feeders, albeit one with niger seed that appears to be redundant, the other six are permanently attacked by bluetits,great tits, sparrows occasional robin, doves.
And to be honest, i can't remember hearing one complain
However, i do happen to believe that my resident bluetits call me when the sunflower hearts run out..
ps, if i put some dried thistles about the garden would this help the goldfinches find the niger? i know they frequent the bottom of my garden, but refuse to eat any of my offerings.
am left with a 5kg pack of unopened niger seed.

[Cowgirl]

Post it to me !! I can't keep up with the greedy little beggars and now the sparrows have cottoned onto the niger seed as well, groan. I have let some teasels grow unmolested so hopefully that'll also help this winter.

Love iit really .

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Whatever the number, I'd advise doubling the number of feeders you have.

That way you can clean out, disinfect and dry one set, while the other set is being used.

In the long run, it doesn't cost too much extra. They don't last, even the expensive ones.

I have no idea if you can have too many out at one time, but I know not many budgets stretch that far. And I totally agree with GK's post.

Hi Debs,

That's a really good point, I have 2 sets of feeders (the A team and the B team ); when I get a new/improved feeder, I relegate the older ones to 'back-up'. This allows you to thoroughly cleanse a 'best' feeder before putting it back out. It's particularly handy if, during rainy weather, a feeder gets badly fouled.

Further, on the 'too many' theme: I like to move my feeders around a good bit, so that the ground immediately under the feeder can recover and 'breathe'. This prevents germs/mould building up in one spot; once I've moved the feeder, I will treat the ground and thoroughly hoe. My feeders will probably be moved 6 or 7 times each winter, so consequently I will always have more ground devoid of feeders than with feeders.

Also, I use 'no-mess' seed mixes to avoid germination and waste under feeders, and only feed over bare earth. The only seed that I have germination problems with is nyger. I used to use the nyjer-feeders with the simple drilled hole, but the spillage is phenomenal. I tried to deal with this by using feeder trays, but the muck that collects in a very short time is disgusting and a 'hot-bed' for disease. This is the type I now use:

]

They are specially designed for nyjer and present the seed in little slots within a port. This has dramatically reduced spillage, and what there is, I find makes a superb compost (you should see my strawberries ). I no longer use seed trays as stated, and the tables I use have wire mesh feeding surfaces, not wood- much more easier to keep clean.

My main concern is the current Trichomonosis epidemic- please see this WAB thread:

chaffinch fledgling

Where I posted this:

The RSPB: Advice: Trichomonosis in finches and other garden birds

As I said in my first post, "There's no point keeping birds alive by feeding, whilst killing them through poor feeder hygiene.


Yes, it's a lot of work but it pays dividends.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by Hedera

Don't mean to hi-jack, but what do you use for sterilising? I have been using oldfashioned soda crystals or Milton on the feeders. Will that kill most infectious stuff?

Hi Hedera,

These are the products that I use ( I'm lifting the text from the website that I purchase from ):

'GardenKlens' - Neutralise harmful bacteria and viruses that might be lurking in your garden. This environmentally friendly, easy-to-use powder will also deodorise any smell from droppings or food waste and will not harm the birds or other animals even if ingested.

'Ark-Klens' - Ideal for cleaning feeders, water baths, tables and feeding areas this disinfectant solution is veterinary recommended and is totally safe for birds.

'CitroSan' - Adding this natural product to your bird baths will help reduce the spread of diseases between wild birds. Extracted from oranges, CitroSan is non toxic, GM free and a natural sanitizer against a wide range of pathogens. It acts to maintain a natural immunity too! A real boost for young birds.

'Biological Cleaner' - Our new cleaner is suitable for cleaning feeders, bird baths and nest boxes. It contains carefully selected micro-organisms which naturally break down organic waste, reduce odours and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. It is safe to use around wildlife, pets and domestic animals.

'Elbow Grease' -

[Cowgirl]

I give mine a bit of a rinse/soak in bleach, take them apart then shove em in the dishwasher, @ 95 degrees which is hotter than I can stand washing by hand, I'm hopeful this sorts everything out.

Just make sure you remember which screws go with which feeders .