Fat ball question

[Pipa]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth B

Presumably they mean metal mesh feeders - there are plenty of these available from the usual suppliers.

i see, where i live we call the metal ones caged feeders not mesh, guess they need to be careful of their wording as some may mistake it for other things

[actionfinch]

Fat balls are a hit with the half dozen H sparrows i get, as well as a few starlings and a couple of bluetits.
I also use coconut shells as they were a big hit , but then i did my own, and the birds have not gone through that as quick,(prehaps they dont like my cooking) then i got some more shells ,different brand , and yet again they seem to be avoiding them as well..
crush peanuts in a blender to make them smaller ( obviously) .
If in doubt take them down and put other feed out ,and put them back up later in the year.

[jaelen]

I was told, (some years ago) that a major cause in the decline of the sparrow population was the horse and cart giving way to the automobile. The grain fed to horses was an important food source for them in cities and towns- along with the grain that passed through the horses' digestive system, that the birds would pick out of the horse droppings.

Now, (having shovelled out a few stables in my day ) I can affirm that your average fresh horse manure is every bit as sticky as a fat ball.
Maybe more so.


jaelen

[Elizabeth B]

Originally Posted by Pipa

i see, where i live we call the metal ones caged feeders not mesh, guess they need to be careful of their wording as some may mistake it for other things

This the sort of feeder I meant! It's a very cheap one - but I couldn't (quickly) find a better photo.

[Pipa]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth B

This the sort of feeder I meant! It's a very cheap one - but I couldn't (quickly) find a better photo.

yeah wilkinsons usually sell them pretty cheaply my birds don't like those, i mean those feeders are usually for peanuts and the birds in my area dont go anywhere near my bird peanuts i used to put out years and years ago now, never fed them nuts in over 10 years, they just dont like them

i guess it's those horrible green nylon bags that cheap peanuts used to come in (and yep the same ones that are wrapped around fat balls) that are dangerous

[galanthophile]

Allsorts of birds are currently feeding from my fat ball feeder - starlings, sparrows, Great tit, blue tit and Jackdaws! They are going down a storm and the tits in particular seem to be breaking tiny pieces off and flying away with them then they are straight back.

[counterlady]

Originally Posted by galanthophile

Allsorts of birds are currently feeding from my fat ball feeder - starlings, sparrows, Great tit, blue tit and Jackdaws! They are going down a storm and the tits in particular seem to be breaking tiny pieces off and flying away with them then they are straight back.

I dont use feeders at all - I crush the fat balls and just put everything on the bird table - the birds seem to get on quite well - i've seen wood pigeon, robin, sparrow, blackbird and blue tit all on at the same time. It's quite odd to watch.

[KentYeti]

I've read through this thread and will stick to my current feeding operation.

Strong metal feeders with peanuts inside that can only come out in small pieces. When one got modified by a squirrel so that much large pieces of peanut could be removed I threw it away and bought a new one.

Strong metal feeder with fat balls inside. Some fat balls come with plastic mesh, some without. All get put into the feeder just as fat balls. It's obvious that they are being pecked at, into small pieces. Before being eaten by the adults or fed to the youngsters. Ground feeders are picking up the small bits that crumble off.

Plastic seed feeders with small seeds do not seem any significant problem.

I change/top up the water at least once a day. Sometimes two or three times as it is being used for drinking and bathing a great deal.

I feel the above are essential at present while the Kent drought continues. The feeding frenzy some days has to be seen to be believed!

But not this morning after we actually had some rain in Kent. And though I was out most of the day, it is clear the birds ate elsewhere. With a late return to my feeders this evening when I was home.

Bit early to form a definite view. But my suspicion is that the rain last night helped bring more natural food sources out. Sources the birds prefered to what I offer. Which does perhaps indicate that it is essential to keep putting food out to the extent I am, until we start getting reliable rains again.

As I said, too early to form a definite view. But it is something I will monitor closely and react to as appropriate.

[LRM]

i used to put the fat balls out in the mesh, but they didn't seem to eat them very much and I threw away alot of them when they went stale. They were most popular with the Long Tailed Tits (23 in one group) but they rarely come any more, and only 2 or 3 at a time. Last year I gave my brother a whole bag of fat balls that my birds wouldn't eat, as his squirrels run off with them.

But then in the winter I couldn't resist buying another bag. So I also bought a fat ball feeder. I removed the mesh and put 3 balls in the feeder and hung it in the tree. And it has been very successful. The starlings loved them. And even now the sparrows, Tits and others are still nibbling away at them. Should have invested in one before.