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Feeding wild birds

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  • 04-01-2010 2:47am
    #1
    dee o gee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 365 ✭✭


    Whats the best thing to be feeding wild birds this time of year? We couldn't get out to homebase to buy any mixed seed so have just been using stuff around the house and some of the hamster's food they leave over.
    Are things like cereal ok to give them, crushed up some 'fruit and nut' and 'weetabix' which they seemed to like, but is it safe to give them?
    I know uncooked rice is bad to give them but what about cooked rice? Also heard that bread isin't too good for them either?

    We generally have a mixture of all sorts of things, some thrushes, blackbirds, robins, a pair of pigeons and lots of different small birds.
    Is there anything that I should avoid completely?
    Tagged:


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    #2
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Breakfast cerels are alright in small doses. Use dired fruit (sultana, raisins etc) porridge oats are good. Any unsalted fats . Bits of Christmas cake, bread crumbs...
    I avoid rice but I can't remember why!


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    #3
    boneless
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,487 ✭✭✭boneless


    Dario Rhythmic Gelatin wrote: »
    Breakfast cerels are alright in small doses. Use dired fruit (sultana, raisins etc) porridge oats are good. Any unsalted fats . Bits of Christmas cake, bread crumbs...
    I avoid rice but I can't remember why!

    The rice expands in their wee tums...

    Oatmeal is good to fill them up in an emergency. And don't forget they need water in very cold weather. put some sugar or glucose in it to stop it freezing and put it in as sheltered aplace as possible. Never put salt in it though.

    In dire circumstances I have put out small amounts of unsalted peanut butter and honey for them.


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    #4
    dee o gee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 365 ✭✭dee o gee


    boneless wrote: »
    The rice expands in their wee tums...

    Oatmeal is good to fill them up in an emergency. And don't forget they need water in very cold weather. put some sugar or glucose in it to stop it freezing and put it in as sheltered aplace as possible. Never put salt in it though.

    In dire circumstances I have put out small amounts of unsalted peanut butter and honey for them.

    But would well cooked rice expand in their stomachs? Thanks for the tip with the water, our bird bath is completely frozen through.


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    #5
    boneless
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,487 ✭✭✭boneless


    I'm not sure about cooked rice...


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    #6
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,436 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    boneless wrote: »
    I'm not sure about cooked rice...
    See this post from Srameen on another bird feeding thread in this forum...

    http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=63804963&postcount=12


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    #7
    snaps
    Registered Users Posts: 7,138 ✭✭✭snaps


    ive been buying the cheap value rice from tesco, cooking it and putting out for them? Surely that is ok? Ive been putting all my scraps out for them, they'll eat anything!


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    #8
    John Mason
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 10,661 ✭✭✭✭John Mason


    i give them apples which have gone past their best


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    #9
    storminateapot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭storminateapot


    Odlums porridge oats ( mixed with warm water, aids digestion) A good quality seed mix, peanuts, nyger seed to attract goldfinch, chaffinch, siskin, meal worms for robin (you can get the dried version in petstores if you don't wish to handle live mealworms).


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    #10
    storminateapot
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭storminateapot


    Give warm water to the birds. It will not freeze to ice as fast like cold water does in the very cold, snowy harsh weather. Remove the netting from the fat balls. It can injure birds legs. Keep your cat indoors because the birds are vulnerable and can be easily caught in the cold weather. If you feed birds, keep it up because once you start they will become to depend on you and it is a good habit to feed our feathered friends. It is also a delight to watch these beautiful creatures visit your garden and sing melodies in the treetops.


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