Idea for feeding birds during winter?.

Gremlinertia

Hi, hope i haven't missed a thread addressing this.. Basically i have leftover oil/fat from cooking things on the grill, is this ok to leave out for birds, and any suggestion how i'd go about it?.

Thanks in advance.

aaakev

throw some seeds and nuts in and make fat balls. you can hang them off trees or stick them in feeders

Gremlinertia

Thank you, my ignorance on this subject is terrible, much appreciated.

aonb

Put some oats (porridge), cooked rice, breadcrumbs, seeds of any type (I use pumpkin/sesame/whatever I have in the cupboard, nuts (not salted) - into a little yogurt pot. Add your fat/drippings, mix up quickly. This is the tricky bit - put a bit of string looped thru the mix, leaving two ends dangling out over edges.When it hardens, cut the yogurt pot off, and you have a nice little shape to hang from a branch/wherever! I used to have a life

boomerang

http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/

Fat from cooking is bad for birds. The problem with cooked fat from roasting tins and dishes is that the meat juices have blended with the fat and when allowed to set, this consistency makes it prone to smearing, not good for birds' feathers. It is a breeding ground for bacteria, so potentially bad for birds' health. Salt levels depend on what meat is used and if any salt is added during cooking.

Lard and beef suet on their own are fine as they re-solidify after warming and as they are pure fat, it is not as suitable for bacteria to breed on.

Gremlinertia

I'll have a read boomerang, see if there's anyway to make it useable.

Capercaille

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/387868-top-10-bird-feeding-tips-this-winter
Some more tips here.

If you put out food on the ground or on hanging feeders make sure that it is in the open. If there is long grass, bushes on the ground a cat could ambush the birds.