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This year, a rare winter has come to Lithuania, so even in February it is not too late to prepare bird feeders. But what if you’ve never owned a feeder? What is it made of? And what to add? And what else do you need to know if you’re ready to feed your wings in the winter?
Feeder: buy or make yours?
You can buy a wide variety of feeders in the store or online, which can be quite simple, you can also find it so beautiful that it will become a real accessory for the home or garden. However, it is possible to make a feeder without incurring any cost.
Bottle feeder or milk box. This is a pretty simple way to make a feeder – you just need to make a hole in the two opposite walls through which the birds can get to the feeder. It is important to leave a deeper bottom to accommodate more food. All you have to do is tie said feeder to a tree branch with rope, and the job is done.
123rf nuotr./Lesyklėlė
Plastic food bucket. In such buckets we buy mayonnaise, herring or curd, they usually come in a capacity of 1 liter. By cutting two cavities on the sides of the bucket, we will have a large feeder. By removing the lid, we can comfortably clean and fill the feeder.
Feeding table. You can put a table on the stand and add food to it. The birds will also come to a feeder of this type, although it is very simple, but it is important to know that when it snows, we will have to remove the snow from the feeder. Still, raise the edges of the table a bit so the wind doesn’t blow the food away. For example, you can glue old pencils on the edges or the like.
Feeder with roof. This is one of the best and most comfortable feeding options for birds, since the roof will protect the food from snow and rain, and on a horizontal surface it is convenient for the birds to crouch.
123rf nuotr./Lesykla
Pumpkin feeder. If you have an unnecessary pumpkin, you can peel it on one side and fill it with food, it will also be a very good and interesting feeder, but not durable – the pumpkin will rot after a short time, and then it will I have to come up with a new way of feeding to the birds.
Feeders purchased. These feeders are beautiful and comfortable for birds, although they are definitely not necessary. However, if you decide to purchase such a feeder, the food in it is likely to be protected from moisture and snow, and the birds will be served from a larger container in series or in portions, which means they will not need to refill very frequently.
In some cases, if you feed the birds lard, melted fat, “bird cake”, you don’t even need a feeder, it will be enough to hang the food with a rope or wire.
If you feed the birds lard, melted fat, “bird cake,” you won’t even need a feeder.
The feeder is not necessary even if rowan, chokeberry, snowflakes, currants, hawthorn grow on your farm; this is an excellent winter food for birds. Also, do not pick all the apples, pears, cherries, the wings will do too.
What are we going to feed?
Sunflowers The best and most widely available food for birds is plain unpeeled sunflowers. Definitely no salt, no roasting. Sunflowers are nutritious, rich in protein and oil, making them a delicious and nutritious food for birds.
Misery. Peanuts do not give way to sunflowers in terms of taste and nutrition, they can also stay in the feeder for a long time, they are not very afraid of cold and humidity. It is also possible to feed the birds other nuts, but peanuts are the most acceptable in terms of price.
123RF.com nuotr./Riešutai
Cereals. Cereals are a natural food for birds. If available to you, you can add a variety of grains to the feeders: wheat, oats, triticale. The most nutritious are wheat.
Bacon. Birds that feed on insects, worms, and larvae in the summer (like the more well-known terns) will thank you in the winter if you hang unsalted bacon on them. The birds cling to them with their nails and they taste comfortably. It is also possible to melt the fat and put it on a rack after it has cooled down, and this can be hung for poultry. Fat is also great for birds, and the bird will easily scratch its bites through the holes in the grate.
Photo by Vida Press / Various grains
Semolina. Home-grown cereals are also a real delicacy for birds: oats, pearl grains, millet, flax seeds, poppies, any of these grains will be appreciated by birds.
Food products. If you have a loaf of bread that is starting to dry out, put it in the feeder. You can also give the birds curd, chopped boiled potatoes, boiled rice, buckwheat. It is important that these foods are not too moist and well distributed, scattered so that they do not freeze into a solid lump that will be difficult for the birds to overcome.
“Bird cake”. This is a special bird treat that will require some of your work to prepare. Put and melt butter or fat in a saucepan. When the fat has dissolved, add seeds, grains, groats, etc. Then cool the dough into apple-sized balls and hang it outside.
Basic rules for the feeder
The bird feeding season should not be too early, as we can attract flying birds and they will not fly further south anyway. Nor is it necessary to pamper the birds that live here naturally; in nature there is everything they need, we have to help them only during the winter season.
We will have to feed the birds constantly until spring, because once or twice we feel our goodness, they will wait for it later. It is important not to leave the feeder, since when they are used to the food, the birds quickly cannot find another food source and die.
123RF.com nuotr./Zylė lesa
When spring comes, it is better not to stop feeding immediately and to do it gradually.
The feeder must be safe and the wing that visits it must not run the risk of being caught by the cat, so it is always better to choose a perch or wall feeder than a support. In addition, the food in the feeder must not be in bad condition, old or of poor quality. By giving, for example, moldy bread, we will not help the birds, but we will harm them.
At the end
The most important thing to understand is that when we start feeding birds in the winter, we take responsibility for their lives. If we feed them irregularly, poor quality food, unsafe feeders, it is better not to start. However, if you are already deciding to do so, you will have a lot of joy enjoying the wings and listening to their twitter.
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