Let's talk Seeds and Seed Mixes!

The 2 red bellieds that are here are both females and they love the fruit & nut mix. They spend more time picking things out of the feeder than on the suet. Usually, if I have them at all, they are shy and only eat suet. These two are fun as they seem to play. We have a coyote problem here also. They are bold as brass; sometimes if I am up early enough, I see them strolling down the middle of the street. They work on the squirrel population but have not affected the raccoons.

Our squirrels LOVE the suet I don't even do the ones with nuts in it.

My squirrels don't seem to like the suet that doesn't have peanut butter in it. They are always coming to the feeders for BOSS and really love the PB smears that I do on the tree trunks, but since I changed types of suet, they don't eat it anymore. I try to feed them outside of the fenced yard. They seem to love corn... The coyote's don't bother my feeders, but we have to be quick to get the paper before they do. We found an enormous mess of papers and shredded bags outside of a den last year.

I must have picky squirrels! They are far more focused on getting the seeds out of the hanging feeders or rummaging around underneath them for discarded seeds. We don't put corn out because of the flocks of crows that would ensue...maybe that's why we don't have much of a squirrel problem.

Saw a batch of 'squirrel feed' at a grocery store. NO WAY! We have plenty of acorns from the oaks. We do get little hickory trees in the lawn which they plant from the neighbor's tree. When tree work was done in late summer, the entry to under the eaves of the garage was closed off. Why is it than when we wish to use our front door the cardinals are near the feeder? Don't wish to spook them, but we do need to use the door.

We had a bad freeze 2 years ago and it killed the red oak acorn crop that was supposed to be here this year. I would put corn out for them anyway, it keeps them out of my bird feeders.

NanB

Very good acorn yr here this season--if snow cover comes the deer start chomping on something else, the turkeys are still around & they like acorns.

Interesting ideas on this thread!

I am wondering about the 'economics' of the custom/home made seed mixes. Do you find that you can beat the costs of ready made mixes by buying the individual components?

We generally don't use mixes~~we do hang a few large Birdola Woodpecker Seed Blocks which the Pileateds, Red-bellieds and other WPs like a lot.

Otherwise we fill the different feeders with exclusively one kind of seed in each~~safflower (especially when the squirrels get agressive, they don't seem to like saff. seed as much as BOSS, but our Cardinals LUV saff.), Sunflower seed kernals/hearts around the deck (I think these are less messy), thistle in the finch feeder, and whole peanuts in a tube feeder for titmice and bluejays and some energetic woodpeckers.

Hi tab, How are you?

In my case I like to use this new mix because it contains things I've never found in any other mix (whole macadamians,brazil nuts etc.) It is about the same price as buying sunflower kernels of the same size bag (at a bird store) but I do like to stretch it by adding peanut halves. The Red-bellieds go crazy for it.
All my other feeders contain sunflower kernels only except for a peanut silo which contains peanut halves and of course nyjer feeders.
I've stopped using the seed cakes because when it rains they get ruined. We just had 2 straight days of heavy rains here. I have been thinking of getting some safflower but the Cardinals and Finch seem happy enough with the sunflower kernels.

I just cooked off 5 pounds of bacon and wondered if I could hurt them with the nitrates/nitrites if I put out pans of the fat for them. What say y'all? Should I put it out or into the trash?

TIA,
Nan

I have heard of people using bacon fat but I'm not sure about the nitrates.

Yeah, it's barely OK for us to eat it, I just don't know about them....

I guess better to be on the safe side then.

I have been putting the mixed trees nuts in with the peanuts on the platform feeder and the birds love them!! The Jays, Red-bellied's and even a couple of the crows land on there sometimes and get some!

Interesting thread here.. for storing my seed, my DH took a small refrig that had quit working and bored small "breathing" holes through the metal. That's where everything is now stored including seed, suet and extra feeders. For the different types of seed, I keep them in gallon milk jugs. Makes it easy to refill everything when all I have to do is grab a jug of BOSS or seed and fill the feeder :) I also "grow" my own mealworms, which is so easy that it's unbelieveable..my only problem is that I hate touching the things ROFL!! For the longest time, I wore plastic gloves while doing my harvesting. Now I don't worry about it but DH still chuckles as he watches me making faces while I pick the darn worms up :) But it's worth it for the Eastern Bluebirds who now nest a few feet from our patio!

We've hardly ever had squirrels but since losing our Blackjack tree from the ice storm last year, they've discovered my woodpecker blocks and I had two of them hanging upside down off the blocks trying to get to the seed just this morning! Hilarious sight- and a crow sitting on the fence loudly proclaiming his disapproval cause HE wanted to get into the seed too!

Chris

Tabasco,

About the economics of blending ones own mixes: I mix my own because I find that most of the birds that I feed will systematically go through the feeders tossing out the millet, milo and safflower to get to the preferred nuts and seeds and so much of the feed would wind up on the ground and spoil. I have ground feeders here but they don't really want that reject feed either. They'll pick at it but I find that it just sits there and spoils. The feeders would go down pretty quickly like this. I find that since I have been buying a better grade of berry & nut blends and supplementing with BOSS and peanut hearts, I probably spend the same amount of money (or maybe just a little more) but feed more birds with less waste. As a bonus, I get more of the birds that I, personally enjoy and don't see as many HOSP and starlings. I don't mind feeding them but if they are here in numbers, nobody else wants to come!

Interesting comments on the bacon grease! My DH was thinking about starting a jar to add to his suet blend. Maybe not.......

re: Bacon grease.
Have we heard a definitive yes/no on this? I've done it in years past when the birds/wildlife were blocked from their food sources by the winter weather, they all seemed to thrive on it. I am just concerned about the longterm effects of the nitrates/nitrites. Are there any?
The FDA lets us eat them in so many of our foods.... What about the birds?
Is there an answer out there that has the backup of a real scientific study, or, is it just our "by guess and by golly" that we are going on here...

Thanks,
Nan

This may be weird, but what does generic cat food have in it that makes the birds flock to it? (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) I have 2 barn cats and during the cold, I put out a bowl of cat food for them each day. I don't know how many times I've come outside to find sparrows sitting in the bowl, happily munching away! And it's not cause my feeders are empty..I've checked that. I suppose it's the protein in it and it hasn't harmed the silly things or they wouldn't come back, right? Should I change where I put the bowl in order to keep the birds away?

Chris

I know that cat food is way higher in fat than dog food.....Maybe they are lovin' the high fat/high protien diet that you are providing. Sure can get expensive tho', I had to make sure that the crows and jays never again had access to my dog food.

I found pelle's "Just Desserts" blend at an old country hardware-type store about 20 miles south! The birds really like it. I like your idea, Chris, about putting the seed in gallon containers. It makes perfect sense! I keep taping up the holes mice chew in the bottom on the birdseed bags.

I think I'll try supplementing with sunflower seed halves and peanuts. I'm feeding squirrels, too, by default. If I don't put some in a bowl on the ground, they climb the feeder. Also, our oaks didn't produce acorns this year, and the squirrels are having a difficult time already this winter.

Check this out OPbirder:
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/

RE: Bacon Grease.

Since Sialis says you can use bacon grease, I would assume it is okay…
http://www.sialis.org/suet.htm

Edited to say that I think if you aren 't using low sodium bacon, you might want to not use straight bacon grease.

This message was edited Dec 14, 2008 5:29 PM

No shortage of acorns here, in fact a bumper crop which so far has kept the deer damage down. If we get deep snow that last remark may change.

No shortage of acorns here either. I hear them falling all the time. I wake up in the night yelling, "INCOMING!"

We have tons of acorns too which I can't figure out. We had the 17 year cicada this year and the oak trees were hammered pretty hard by the females. I would think that we would have had LESS acorns. Weird.

Thanks for the sialis link Mrs Ed. We are having a 40 degree drop in temperature today so I went ahead and put a bowl out for them in a tray feeder and poured some next to the suet. 45 mph winds and the goldfinches are still holding fast to the feeders......

June, be sure to check the sticky at the top of the birdwatching forum. you'll find that sialis link there, along with other suet recipes and all kinds of resources.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/805666/

We have more acorns here this year than I've seen in the past 8 years we've lived here. I would love to box up some to send to those poor acornless people in the article. The squirrels here don't seem to care that there are tons of acorns, they prefer BOSS in the feeders. Oh well...

Oh DUH! I forgot about that! Thanks so much.

Hi! to you, too, Pelle, and Thanks, Birdsters, for your comments on the economics of the bird seed blends.

If the macadamia, brazil nuts and other exotics will bring in some additional birds that peanuts won't attract, I'm game to try the fancy blend, too.

Yes, I too stopped using the blends with millet and other cheap stuff in it to try to reduce waste under the feeders. It's worked somewhat, I think.

We are trying to build up our Bird Feeding operation at our house in anticipation of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count coming up (here Dec. 27). Last year our cincinnati area broke all kinds of records because we had so many new 'Feeder Watchers' counting the woodpeckers! Hope to do the same this year! If you have time/inclination, the Audubon bird counts at Christmas are fun and for us a neat family tradition.

Happy birding to all. t.

Any one want to send me some of their acorns???? LOL... these squirrels insist that they're hungry!


Chris

I wish I could afford the waste free mix! I am getting a little tired of the mess. I cleaned up a bit last week under the feeders already.

nanny - I don't do mixes anymore, but get 50lb bags of sunflower chips at the local feed store (or agway). They'll put it in my trunk for me, and my husband gets it out :) Maybe check out much more it is than the shelled seeds next time you buy? I find it is worth it given how much my birds eat, and it is cheaper to get a 50lb bag.

Will check around...might be worth it. Now I know you are in Vermont but how much does that run you for 50lbs.?

I can't remember, I think 60 or 65? I think it was 25+ for a 20lb bag? geez, I should pay more attention next time!

I just bought my first 50 lb bag of peanut halves at the bird store. It must be

made by the same company as the Just Desserts mix because when I opened the bag there were cashews and almonds in the top. This size will save me a few trips.

I'm so surprised how many birds are eating them.

wow, 50 pounds. nice. I don't have the halves here. They are whole nuts, although some are broken obviously.

they are indeed well-loved.

WBU has that size but it is a bit expensive...for me anyways!

It is expensive to put out that much at once but it's the least expensive way to buy it.

I'll be saving on gas too.

I usually get my peanuts at WBU also. The 20 pound bag size. I try and get one or two bags during the October sale and then during their February sale, but might have to get some in between those months. When I checked the regular price of it on their Oct. sale flyer, it was $35 or $35 and some change. Wow! All bird food, esp. the seeds have really gone sky high!

If I can't get over to the local WBU, because of distance and/or weather, then I'll get the peanuts at Petsmart, but then comparing pound/price, it's more per pound there I find. I really prefer the WBU peanuts, anyway.