GONE TO SEED

Unless we make your own Armandii,we are at the mercy of the High Street vendors. Birds aren't that daft as the article says, and anything is better than starving to death surely? Most bits that are discarded are consumed by others, one way or the other. The biggest danger is stale seed left neglected to rot in feeders as this can be fatal. The French, along with most other nations, reckon we're all mad cow daft with our obsession for feeding wild birds in our gardens,
Jenny

 

The last lot of fatballs i bought from wilkos have still not all been eaten,usually i go through 8 a week plus peanuts and birdseed.
I made a big one myself last week based on a recipe scotkat gave me and even the squirrel raided it so i will be making more

 

Peanut butter in the mix is yummy thou

 

What really astounds me is that price difference of certain brands being sold in different outlets; our local Just for Pets is very expensive for bird food, for example a 550g pouch of suet pellets costs just shy of £5 in there and yet I can get the exact same product for £1.98 off a guy on the market and £2.49 from Wilkos!!!

I get most of my bird food from the guy on the market or our small independant pet shop; both cheaper and both sell quality food. The pet shop has some fantastic mixes that he puts together him self, a favourite being his 'fruit & nut' mix, it contains about 30-40% standard mixed seed and ample sultanas, raisins, crushed nuts & whole nuts, occasionally he puts dried berries in too if he can get some. He is very knowledgeable and leaves out whole nuts when baby birds are about to remove the risk of choking.

Regarding the fat balls I used to always buy the cheap ones from Home Bargains, 49p for 6, they used to be lovely and moist and would be all eaten within a day or two but recently they have changed to very dry hard balls and the birds barely touch them!!!

 

Its the same with wilkos they're rock hard now! prob why the birds aint touched them hardly,i might email wilkos see what they changed!
Never thought to look in pet shops

 

You spend like armani how long does it all last you? x

 

My dad has just bought us a 20kg sack of mixed seed from his 'supplier' in Cheshire, its a very good quality mix , not like the cheap mixes in many shops, this has sunflower hearts, crushed peanuts, sunflower seeds, corn etc. I use this as the base of our mix and then add the 'fruit & nut' mix, some suet pellets and mealworms. This mix then goes out on our tables and in a ground hopper, I also have a seperate mix for feeders that doesn't have the bigger stuff in that would block them

 

I bought a pack of suetballs from Poundland recently as they were 8 for, can't remember the price? but the Sparows didn't like them and were there four days later. Other suetballs go immediately.
The quality does vary.
Some of the bits of the balls falls on the ground and then you find a green patch of wheat or something has germinated which have to be removed straight away.

 

Even from the same supplier / manufacturer I find a big variation in quality, therefore consumption.

The current batch 49p for 6 from Home Bargains are proving quite popular with our birds.

a-a