Feed the birds, tuppence a bag

[PrettyCandles]

IIRC, I read somewhere that we should stop putting out fat balls at this time of the year because the fat is bad for the fledglings.

In my garden the birds are really gobbling the fat balls, but the peanuts have barely been touched.

So what should I put out instead?

fat balls? fat balls? like balls of fat?

ooo do tell .. I shall grimace as I read

Isnt it seeds and grain mixed with lard into a big ball type thing? (I watched tikabilla the other day ).

That's right, mmh.

It's worth grimacing over, Twiglett - they're really nasty to touch. If I'm not wearing gardening gloves when I fill up the feeder, then I have to wash my hands over and over again and use the nail brush to get rid of the sensation. Bleurgh.

euwwww

I've never heard to stop putting fat balls out but I know not to put loose peanuts out unless finely chopped but better still in a nut feeder, so the babys(sorry fledglings)don't choke on them.Also dry food such as bread are bad as they can swell up in their stomachs. I've still got fat balls out loose seed on my bird table and nuts in a feeder.Oh and water in the bird bath not really needed today as its lashing down with rain

i was told that you should feed the birds at all during the summer and autumn because it attraccts rats, and that birds dont need feeing during these months.... the rat catcher man told me when we had rats in garden cos next door fed birds with fat balls!!!

I used to love feeding the birds and squirrels, but got overrun with pigeons! Tons of them, one or two still come and I can't get rid of them.

We moved house a few weeks ago and the old owners left us a bag of currants for the bird table to feed the birds. I now buy Sainsburys Economy dried fruit mix (40p a bag) and they absolutely love them.

Isn't there something about not giving peanuts as they can develop quite a nasty mould on them (aside from the fledgling thing)
Gosh, this thread is quickly branching out into the spectrum of bird feeding isn't it?

I put the fatballs and peanuts in hanging cage thingummies, so hopefully nothing on the ground to attract rats. Nor pigeons either! Ugh, hate them - aerial rats.

I imagine that after this lovely drought that we've been having the peanuts are probably gross and fungusy. I'll refill the peanut cage with currants - good idea.

I love watching the birds feeding. Wish I knew what they were (coming from London I can identify pigeons, blackbirds and robins - I nearly jumped out of my skin - a starling flew straight into the window next to me! - and that's all ) Though I've learnt to identify starlings!

its peanuts and dry bread you should not put out just now as the babies can choke on whole peanuts and dry bread is not good (you can soak the bread in water first and then put it out)

seeds and fat balls are fine, but not other fats like bacon fat etc

and remember water

Advice is to feed all year round, as some species cannot survive without garden food sources.
Wiggly wigglers do species specific mixes. You think fat balls are bad - try live mealworms (little wiggling insect larvae)