Why don't they like my fat balls??

[Riddlediddle]

We got a bird feeder at the start of lockdown so we could see some lovely birds whilst we were inside. I bought some suet sticks to go in this and the birds went mad for it - we had robins, blue tits, coal tits, sparrows and starlings all fighting over it. So much so it went really quickly so on my weekly shopping trip last week I wanted to buy some new bird food - all of the suet sticks were out of stock so I bought fat balls instead as they looked like they had very similar ingredients. Since topping up with them we've had not one bird visit that we have seen - out living room looks out onto the feeder and we are pretty much in there all day so we should have seen at least one bird! Why don't they like my fat balls???

I’ve been feeding my birds for a couple of years I have a seed feeder and put out fat filled coconut halves as well in the winter. This winter I bought some cheaper fat filled coconut halves as my usual ones were quite expensive.

They didn’t go near my cheap ones & I ended up throwing them out & going back to the expensive ones. Seems they can be picky, I wondered if they had been stored incorrectly in the shop or if they had gone rancid or something.

However I only ever put fat feeders out in winter as I read somewhere that the fat is good to up their calories for winter but not nutritious enough for them feeding their fledglings -maybe someone on here will clarify that?

Is @ManifestoMT still around and can she send her DH over?

The birds in my garden will only eat the premium fat balls from Wilko, they won't touch the cheaper ones. Maybe there just isn't much seed in the cheaper ones?

I put fat balls out, and had some beautiful smaller birds. Then the jackdaws found them. Cant get shot of the jackdaws now, and no smaller birds to be seen.

Too chocolatey? Too salty?

Has it got warmer where you are? A lot of wild birds will just lose interest in suet and fatballs as the weather warms up, and be much more interested in seeds.

If birds are feeding chicks they’ll be looking for high protein insects now, even if they normally eat seeds. So your fat balls aren’t that attractive. Try meal worms .. expensive but very popular! Try fat balls again later in the year. The Pets at Home ones are a Which? Best Buy if you set store by their testing.

No opinion on this, just wanted to echo a pp - thread title is epic

Great title.

The birds didn’t eat my fat balls this winter and I wondered why.

If they won't eat the fat balls, I would break them up and leave them on a hard surface, preferably with other things like seed or mealworms.

I would agree with other posters that birds don't like cheap stuff. Any suet type food with added ingredients is always popular.

Best places are Home Bargains and B&M in my experience

I have not got any fat balls out at the moment. I've got peanut nibs and sunflower hearts.

The hearts are more popular most of the time but at twilight the nibs are. Seems that they are stocking up on the higher fat product for the cold evening.

I have also got a totally batty chaffinch (Batty Bertie) which can't perch on the feeder but hovers, flapping madly in front, grabs a seed and takes it somewhere else to eat. It is the only bird that seems to be around most of the day (getting fat) but whenever the female is around it batters itself against it's reflection in my patio doors - repeatedly until she flies off. He never has anything to do with her himself but is damned if he is going to let that other bugger (his reflection) get near her.

Ha ha I thought the title would create some interest in the thread!

Clearly I'm new to this and have underestimated how picky birds can be. I had just assumed they would like the fat balls like they loved the suet. We have loads of squirrels in our area so I am reluctant to put any nuts out as when I've seen neighbours do this it's just the squirrels thay scoff them all. Better look for alternatives on my next weekly shop then!

The birds in my garden will only eat the premium fat balls from Wilko, they won't touch the cheaper ones. Maybe there just isn't much seed in the cheaper ones?

Same here, thrifty DH bought a big tub of the cheapo ones which are not being eaten.

OP /I have the very same question! Is bizarre. They have all gone crazy for the suet square as me are eschewing the balls I bought in Aldi!

Yep, same here. The birds will turn their noses (beaks?) up at cheap food and only go for the good stuff. They’ll pick their way through mixed seed, scattering the cheap stuff to get to what they like.

They all love sunflower hearts.

Is @ManifestoMT still around and can she send her DH over?

My first thought too!

@Notso mine are the wilkos large tub ones too! Thought I was getting a bargain for £4 - clearly not!!

Aaaargh I only popped on to say let your husband eat them. Pipped to the post by loads

I was about to ask if you have a husband you can feed them to....

Given how much I've been eating during lockdown I might give them a try myself

Wrong food for the time of year. It's nesting season. Fat balls are good food for the winter but less so in Spring. Right now they need meal worms and i think you are supposed to avoid peanuts in Spring too. I am not an expert though.The RSPB gives a little advice on what to feed and when.

It’s the time of year.

Over autumn and winter into early spring I can’t buy enough fat balls to keep up with demand.
The birds get through so many.

Now though they won’t touch them.
A magpie took one today but that was the first bird I’ve seen in ages around my feeder.

I’ve seen lots of blackbirds near the pond and blue tits in my roses, after the aphids I imagine, but no interest in the fat balls

Mealworms, soaked overnight at this time of year as the dry ones are bad for fledglings.
Not cheap, but that is really all that's disappearing off my bird table at the moment.