Garden Bird Tables

When you buy or make yourself a great bird table you are just about set to start helping the local bird population. All that is left is to find some great bird feed that will provide a the sustenance your local birds need to get them through the tough times and also allow you to enjoy their company throughout the year.

Many people who are new to feeding garden birds don’t know where to start when choosing bird feed apart from a vague idea about nuts and seeds being something that they might like. Doing a little research into the best foods for specific species of bird and what to feed them at specific times of the year will improve results both from your point of view and from the birds.

Having said that their are so many companies out there today who provide mixtures suitable for your bird table that you could quite easily just take someone else’s word on what you should be using. Its much more satisfying however to do your own research and study up on such an interesting subject.

Seeds Mixes

Supply your garden birds with a constant supply of good quality seed and they will reward you by visiting your garden on a regular basis. As with any product on the market there will be a wide variation in the quality, usually dependent on the price you pay for your seed mix.

You will find seed mix composition varies according to how you are going to use it. Mixes which are specifically for bird tables will sometimes have larger flakes which are unsuitable for use in feeders while bird feeder seed mix will consist of smaller seeds to allow for free flowing access to the food. Look out for mixes which contain a large quantity of high quality grains and seeds such as flaked maize, sunflower and peanuts.

Suet and Fatballs

Fat balls, suet and other high-fat food bars are a perfect foodstuff for your birds during the Winter months and also gives a great energy boost during the breeding season. Suitable high-fat bird treats are available from all good suppliers although you can make your own. If you do purchase fatballs ready made, make sure you remove the nylon bag before putting the fat ball out to prevent possible injury to the birds.

Live foods

If you want to give your birds only the best food possible then take a look at getting live bird food from one of the many suppliers out there. Although these foods can quickly get expensive it really is the way to supply the nutrition our bird need. Research being carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology to find out the advantages of live foods over seeds is expected to show that birds fed on live foods are healthier and lay more eggs.

You can buy a range of live worms to feed your birds Online or if you are exceptionally keen and want to save some money you can learn to breed them yourself.

Conventional Pet Food

Many people advice that its fine to food cat or dog food to birds. I personally like to stick to foods that my birds would eat in the wild and not knowing what does into pet food makes me wary of using it. In addition, I not sure about the animal welfare techniques that are practiced by companies who produce these meats so I prefer to stay away from them.

At the same time many birds seem to like it so if you have some spare meat lying around the house and nothing else suitable for bird feed then you might want to give it a try. You can even use pet biscuits but just make sure you soak them first so the birds don’t choke on them.