Chit Chat
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I got an old bag of flour out of the cupboard, emptied it into a bowl an poured in plenty of water. Added some porridge oats, salt, kitchen scraps and stale bread. Then melted a big lumb of lard on the cooker and added it to the mix, giving it a good stir. Put it on the garden wall and fence posts about an hour ago and it's nearly all gone.
Starlings found it first, then the house sparrows, crows and rooks. Had a couple of blackbirds, robin, hedge sparrow and magpie.
Starlings found it first, then the house sparrows, crows and rooks. Had a couple of blackbirds, robin, hedge sparrow and magpie.
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Why did you add salt?
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do they know it's christmas time?
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Lo salt actually. It's all I use. The flour, oats and lard have next to no salt in them. It's essential for life.
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the birds look out for each other in these terrible conditions, i just see a robin who seemed
to be out his depth on the grass thats covered in 2 feet of snow, then from no where a sparrow hawk swept down and picked him up taking back to the safety of the trees, pleasing to watch it was  |
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A high potassium salt substitute - fatal to birds.
Congratulations, you've orchestrated a purge of the avian world  |
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A fellow dog walker told me last week that she'd seen someone feeding salted peanuts to the ducks.I googled it when I got back home:Salt ingestion can be fatal for birds.
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don't forget to put out water for them or break the ice of the previous water you left for them it's very very important,thank me later
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Plenty of water in the mix.
There's far more salt in bread than I added to the mix. |
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I don't have feeders but throw out wholemeal bread soaked in melted suet. They need lots of fat this time of year. Peanuts (not salted, bad for them) are good too.
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Also birds digestive systems can't handle bread.
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white bread is no good, but wholemeal brown ok surely.
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i've got bird feeds in the garden all year long there all anti squirrel proof, the s0ds try
everything to no avail  all though now im worried about them in this weather  i mightunlock them. |
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go out in the garden with bird food on your hand saying here birdy wirdy wirdy
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I used to be a young ornafologist so im pretty good with birds
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ive never been how to spell it
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tuppence a bag?
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bread and salt not good .
i used to think the birds would struggle in these conditions for survival ,and you know what ? my fat balls and nut feeders have barely been touched ,they had more activity in the summer. only the starlings are interested in the suet block (unless they are scaring the tits away ) |
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You've probably got a sparrowhawk coming around. That scares the birds away big time.
Salt is essential for life. So much of it is added to our food, that it becomes bad for health at the levels we get in a western diet. |
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a western diet, thats mainly cold beans out of a can isnt it
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salt is essential in small amounts , not sure if birs pick this up naturally anywhere .... i've never heard about givingb them salt but its worth checking out
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Coach
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what have i said ?
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Just been out to the local pond with a bag of muesli. Had plenty ducks, seagulls, coots and moorhens.
I know they also need fat at this time of year but whats the best way to add it to the mix, and what kind of fat should I buy? |
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Whatever you do, do not feed soft fat like chicken fat to birds. It gets on their wings etc.
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I repeat,do not give salt to birds,it can kill them.Check out the RSPB site.
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HERE WE GO
Salt is toxic to gardens birdsSalt is toxic to gardens birds. Their bodies are unable to process it, and it affects their nervous systems. Birds become very thirsty and dehydrated when they ingest salt, meaning they would drink more, potentially exacerbating the problem. They would also suffer kidney dysfunction. Some small birds are not much bigger than one of our own kidneys, which we use to process salt, and they will overdose very quickly. |
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Salty water bad for bird feathersAlthough most dangerous when ingested, salty water is not good for birds externally either. It could damage their feathers, meaning they are not in peak condition during the cold weather and into the breeding season. Even if they don't drink it, they could still ingest it as they preen.
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Crisps, salted nuts and salty kitchen scraps - badThe charity also asks that we avoid feeding salty kitchen scraps to birds. Salted crisps and peanuts, processed cheese and leftover frozen meals are all likely to contain levels of salt dangerous to birds. Even if these items are soaked, they would likely still contain dangerous levels of salt.
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Good leftoversMore suitable leftovers include grated mild cheese, porridge oats, coked rice, unsalted bacon, cooked potatoes and pastry.
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Well done Ron for c&p these.
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good work ron russian
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During the start of the last cold spell I put out some grated strong cheddar.This was largely ignored by the birds but had gone by the morning,presumably taken by a fox.On checking out the effect of salt on birds the RSPB site said not to provide strong cheddar nor salted bacon.My dog loves cheese and I often give her grated cheddar but given that you are not to give dogs salt should I no longer give my dog,and the fox,'strong' cheese?
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So, given the very high salt content of bread, does that mean it's toxic to birds?
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Not withstanding the salt content of bread,you added salt to the mixture,was you going to eat it yourself originally?
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Is boiled long grain rice any good?
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surely fat birds dont need salt or bread . i know those fatties like balding like mcdonalds .
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Is boiled long grain rice any good?
Short answer.yes. . http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whatfood/index.aspx |
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Apples for your blackbirds.
Blackbirds - thank me later. |
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whats Black Niger Seed? i just read about it on a bird forum
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