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Ziadomira
Platinum Member
England
1635 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 5:49:23 PM
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Anyone with a manure pile can make it available to birds by cracking it open and letting them get at all the goodies inside.
We do this whenever it gets cold.
Birds will also eat horse food and any scraps left over when you eat. Old dried fruit, suet, marzipan anything that you have put out and it will be appreciated.
Remember to feed at a regular time. ideally just when it gets light in the morning and about an hour before it starts to get dark, about 14:30 in Bristol. This will give them time to eat before the cold night. You'll be surprised how quickly they pick it up.
Also the metal bird feeders where you put the nuts in are fine but not if there are another twenty in line beind the birds eating. I put the peanuts in a basket hung up safe from cats and there is a non stop stream of birds when you fill it up. They bounce in and fly off with their peanuts.
Zia
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vjc
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4952 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 7:23:24 PM
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| Yes i agree, i always turn mine over and the robin is already waiting for me most mornings in anticipation!!! i also put some seed and crushed biscuit on top of my feed bins when i am mixing my feeds as the robin always follows me in there too!!! |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 8:06:02 PM
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| Great idea; mine usually has all sorts of birds around it, but it's frozen solid at the moment. Forking it open is a great idea! |
Roseanne |
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troystar
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
63 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 8:50:06 PM
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| more important is water, and try not two feed the rats by over doing it any food that is left should be taken up if poss b4 it turns dark , as you don't want fat rats only fat birds, and fatter horses |
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Meggie-Lu
Platinum Member
England
1519 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 11:37:00 PM
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| At r yard we have one lil birdy comes everyday fly's into Pudsey's stable (tb x arab) sits and watches him eating his breakfast, when pudsey is done eats the tiny bits in the bottom of pudseys bucket, has a gulp from pudsey's water, grabs a beak full of hay and buggers of! Haha r animals funny! |
   Danger Mouse |
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jaybird
Gold Member
France
1192 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 08:34:28 AM
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Hi all
I'm a great bird watcher and have always fed the birds, in our orchard I leave apples on the ground which are now being eaten by all the larger birds Blackbirds etc, I have two feeders which are filled with Sunflower Seeds the Collard Doves pinch the chicken food and the robins and finches clear up the seed husks that the Tit's leave on the ground.....all being fed nicely the water is all important but my little pond does that, it's not frozen completely...yet!!
Beryl |
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honey
Platinum Member
N. Ireland
2634 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 11:16:00 AM
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| we have a few robins around all the time i leave them bits of bread and horse feed out and i lift it at night so the mice don't eat it. one in particular looks an older robin and this ones about summer and winter without fail hes in chirping foor his feed, very friendly now too. |
    
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marionpack
Gold Member
England
1073 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 12:31:16 PM
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I can't believe how much the birds are eating, I have 2 large feeders with seed, I put brown bread ( they won't eat white) in a hanging cage and on the floor plus fat balls and it all has to be filled twice a day (I only normally fill them once a day) and they have running water from the waterfall/stream in the pond
Must admit didn't think about opening up the muck heap (normally throw a hand full of mix out, but will do muck heap this afternoon when up yard |
Berkshire
   
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vjc
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4952 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 5:18:05 PM
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I get loads of advice of my OH who is a avid bird lover and member of the RSPB, he has wardened for them over many years including in the early days (70`s) helping with the red kite program in wales and also the osprey`s in scotland. Imagine his suprise when we discovered a tawny owl roosting in our tack room (IN BIRMINGHAM!!!!)Obviously the owl was looking for easy pickings (mice) and somewhere to keep warm  We both love all birds and wildlife and are doing all we can to help them out at this bad time. |
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Topic |
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Manure Pile is bird food
