Is it ok to feed ‘flutter butter’ to birds who are nesting ? Starlings love it ! I introduced the pods last year when the babies had fledged and had a great display of acrobatics . However I can’t see anywhere if it safe to feed parents when babies are small and in nest . Do you know ?
Hi Bev and welcome to the forum ... I couldn't find anything specific to nestlings just many reviews saying that it is full of good things and no salt but generally for use as an Autumn & Winter supplement as there should be plenty of natural food available that is better for youngsters in Spring & Summer!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Personal opinion.
The parent birds are unlikely to feed unsuitable stuff to their chicks. If they do, it will be in extremis.
Supplementary food sources may help the parents, in that they don't have to spend as much of the day hunting for stuff to keep themselves going.
I will keep feeding it but only one a day . The starlings are relentless . They got through one of the canisters in three hours !! thanks for your replies .
tuwit said:Personal opinion. The parent birds are unlikely to feed unsuitable stuff to their chicks. If they do, it will be in extremis. Supplementary food sources may help the parents, in that they don't have to spend as much of the day hunting for stuff to keep themselves going.
I have to disagree with this personal opinion.
Several reasons, but too nice a day to by typing it all. Summary is people are recommended to not put out whole peanuts in the breeding season......Why is that????
Does anyone still string up monkey nuts? (Whole groundnuts in the husks that they grow in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sce030zyhQ
The advent of the cage feeder.
Freely available whole peanuts can be a choking risk for smaller bird species, regardless of age.
:)
tuwit said: Freely available whole peanuts can be a choking risk for smaller bird species, regardless of age. :)
This is of course true, but the sentence doesn't add any value as:-
1) It neither supports nor refutes your opinion, "The parent birds are unlikely to feed unsuitable stuff to their chicks"
2) The noun, 'peanuts', can be replaced with a range of other nouns.
The correct answer to my question is that parents birds are known to feed unsuitable stuff to young so minimising unsuitable stuff put out for them is best advice.
Next question is, seabirds that have yet to fledge and have stomachs full of plastic......how did they end up ingesting "unsuitable stuff"?
Flutter butter is not whole peanuts . It’s really mashed up peanuts in a butter form . I’m not worried about choking more stopping the chicks from getting insects .
Sorry Bev that this thread has rather gone off topic ... can understand why you asked the question and in my honest opinion I feel that it gives an easy source to the adult/parent birds to give them energy to hunt for suitable chick food which at times can be a difficult task!
Thanks Wendy I am going to continue feeding it . But not daily I’ll be bankrupt before they fledge !!! It’s lovely watching the parents teach the young how to use it . Last year had about 13 beautiful starling babies clamouring to get on it. Love it
Definitely have to consider the cost but pleased to hear you are enjoying Starlings feeding on it, they are one of the species in decline!