I recently ordered some fat balls from the RSPB and I put them in a feeder in the garden in the usual place and no birds have gone near them. Does anybody know the reason for this? Do the fatballs go off? I have never had this problem before.
Hi Steve, I have had fatballs from local suppliers, some have been harder and more solid, so they have taken some time to get eaten, I used to buy the cheaper ones on a deal, they were messy to handle and did smell a bit, but the birds ate them. I now take them from RSPB, have had 2 different ones, lovely fat balls, no mess, no smell and they all get eaten. very quickly, I do remember, I think, seeing a use by date on the boxes, I suppose like all ingredients, if old or lying in stores, they will go off but would have thought RSPB would have a good turn around on them.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Hi Steve
Yes, you have a point here as use I have noticed how birds can turn up their bills at some fatballs. Not sure if they go off depending how you store them.
From my own observation I think that the plainer the fatball is the more it is well liked by birds. The ones with black sunflower seeds mixed in seen to be the best
Bird seen to hate pink coloured ones or maybe it is to do with the colour of it. Birds might see it as something else not edible. Yellow coloured ones have the same effect from my own experience.
One other observation here. If you ever shop at Aldi's try to get the lard fatballs. They come in larger plastic packets of 12 mainly. The birds love them more than fatballs unless someone knows different They are plain too. They last longer and they are not so crumbly like fatballs are
You may have to hunt for lardballs in the middle rows where all the misc stuff is.
So, yes, you can buy bird products from Aldi, and they are not expensive. I have bought fatballs, lardballs, mixed seeds (not sure if they are quality ones though), Mealworms -dried ones so there is a limit of what Aldi has going for it, but it is worth investigating
Some of Aldi's bird products sit outside the front door fatballs in very large plastic containers cheaper than most fatballs and the birds like them. Large bags of seeds etc..... They sell bird tables but not seen them in the last year or so, along with beastie boxes LOL.
Let us know what you find and what suits your birds.
Regards
Kathy and Dave