Christmas leftovers...

I'm sure the birds are having a nice Xmas dinner!

In my household, no food really gets wasted so no treat from me. But I'm planning to make some fat cakes using my star shaped silicon moulds to make it Christmassy!

Jennifer T said:

Ok, so we all over indulge over Christmas, whether its too much turkey or one too many mince pies, but there is the age old dilemma of what to do with the leftovers. Rather than throwing these foodstuffs away, why not feed your feathered friends and give them a little Christmas present to remember. It goes without saying that not everything can be fed to birds, so you do need to exercise a little caution before putting certain things out. Below is a list of food scraps that can be fed as well as the food you should avoid putting out.

 

WHAT'S OK
Roast potatoes
Roast, baked and even mashed potatoes with added real fats are all suitable food for birds. Chips are rarely eaten by birds.

Mince pies crumbs
Pastry, cooked or uncooked, is excellent - especially if it has been made with real fats.

Christmas cake crumbs
Dried fruits, such as raisins, sultanas and currants are particularly enjoyed by blackbirds, song thrushes and robins.

 

WHAT'S NOT OK
Cooking fat from the turkey roasting tin
Fat from cooking any meat is bad for birds. The problem with cooked fat from roasting tins and dishes is that the meat juices have blended with the fat and when allowed to set, this consistency makes it prone to smearing, not good for birds' feathers. It is a breeding ground for bacteria, so potentially bad for birds' health. Salt levels depend on what meat is used and if any salt is added during cooking.

Salted food stuffs
Garden birds are practically unable to metabolise salt. It is toxic to them in high quantities and affects their nervous system. Under normal circumstances in the wild, birds are unlikely to take harmful amounts of salt. Never put out salted food onto the bird table.

Mouldy and stale food
Many moulds are harmless, but some that can cause respiratory infections in birds, and so it is best to be cautious and avoid mouldy food entirely. If food turns mouldy or stale on your birdtable, you are probably placing out too large a quantity for the birds to eat in one day. Always remove any stale or mouldy food promptly. Stale food provides a breeding ground for salmonella bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. At least one type of salmonella causes death among such species as greenfinches and house sparrows. Large quantities of food scattered on the ground may attract rats and mice. Rats can carry diseases that affect humans.

Why not tell us what Christmas leftovers your birds like?

hello Mrs T, i have always been very sceptical of all the food my neighbour throws out to feed the birds, scotch eggs and bacon sandwiches to name just two, but i feel a left over turkey complete with bones is just going abit too far, it looks far too big for any bird, and would they eat that anyway??? you seem to know your stuff so could you tell me if what she is doing is ok, is that healthy for the birds? or will the only animals feeding on that be the rats???

thank you

chuuddy

I made the leftover roast potatoes, sprouts and carrots into bubble and squeak as part of supper yesterday.  However we ended up with left over bubble and squeak as well as some mashed potato.  I mixed this up with some solid fat cut into tiny bits and floured.  It was all gone within half an hour.  Obviously made a welcome change from the the usual rice, oats and fruit mix.

We are feeding all our usual starlings, jackdaws, sparrows and finches etc. and have been joined recently by several blackbirds. 

Thanks for the wise advice!

hi Mozziecat

That is what we did with our leftovers - we produced bubble and squeak and still we had more food left over after the event LOL.

Yes, the roast potatoes went down a treat with the birds.  They lapped them up.

The many crumbs/small pieces of Xmas cake went down well.  Mrs B spent a lot of time eating one piece of the cake and she loved it a lot!!

Regards

Kathy and Dave

All leftovers happily gobbled by our lot. The satsumas going a bit dry were appreciated too. Have run out of sunflower hearts so must visit the local garden centre tomorrow or we will have a riot on our hands.

Pipit

Hi MrsT

Funny you should suggest raisin etc i put some out and the mistle  thrushes went crazy for them.  We also tried some cut up apple(not as popular),meal worms and my wife decided to chop up some award winning mature cheddar which they also loved but so do I !!!!( i dont mind sharing)

Cheers

Rik

Hi Mrs T

Leftovers included smoked salmon  - seagulls had that even before I made it back to the front door after throwing it out! Bubble and Squeak was gobbled up by the blackbirds and starlings all mixed in with sultanas, crumbled cheese, mealworms, chocolate cake and pork pie! you could say they had starters, main and dessert all in one sitting LOL :-)

chuuddy said:

hello Mrs T, i have always been very sceptical of all the food my neighbour throws out to feed the birds, scotch eggs and bacon sandwiches to name just two, but i feel a left over turkey complete with bones is just going abit too far, it looks far too big for any bird, and would they eat that anyway??? you seem to know your stuff so could you tell me if what she is doing is ok, is that healthy for the birds? or will the only animals feeding on that be the rats???

Hi chuuddy

Welcome to the forums. Being the on-duty mod today, let me reply to your query. I personally would not put out the turkey carcass. My guess is that it would be most likely attracting large things like crows and gulls, not to mention the neighbourhood moggies and a pile of rats for good measure. Sometimes small birds go and pick at these things, or go to look for other food between the bones - hoping that some insects may stray there if there is a mild spell. As they squeeze between the bones picking at things, there will be a smearing risk of all the soft fats and juices left over the carcass. While some small birds may eat the meat scraps left on the bones, the tougher consistency of cooked meat will make it harder for them to handle and digest it. Also, after a day or two left out, there is every likelihood that food poisoning bacteria will have started to grow on the remains. The speed at which things can go off is the reason we always recommend any meat products be offered to birds only in small quantities that are eaten within a small number of hours of being put out. The warmer the temperature the more important this is. Besides all that, a whole turkey carcass on the lawn is not a particularly attractive garden ornament!

Unknown said:

All leftovers happily gobbled by our lot. The satsumas going a bit dry were appreciated too. Have run out of sunflower hearts so must visit the local garden centre tomorrow or we will have a riot on our hands.

Pipit

 

Ah I was wondering if I could feed satsumas to the birds - thanks for the tip Pipit

Maria