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Suet Pellets Go Too Quickly!

I've been feeding birds since January I think, I must have about 10 Starlings, 10 House Sparrows, 3 Woodpigeons, 2 magpies, 2 Jackdaws, 2 Bluetits and the odd Blackbird now.

I counted them because my garden is only a small square of grass with one tree, it's the smallest in our area yet we have the most birds!

Now it's not a massive problem or anything but the suet pellet feeder has become SO popular that I am now topping it up EVERY DAY!! The bird table gets topped up more than once a day!!

This has only just started in the last few weeks, I'd never have seen this coming and not sure I can keep up, they're bloody expensive are those pellets. Does anyone else find themselves topping up feeders this often or is it just my greedy birds?

  • HI,

     

    Birds a re collecting lots of food and taking it back to nests with them, especially magpies and starlings in my garden at present. I have to day that I have become quite mean with suet pellets and mealworms and only supply them once a day. I am not sure there is a limit to how much you could spend. 

    Sarah

  • I used to buy suet pellets but since they went too quickly I stopped! I can get 1kg bag for 3 pounds from my local pet shop which is really cheap but very expensive when it all disappears in several days....

  • Hi Articuno

    I'm not putting our suet pellets at the moment unless they are in one of my Guardian feeders, as the starlings are just wolfing down everything that contains suet. They ate a whole tub cake in one day last week.

    What I do at the moment is to put mealworms and Sundrops in the Guardians,  sunflower hearts, black sunflower seeds and Niger seeds in the hanging feeders. There are also plenty of peanuts in the mesh feeders.

    For the starlings I put 2 slices of bread ripped up into small pieces into one of the ground feeders every morning. I put mixed seed into the other for the blackbirds and everything else. The breadcrumbs are gone in half an hour, but then the starlings have to find food somewhere else.

  • Hi Articuno,

    Welcome to the world of feeding garden birds!

    We have 2 large boxer dogs - my bird food costs more than the dog food.

    At the moment my feathered friends are getting through at least 6 cups of pellets a day, several fat balls and a suet cake, not to mention 2k of mealworms since Easter. At least they aren't eating a great deal of seed at the moment, a small compensation.

  • Hi all.

    All the Starlings are costing me an arm and a leg at the moment in a mega feeding frenzy, they are like a load of kids fighting over free sweets LOL.

    I'm putting out 6 fat balls a day at the moment and the little imps are hogging them in AND clearing the 3 sunflower heart feeders within 2 days. The Finches are starting to get ratty with them and are starting to fight back, it's great to watch LOL.

  • Hi Folks,

    I would go easy on the bread, especially at this time of year. These birds (including starlings) are feeding young, and bread hasn't anywhere near enough nutrients. They need the suet and mealworms, not bread. Please go easy.

  • Oh great it's not just me then!!

    Darcy N said:

    I used to buy suet pellets but since they went too quickly I stopped! I can get 1kg bag for 3 pounds from my local pet shop which is really cheap but very expensive when it all disappears in several days....

    I can't believe this!! Where is your local petshop!?

  • Hi Everyone,

    I'm joining in the general groan about how much they are eating but I wonder if we are getting too dependent on the neat pre-packed meals those clever retailers are convincing us our birds need!

    When I was a child in the 1950s no-one but no-one that I knew bought special foods for the birds but they still got fed. Since I am a vegetarian I am not certain what butchers can supply these days but I am sure if you asked you would be able to buy unrendered suet. You could then heat it up till it liquifies and pour it, mixed with seeds if you want, into cake tins or other moulds.

    Scoop the fat off cooking meat and use similarly. Use up any fat scraps from meat - but not if salted like bacon.

    None of you mention fresh fruit - what about apple cores and anything that lies around too long in the fruit bowl and starts to look tired - Blackbirdsd etc. love that!

    Of course all the wonderful pellets, fat balls and so on that we can buy are just great but you may find starting with the raw ingredients is less strain on the pocket!

    Jenni

     

  • Suet grains lasted 6 days for a 3kg bag last week and 6 suet cakes went in 3 days.

     I now measure out with a egg cup (lol) the amounts for each ground feeder and my hanging bird table.

    I also use grated cheese if I am running low on suet and have taken to blitzing 2 slices of whole grain brown bread soaking in a bit of water.

    My lot are fed twice a day once at 5 in the morning and then a top up when I get home around 2 in the afternoon.

     Chris S.

  • Hi, I know this is a very late reply but I have only just joined.
    I started feeding birds a couple of months ago and it's mayhem!
    My garden backs up onto woodland so I get lots of different species including woodpeckers who take a mouth full and fly off.
    I too found the suet pellets going rather sharpish and to be honest so does the other food. But I crunch the suet pellets now in a sealed bag with a rolling pin.
    The birds stay longer to feed on the tiny bits and it lasts much longer. Thumbsup
    Suet blocks are also a good option. The birds stay much longer to feed on them.
    Must say though that squirrels, magpies and jackdaws are the worst culprits.
    And don't get me started on wood pidgeons! Smile