On 21/11/2012 12:29, Baz wrote:
It has cost us money to buy fatballs to get birds back into the garden. And
they love it. Nothing left within 24hrs. I can't identify the birds, but
that is not my wory.
Can we make our own fatballs? and if so how?
If we don't hang them under a "bell" the gulls have them away so they have
to be able to hang and not drop off.

Thanks
Baz


I'm sure we've been through this before.
I make our bird feed by putting a Tesco value brown loaf through the
blender to crumb, then put it into a bowl that will fit into the
microwave(Mixing bowl from Morrisons.
Slice Dripping and put the slices about half on top and cover with
Tesco value porridge oats, Cover and cook at Max for 6 mins, remove, mix
it with a spoon,
Add the rest of the dripping and cover with more oats. cook for a
further 6 mins.
Remove and mix again then add a mug of mixed bird seed (I get ours from
the Range)and mix, then add another mug of seed and mix again.
I use 2 litre pop bottles with the tops cut off at an angle as moulds, 1
litre will do as well.
Fill then ram down with the end of a rolling pin, when the 2 are filled
and rammed I push the sides down with a serving spoon. let them go cold.
I use 2 hanging baskets on end, 2 of the chains hold the baskets and the
3rd chain is used to hang the food.
I made holders from half inch wire netting wrapped around a 2 litre
bottle to get the size, wired up one end and a wire from back to front
to hang it by.
When wanted I cut the bottle off the feed , slide it into the holder and
hang it inside the baskets,
http://s240.photobucket.com/albums/f...ent=Feeder.jpg
Woodpeckers can get inside to feed.
I use dripping not lard as in the summer lard gets to soft in warm weather.
Pre Sparrow Hawk we were feeding around 200 birds a day, we have 4
feeders on the go,
David @ a very wet but sunny Swansea Bay. 1.25 inches of rain in the
last 24 hours.