All the juice from cooking joints etc gets drained off into a bowl and
left to cool then the fat is used as part of our bird food mix,
Crumbed bread, crushed oats, mixed bird grain and seeds and melted
fat, dripping and what ever we have.
This is all mixed then packed into 2 liter pop bottles with the tops
cut off, when cold the bottles are cut off and the food block is put
into holders made of 1cm wire netting and hung inside 2 hanging
baskets hung on end to keep the larger birds off and to give the
smaller birds plenty of perching places to feed from.
Any stock left from the meat if it isn't used in cooking then it has
stale bread mixed into it and it is put out for the badgers and foxes.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

On 9 Dec, 10:25, Dave Hill wrote:
All the juice from cooking joints etc gets drained off into a bowl and
left to cool then the fat is used as part of our bird food mix,
Crumbed bread, crushed oats, mixed bird grain and seeds and melted
fat, dripping and what ever we have.
This is all mixed then packed into 2 liter pop bottles with the tops
cut off, when cold the bottles are cut off and the food block is put
into holders made of 1cm wire netting and hung inside 2 hanging
baskets hung on end to keep the larger birds off and to give the
smaller birds plenty of perching places to feed from.
Any stock left from the meat if it isn't used in cooking then it has
stale bread mixed into it and it is put out for the badgers and foxes.

I wish I was a bird in your neighbourhood ;o)
Shame I can't feed the birds in my garden (too many cats). However, I
leave nesting material for them.

In article
, Dave
Hill writes
All the juice from cooking joints etc gets drained off into a bowl and
left to cool then the fat is used as part of our bird food mix,
Crumbed bread, crushed oats, mixed bird grain and seeds and melted
fat, dripping and what ever we have.
This is all mixed then packed into 2 liter pop bottles with the tops
cut off, when cold the bottles are cut off and the food block is put
into holders made of 1cm wire netting and hung inside 2 hanging
baskets hung on end to keep the larger birds off and to give the
smaller birds plenty of perching places to feed from.
Any stock left from the meat if it isn't used in cooking then it has
stale bread mixed into it and it is put out for the badgers and foxes.



Hoe do you ensure that the stale bread etc. doesn't encourage rats
David?
I did used to do the same with fat and suet but then saw a rat eating
the bits on the ground so stopped. I bought a hanging table, (just a
wooden frame with the wire mesh trained across the top) and put stuff on
there. Actually I got loads more blackbirds and thrushes than on a
hanging pole type feeder. They obviously like a flat surface when
feeding.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 12 Dec, 10:43, Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article
, Dave
Hill writes

All the juice from cooking joints etc gets drained off into a bowl and
left to cool then the fat is used as part of our bird food mix,
Crumbed bread, crushed oats, mixed bird grain and seeds and melted
fat, dripping and what ever we have.
This is all mixed then packed into 2 liter pop bottles with the tops
cut off, when cold the bottles are cut off and the food block is put
into holders made of 1cm wire netting and hung inside 2 hanging
baskets hung on end to keep the larger birds off and to give the
smaller birds plenty of perching places to feed from.
Any stock left from the meat if it isn't used in cooking then it has
stale bread mixed into it and it is put out for the badgers and foxes.

Hoe do you ensure that the stale bread etc. doesn't encourage rats
David?
I did used to do the same with fat and suet but then saw a rat eating
the bits on the ground so stopped. I bought a hanging table, (just a
wooden frame with the wire mesh trained across the top) and put stuff on
there. Actually I got loads more blackbirds and thrushes than on a
hanging pole type feeder. They obviously like a flat surface when
feeding.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk



Can't be certain that no rats feed, but I put it out in the evening
and our Badger tends to come along between 7 and 9pm. we also have a
couple of ctas that visit looking for pickings so it has to be a case
of first come first served, and I know that by 10 pm the food is
always gone.
Blackbirds and thrushes are ground feeding birds, and not happy on a
bird table, especially if it swings.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

In article
,
Dave Hill writes

Blackbirds and thrushes are ground feeding birds, and not happy on a
bird table, especially if it swings.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries


Well in our garden they seem to be happy! Though the thrushes do tend to
hop round the garden more. I was just wary of encouraging rats


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On Dec 14 2007, 1:19�am, Janet Tweedy
wrote:
In article
,
Dave Hill writes

Blackbirds and thrushes are groundfeedingbirds, and not happy on a
bird table, especially if it swings.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

Well in our garden they seem to be happy! Though the thrushes do tend to
hop round the garden more. I was just wary of encouraging rats

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Should we feed birds all year round? We always put food out no matter
what the season, but are we doing more harm than good?

On 19/1/08 11:24, in article
,
" wrote:

On Dec 14 2007, 1:19?am, Janet Tweedy
wrote:
In article
,
Dave Hill writes

Blackbirds and thrushes are groundfeedingbirds, and not happy on a
bird table, especially if it swings.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

Well in our garden they seem to be happy! Though the thrushes do tend to
hop round the garden more. I was just wary of encouraging rats

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Should we feed birds all year round? We always put food out no matter
what the season, but are we doing more harm than good?

I believe the RSPB recommend that you do. It encourages them to return to
your garden to look for food and it helps you because they also eat the
pests and nasties you don't want.
Apropos David's remark about blackbirds above, we have one blackbird here
who seems not to have read the books. I have a seed feeder and fat ball
outside the window of my upstairs study. There is no ledge for the birds to
perch on. At least 6 times I've had a blackbird perched very precariously
on top of the domed lid of the seed feeder, pecking at the fat ball. I
don't know why he doesn't go for one of those hung in trees and bushes where
he'd have a much better grip but I enjoy watching him, so I'm glad he
visits.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 19 Jan, 12:05, Sacha wrote:
On 19/1/08 11:24, in article
,





" wrote:
On Dec 14 2007, 1:19?am, Janet Tweedy
wrote:
In article
,
Dave Hill writes

Blackbirds and thrushes are groundfeedingbirds, and not happy on a
bird table, especially if it swings.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

Well in our garden they seem to be happy! Though the thrushes do tend to
hop round the garden more. I was just wary of encouraging rats

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Should we feed birds all year round? �We always put food out no matter
what the season, but are we doing more harm than good?

I believe the RSPB recommend that you do. �It encourages them to return to
your garden to look for food and it helps you because they also eat the
pests and nasties you don't want.
Apropos David's remark about blackbirds above, we have one blackbird here
who seems not to have read the books. �I have a seed feeder and fat ball
outside the window of my upstairs study. �There is no ledge for the birds to
perch on. �At least 6 times I've had a blackbird perched very precariously
on top of the domed lid of the seed feeder, pecking at the fat ball. �I
don't know why he doesn't go for one of those hung in trees and bushes where
he'd have a much better grip but I enjoy watching him, so I'm glad he
visits.

--
Sachahttp://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

We have a blackbird that hovers like a humming bird to peck at a fat
ball. I think they just adapt over time inorder to survive. What
marvellous entertaining creatures birds are, we never cease to be
surprised by all their individual personalities

writes
On Dec 14 2007, 1:190 wrote:
In article
,
Dave Hill writes

Blackbirds and thrushes are groundfeedingbirds, and not happy on a
bird table, especially if it swings.

Well in our garden they seem to be happy! Though the thrushes do tend to
hop round the garden more. I was just wary of encouraging rats


Should we feed birds all year round? We always put food out no matter
what the season, but are we doing more harm than good?

Feed all year round. If they don't need it, they won't use it as fast.
Feed in winter for obvious reasons, in spring and summer because they're
bringing up young and need all the help they can get. Autumn is probably
the least critical.
--
Kay