How To Make Bird Food At Home

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Last Updated on January 15, 2023 by Urska

Are you looking for how to make bird food recipes that attract feathery visitors to your garden throughout the cold winter months?

Making homemade bird food is a great way to feed birds in a nutritious and much-needed wintertime meal.

If you love feeding birds, you know how expensive it is to buy a good quality food blend.  It is essential to give birds a food source that is nutritional and attractive to them.

If the bird food is full of unwanted fillers, it not only creates a mess under feeders cos birds don’t want it but is also unable to give the birds the nutrients they require.

Here are some great tips on which ingredients to include and avoid and make your bird cakes the easy way.

How To Make Bird Food – Foods To Include

Here are a few safe foods to use when making bird food

• Fruits. Apples and berries are very delicious and nutritious.  However, they can either be used grated, cut in half, or hung out as whole fruits so that birds can pick the soft flesh out of the fruit. Another good choice is dried fruit such as sultanas and currants.  But, you need to soak them overnight and chop them finely to ensure that the fruit won’t swell further inside the bird’s tiny stomach.
• Peanuts and peanut butter. Birds adore peanuts but be sure to use only the unsalted and roasted varieties. Salt leads to dehydration that can cause birds to die. Birds also love peanut butter, and the crunchy types are acceptable. Stick to a no added salt variety; organic is the best choice to go for.
• Seeds. Sunflower and nyger seeds are highly nutritious to birds, with each favored by different species of birds. These seeds are tiny and not ideal to use in feeders when dry. However, they are a perfect ingredient to use when making a bird’s cake. When using the seeds, avoid seed mixes unless they come from a specialized bird food seller.

Bird Foods To Avoid

• Stale or mouldy bread.  Many bird lovers fall into the lie that they can feed the birds with stale bread. However, this has two problems: the bread has no nutritional value for the birds, and a specific type of mould could be dangerous for the bird’s health, so it should be avoided altogether.
• Milk.  Milk is bad because birds are not able to digest it.  This means it is likely to make them sick, and in some instances, it can even be fatal.  Instead of milk, a little grated cheese, on the other hand, can be better but use a mild variety, and check the amount of salt first.

How To Make Bird Food

Now that you know what ingredients to use and which ones to avoid, you can make your homemade bird food as nutritious as possible. Start by buying a bird feeder that will attract all the neighborhood birds to your home. Here is a simple homemade bird food you can make

• Pinecone bird food.  Spread peanut butter on a pinecone and add birdseed mix rolling them in. Use a string to hang it upside down. This is an easy recipe that most kids love to try.
• Toast bird food.  Toast your bread until it is very hard, spread it with peanut butter on both sides, and then dip it in birdseed so that the entire surface is covered. Make a hole in the bread and hang it up outside with a string. The birds will enjoy eating the whole thing.
• Do not forget the water.  As you put food out for the birds, do not forget to leave out some water for them to drink too. Birds are just like other pets; they need to eat and drink water even during winter.

Benefits Of Attracting Birds To Your Yard

Now that you know how to make bird food, you might be wondering why it is essential to attract birds to your home. There are many reasons why it is beautiful to have birds in your yard; they include

• The sounds of birds are relaxing and stress relieving. The sounds of birds have been widely reported as calming and relaxing and enjoyed by people worldwide.
• They control weeds. Birds eat as many seeds as they can, ensuring that weeds do not grow in your yard.
• Bird watching is fun. Watching wild birds is beautiful, and learning to identify them can be a great educational experience for people of all ages.
• Birds eat pests. If birds become a part of your home, they will eliminate most pests like aphids and mosquitoes, serving as natural pest killers.
• Providing a home for the birds. Creating a safe, attractive environment for your local native birds helps conserve the ecosystem when many habitats are being destroyed.

Is It Reasonable To Feed The Birds During Winter?

Yes, it is fine to feed bags during the cold winter months. Supplemental food helps the birds during this challenging season when there is nothing much to eat. It also keeps the birds from migrating to another area in search of food.

Several factors trigger the birds to migrate from one region to the other. However, not all birds migrate; some are left behind and take advantage of the bird feeders.

When winter is gone, it is best to take the feeders inside as they are plenty of other natural resources for the birds to take advantage of. However, if you want to keep your bird feeders outside, ensure they are kept away from foraging mammals like skunks, bear rats, etc.

Conclusion- How To Make Your Own Bird Feed

With the understanding of making bird food, you can now confidently put out your bird feeder as winter approaches.  When winter sets in, it is best to put out the bird feeder to ensure that hungry hibernators like bears do not eat it up.

Remember, homemade bird food can go rancid if exposed to warm temperatures; that’s why it’s best to wait until temperatures are consistently 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

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