We receive questions about bird feeding every day, which we always welcome. Because this is how classic mistakes can be avoided, so that tits, blackbirds and Co. do not get sick, for example. In this article I give answers to the five most frequently asked questions about bird food.
1. “Why should birdseed be free from ragweed?”
Ambrosia – anyone who has ever bought birdseed has probably stumbled across this word before. But what is that anyway?
To explain it briefly: Ragweed, also known as ragweed or wild hemp, is a species of plant that was once imported from North America and has been able to multiply uncontrollably here on land.
Since birdseed often consists of many different seeds and grains, cheaper variants, which can often be bought in the supermarket or hardware store for a few cents, can happen that Ambrosia seeds have also gotten into them during production. It may sound harmless at first, but this plant is a danger to many people.
Why and for whom is this plant so dangerous?
Ambrosia is classified as one of the strongest allergenic plants and is therefore highly allergenic. It can therefore be very dangerous for people who are sensitive to pollen or even suffer from asthma.
Bird seed without ragweed
It is therefore advisable not to buy the cheapest bird seed from the nearest supermarket or hardware store. To prevent and control ragweed and provide healthier bird feeding. In our shop you will only find birdseed that has been cleaned from ragweed.
2. “Where should I hang birdseed?”
Bird seed can be fed as bedding, fat balls, fat block, or peanut butter. Therefore, there are always different ways of how and where you can attach the lining. Basically, however, you should make sure that the birdseed is not too exposed to the weather and hangs protected in the tree or is laid out in a ground bird feeder.
With fatty food such as peanut butter, care should be taken that it is not exposed to the blazing sun for too long, otherwise the fat will melt. Peanut butter for birds can also be offered in the garden or on the balcony on warm days, but it should always be in the shade.
If you feed them loose feed on bowls or fat balls, it can quickly happen that the feed gets wet when it rains, unless it is hanging dry in the tree. If the food has gotten wet because it was not protected, it must be disposed of immediately afterwards. It may already be moldy or develop waterlogging.
Birds should also be protected from cats and sparrowhawks when feeding. For the best protection there are our feeders which provide adequate protection for smaller birds in a sort of cage. In addition, larger birds have little chance of snatching away the food. A cat repellent belt also offers additional protection for birds if you have cats and they are in the garden. Cats and martens can no longer climb up the tree so easily and are not injured!
Find the right protection for your birds here
3. “What bird food should be fed during the breeding season?”
The breeding season for many birds starts at the end of February. Even setting up the new home is a strenuous and nerve-wracking time for the birds. Because they are always flying back and forth and always have to bring new nesting material into the nest box, a lot of energy is lost. Once the new home is established, the female lays and incubates several eggs in the new nest. This also requires a high application of energy. The male bird therefore regularly brings food to his female. Due to the high energy consumption, types of feed that contain sufficient fats and proteins are therefore suitable. This can include live mealworms, peanut butter (birds only!), and chopped peanuts. Additional bird feeding usually results in more and healthy eggs being laid.
Buy healthy food for the winter and breeding season here!
But this birdseed is not only healthy for the parents…
The nestlings are always happy about the food they have brought with them. Sometimes worms, maggots, but also soft fatty food are fed. Young birds also need fats and protein for healthy growth. But the young are not only fed by their parents during the nestling period. Even after the birds have fledged, they still like to be around their parents and beg for food for a while.
4. “Which bird seed is the best?”
The best way to provide your birds with a healthy diet is to take a look at the ingredients of the bird seed you are considering buying. As mentioned above, birdseed from the discount store or hardware store is not the best choice. Although it is very cheap, there is often a lot of filling material in it that birds do not eat. These are usually grain husks that are often left lying around by garden birds. If you notice that birds have sorted out a lot, you should choose a different variety. However, sorting out the feed does not necessarily mean that it is grain husks. Some birds do not like every food and only choose the best ingredients.
When choosing bird seed, please also make sure that it does not contain the ambrosia mentioned above. In our shop at nistkasten-online.de you will only find birdseed that is free of ambrosia.
5. “What’s the best way to store birdseed?”
Another question we are often asked. Unfortunately, we sometimes only received this question after the feed had already been stored incorrectly at the customer’s. It is therefore advisable to ask this question early enough.
The easiest to start with: Bird seed is best kept cool and dry. For example, if you buy peanut butter for birds or our coconuts with fat, they should quickly find a cool place, otherwise they will melt quickly. Fat balls can also quickly become too soft if they are stored too warm. It can also happen that birdseed starts to germinate if it is stored incorrectly.
It is therefore best to store birdseed at temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius. Please also make sure that it is stored in a refrigerator or dark room. Light can sometimes destroy valuable vitamins.
Another important point is that the feed is always stored in a sealed package. This is to prevent food moths, for example, from being attracted. Open storage also prevents mold and rot. For example, resealable buckets or boxes are the best solution for safe storage.
