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Post by fleroo on Jan 19, 2024 8:36:58 GMT -5
So yesterday, I open the back door to get the dogs out to do their business. I look at the porch floor, and there's bread, donuts, and a few other doughy product pieces scattered about. I get back in the house, and ask the wife why the porch floor looks like the floor of a bakery. The self-proclaimed empath tells me, she feels so sorry for the birds that sit on the wall and look at her through the window looking for food. Well, after a brief discussion about me not wanting to clean bird sh** off the porch all winter, I told her I would go to TSC, buy some birdseed, and create a little area in the yard for them to gather and eat the seed. Added perk for her... I would even be the feed guy.  We aren't "birders". Other than Hummingbirds, we've never had a bird feeder. So, I never cared to price or buy birdseed. Well.... HOLY SH ** !  Do they gold plate each seed in the packing plant ? I was stunned at the prices. I was also stunned at the various blends, I guess for various types of birds. I got home and told the wife, we missed the boat. We should have went into the bird business.  Now they did have 10 oz. Suet cakes for like $1.50. So I picked up 6 of those also, to go with my $15 - 7lb bag of seed.... that looks like it will last 2 days tops. Anyhow, I assume I hang the Suet ? Should I suspend it say, off of a tree limb with fishing line so the Squirrels can't ravage it ? Also, does it need to be out of the reach of Deer ? |
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Post by ridgecommander on Jan 19, 2024 9:13:07 GMT -5
Its good to feed deer with birdseed in the yard. Just don't feed them with birdseed in the woodlot next to the yard. Thats bad.
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Post by Dutch on Jan 19, 2024 9:19:58 GMT -5
Save yourself the trouble and just let all the birds die. 😂
Our store has a big selection of bird products. Apparently it's hugely popular?
I broke down and bought a 20 lb bag of ACE brand seed. $16, I won't tell you my cost, you'll cry.
Anyway, I just put it on a pile in the driveway. The bunnies love it, as do the birds.
I quit feeding because the mice setup on my piles and I didn't want them. It is good to see the birds tho. Yeah, I'm getting soft
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Post by moosemike on Jan 19, 2024 10:02:08 GMT -5
We've put birdseed in the bird feeder for years now. Actually decades.
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Post by Loggy on Jan 19, 2024 10:16:49 GMT -5
Always found best prices at local farmers feed stores.
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Post by dougl on Jan 19, 2024 10:26:41 GMT -5
When we got married,I inisted that bird seed be thrown instead of rice.Before the reception we had a pigeon shoot at the church steps.It's surprising that didn't turn into a traditions of sorts.
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Post by Dutch on Jan 19, 2024 10:45:56 GMT -5
When we got married,I inisted that bird seed be thrown instead of rice.Before the reception we had a pigeon shoot at the church steps.It's surprising that didn't turn into a traditions of sorts. It seems it should have? What's wrong with people? |
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Post by westfieldjoe on Jan 19, 2024 11:43:50 GMT -5
My wife makes a suet mixture using oatmeal,corn meal,and peanut butter. She adds a few sunflower seeds and dried fruit such as raisins. She adds red pepper, as the squirrels can taste it and birds can't.
For fleeroo, It makes a decent sandwich in a pinch. The sunflower seeds just need to be spit out like watermelon seeds would.
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Post by fleroo on Jan 19, 2024 11:46:12 GMT -5
Honestly, the Blueberry Suet Cake looks like something I could try.  |
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Post by fleroo on Jan 19, 2024 11:47:57 GMT -5
Ahhhhhh, you unlocked the mystery as to why I was seeing birdseed bags that had "Hot Pepper" added.  |
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Post by westfieldjoe on Jan 19, 2024 11:54:36 GMT -5
As a project with my grandson, we took some 3 inch logs about a foot long and drilled 2 inch holes in them. Eye screw in the top for hanging up. Makes a great way to hold the suet mixture. He gave them to teachers, bus driver, and neighbors as Christmas gifts.
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Post by fleroo on Jan 19, 2024 12:57:19 GMT -5
Soooo, you stuff the Suet mix into the holes ? Remember, I'm not all that sharp.  |
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Post by westfieldjoe on Jan 19, 2024 13:56:01 GMT -5
You got it!
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Post by acorn20 on Jan 19, 2024 19:06:40 GMT -5
She adds red pepper, as the squirrels can taste it and birds can't. I think that's absolute B**l S**t! I add cayenne pepper to the birdseed and I think it just adds seasoning to it. I've probably got some strange strain of Mexican squirrels with my luck! |
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Post by Dutch on Jan 19, 2024 20:46:00 GMT -5
She adds red pepper, as the squirrels can taste it and birds can't. I think that's absolute B**l S**t! I add cayenne pepper to the birdseed and I think it just adds seasoning to it. I've probably got some strange strain of Mexican squirrels with my luck! 😂😂😂😂 |
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Post by Dutch on Jan 19, 2024 20:46:46 GMT -5
As a project with my grandson, we took some 3 inch logs about a foot long and drilled 2 inch holes in them. Eye screw in the top for hanging up. Makes a great way to hold the suet mixture. He gave them to teachers, bus driver, and neighbors as Christmas gifts. That's pretty cool!!! |
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Post by westfieldjoe on Jan 20, 2024 7:43:52 GMT -5
She adds red pepper, as the squirrels can taste it and birds can't. I think that's absolute B**l S**t! I add cayenne pepper to the birdseed and I think it just adds seasoning to it. I've probably got some strange strain of Mexican squirrels with my luck! I've watched them leave quickly after a sample. |
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Post by westfieldjoe on Jan 20, 2024 7:50:47 GMT -5
As a project with my grandson, we took some 3 inch logs about a foot long and drilled 2 inch holes in them. Eye screw in the top for hanging up. Makes a great way to hold the suet mixture. He gave them to teachers, bus driver, and neighbors as Christmas gifts. That's pretty cool!!! It was a sneaky way to teach him how to use a ruler. Hand tools and the righty tighty lefty loosey rule. Actually when he comes I always have a carpentry problem for us to figure out. He isn't into hunting yet. |
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Post by bud16057 on Jan 20, 2024 9:46:01 GMT -5
I've had feeders out for a good 10yrs or so. Generally go through 80-120lbs of the black oil sunflower seeds in a year. Also get some of the thistle seed blend finch food. Put out a nut blend for woodpeckers. Go through quite a few suet cakes. Enjoy watching the birds, activity at the feeders in the winter is generally a good indicator of bad weather coming. Never saw many birds around until we started feeding them. Once the food was there, I was surprised at how many we have. Most mornings now, they're perched in the tree waiting for the feeders to be put up.
We both benefit from the relationship, before we started feeding them we would be almost overrun with bugs(flies, gnats etc) in the summer. With the feeders attracting more birds around the house we don't have hardly any bugs to deal with. I'd rather buy birdseed than chemicals to kill the bugs.
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Post by fleroo on Jan 21, 2024 11:46:59 GMT -5
Good point. I never really thought about the bug control aspect.
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Post by muttleysback on Jan 22, 2024 14:56:20 GMT -5
The Rural King store in C-burg USA has their brand of bird seed on sale now. 40 pound bag for $10.99. Wifey bought two bags of it last Friday.
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Post by fleroo on Jan 22, 2024 15:01:49 GMT -5
Sounds like a better deal than $15 for 7 lb.  |
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Post by Dutch on Jan 22, 2024 18:58:09 GMT -5
Sounds like a better deal than $15 for 7 lb. Yer a sucker! 😂 |
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Post by Dutch on Jan 22, 2024 18:58:51 GMT -5
Sounds like a better deal than $15 for 7 lb. Yer a sucker! 😂 |
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Post by westfieldjoe on Jan 22, 2024 19:40:03 GMT -5
Sounds like a better deal than $15 for 7 lb. Depends on what's in the bag |
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Do they gold plate each seed in the packing plant ? I was stunned at the prices. I was also stunned at the various blends, I guess for various types of birds. I got home and told the wife, we missed the boat. We should have went into the bird business. 
