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jeffworthley · 3 years

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Everything about Bird Food in 2021

Baby bird food

Baby birds have specific nutrition needs. They eat protein-rich insects every 20 minutes to grow and become stronger. Given they are born extremely weak and small, fledglings are highly vulnerable in the first days of life. That's why, they need to eat a lot at frequent intervals to gain in size as fast as possible. If you notice a starving baby bird, apparently abandoned by parents, don't rush to feed it. In many cases, adult birds do not abandon their offsprings, being just nearby searching for food. Sometimes the search takes longer than usual which makes the baby bird get hungry. Other times, the bird parents have to feed more chicks in different places, hence the delays in the feeding schedule.

If you notice a fledgling begging for bird food, your best bet is to keep a keen eye on it for two hours. If in all this time no adult bird comes to feed it, more than probable the chick has been abandoned. The wisest thing you can do in this case is to contact a rehabber who will provide it with proper bird food. You can also take the bird to an animal rescue organization to make sure it will be tended to according to its best needs. However, if you can't find a licensed rehabber in your area or if to the closest wildlife care organization is a long way to go, you will have to feed the baby bird by yourself to prevent it starving to death. Keep in mind that baby birds are very picky when it comes to food. It's not about having delicate tastes, it's about having an underdeveloped digestive system that doesn't tolerate all kinds of food. A wrong product can cause the chick feel unwell and even lead to fatal consequences. That's why, make sure to get informed what to feed a fledgling so that it meets its diet in the wild.

How to make baby bird food

One of the most common DIY foods for baby bird is dog food soaked in water. It's important to moisten the biscuits to make them softer and easier to assimilate by the bird's digestive system. However, don't go too far with soaking. The water shouldn't be in abundance, dripping off the biscuit, as it can cause bird's choking and drowning. Keep the biscuit or kibble immersed in water for a fraction of second, making it soft and wet. Moreover, if you keep the biscuit as a whole, the bird can either refuse to eat from it, or attempt to and choke on the big pieces. You should crush the biscuit before serving it to make it correspond to the size of the fledgling.

Similarly to dog food, you can give the bird crushed hard-boiled egg. Don't moisten the egg, as it is quiet soft and manageable for the bird's bill. Don't serve the egg as soon as you take it off the fire. Hot food can seriously injure the bird, just as well as cold food. Keep all the ingredients at room temperature to allow the chick enjoy its meal to the fullest and eat as much as it wants. You can also give the fledgling raw liver. It is way softer than meat, so the chick will feel comfortable eating it. Cut the liver into tiny pieces before serving it. Avoid seasoning it with salt and other spices. Even in tiniest quantities, salt can dehydrate the bird and cause its death. Do not feed the bird water, as it can choke on it. The bird takes the needed moisture from the food. It is quiet a small quantity, yet is enough to sustain the life of the tiny fledgling. Also, avoid including bread in the bird's ration. Bread doesn't contain the proteins and fat the chick needs to survive and develop. To be noted, bread is not dangerous for the bird's health. It is just a neutral product that will do neither bad nor good to the fledgling. The crumbs will just make the chick feel full, impeding a potential intake of protein-rich food that is much more useful. Other foods you should steer clear of while feeding a starving baby bird include milk, pet bird food, meal leftovers, worms, fruits and salt.

Stop squirrels from eating bird food

Keeping squirrels away from the bird feeder is a tricky task. Still, there are some ways you can prevent these uninvited guests from eating the bird food. First of all, you can install a squirrel-proof baffle above the feeder, which will be an obstacle for the critters to reach to the food. Another great idea is to buy a squirrel-proof feeder, which is more sophisticated and expensive than an ordinary feeder, yet you get 100% protection against the hungry rodents. The anti-squirrel feeder comes either as a cage or has spring-loaded doors that don't allow the critter to get inside. The cage structure implies holes that are as large as to allow a bird through and as small as to hinder a squirrel to pass. Another way of keeping squirrels at bay is to use hot pepper. Capsaicin is the compound that makes the peppers hot. Unlike birds, mammals have the needed receptors to identify this compound and feel its hellish hotness. While humans can stand Capsaicin, squirrels hate it. Spread some pepper around the feeder. You can also buy Capsaicin-containing repellents which will have the same effect as real pepper. Squirrels will approach the feeder, but as soon as they feel the smell of pepper, they will step back.

Aside from using anti-squirrel structures and products, there is a less hostile way of keeping these acrobatic animals away from the bird's feeder. All you need to do is to place a separate feeder on the ground and fill it up with all kind of goodies for squirrels. Now they will come to this feeder, eat until they get full, and leave, without taking the bird feeder by assault. The nice thing about a separate feeder is that it creates addiction. That is, after eating 2-3 times from this feeder, the squirrels will always come back to it. Even if on their way to their personal feeder they notice the bird feeder, they will show no interest in it. Read the full article

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