Peanuts For Bird Feeders?

[Guest]

Dear all,

 

I just wondered what other settings do with regard to bird food. I recently found out that we keep a tin of peanuts in the setting and also have them in the bird feeders in our garden. We have actually had a child who we were told has a mild (?) nut allergy. Luckily the child has left and there has been no harm. But seeing that allergies are not always found out about early, would it not be wiser to avoid having them at the setting? Any advice gratefully received.

 

x Titania

[finleysmaid]

we sometimes have bird feeders ...when the squirrels leave them alone and i have tended to avoid peanuts just in case...the problem is once you introduce them they might hang around for a while and i tend to avoid having whole nuts anywhere for H+S reasons

[Guest]

no, we have a total no nut rule, so we dont have them at all xx

[Guest]

Could they be kept safely elsewhere?

 

In a shed maybe, high on a shelf.

 

We should do everything practical to help a child not come accross something he has an allergy to but it does seem a shame for the birds to go unfed!!

 

How about the bird feeder, is it high up and when peanuts drop out of it are these accesible to the children?

[Fredbear]

"No nut here" rule too.

[Guest]

Hi, you could just use seeds and fat balls instead.

Remember that where birds feed they can leave disease, this is probably more of a risk to your children.

[Greenfinch]

No nuts - we use wild bird seed & fat balls and also get the children to make fat balls etc using seed +lard

[Emmawill]

We too got the kids to make fat balls they loved it , using plastic cups with a bit of string through the end!

[Guest]

Thanks for all your answers. I'd be much happier if we stopped using them. The feeders are very low and bits fall onto the main play area. so easily accessible. I agree that fat balls etc are a safer option, but can't seem to convince management...

 

x T

[Guest jenpercy]

As the birds peck at the nuts traces of peanut will fall - but I would be surprised if commercial balls are fat free. A note for the vegetarians - fat balls MUST be made of real lard and suet so as not to harden their little arteries

[Panders]

Put out 8 commercial fat balls today, 4 in each feeder - squirrel had eaten 4 fat balls by 11am! Don't think our birds get much of a look in, except he is a messy eater and the bits fall to the floor where the wood pigeons finnish it up!

Edited February 7, 2011 by Panders

[Guest]

we have a squirell that piches ours too, the children have written out a 'rule' on a piece of paper to say food is for birds but it doesnt work !!