The right feed is served properly

We believe that you should do exactly what you think is right. Still, we'd like to give you a few advices on the way over the winter, as far as the correct and sensible feeding of blackbird, thrush, finch and titmouse is concerned.

Feed silos: the plus in terms of hygiene

These feed dispensers have the advantage that the birds do not have the opportunity to walk around in the feed and contaminate it with their droppings. This counteracts any possible transmission of pathogens and the forage spread in the storage silo cannot spoil even over a longer period of time. It should be ensured that the feed dispensers are placed in such a way that they are largely protected from precipitation and that no rot can form inside. Apart from the occasional cleaning of the storage container and refilling with feed that is as dry as possible, no further maintenance work is necessary.

But: Which food is actually at the top of the menu of the feathered guests? Here is a brief overview:

• Blue tit: chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds;
• Robins: chopped nuts, mealworms, raisins in coconut fat;
• Green woodpecker: apples, greased peanuts;
• Magpie: whole peanuts, corn kernels;
• Greenfinch: chopped nuts; Sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and hemp seeds;
• Blackbird: apples, oatmeal, raisins, dried berries, peeled sunflower seeds;
• Nuthatch: cereal flakes, hemp, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds;
• Goldfinch: seeds from withered perennials, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts;
• Jay, corn kernels, Acorns, whole peanuts;

Sunflower seeds are the basic food that birds almost all love and nothing can be wrong with the food mixes available in stores. As a grain eater, the tits are particularly fond of plant seeds, which are stored in fat and available in stores as tit rings. You can easily make them yourself, if you take what you have bought, use those without a plastic net if possible, as the animals often injure their legs. Salty foods, especially bacon and boiled potatoes, should be avoided altogether. Bread is also taboo for birds as it puffs up too much in the animals' digestive system.

Always keep cats and rats away from the food

Although birds naturally recognize and react to dangers very quickly, birdhouses should be attached to a pole that is sufficiently high (at least 1.50 meters) and not too thick in the ground. In an emergency, a cat protection belt or grille underneath the house can also help to slow down the four-legged intruders. Caution should also be exercised if food falls or is left on the ground or scattered to feed the birds. This attracts rats pretty quickly, so you should remove leftover food regularly.