Fun things to do after you’ve made your DIY bird feeders Remember to position your homemade bird feeders where you can see them from the house, and out of the reach of cats. Use the string at the other end to hang it up outdoors. The knotted string is at the bottom of the feeder. Have some kitchen roll handy too, you’ll get quite greasy! This can be a bit fiddly, so it’s best left to the adults and older children. When the mixture is set, you can cut away the cup to remove the bird feeder. Hanging your homemade bird feeders in the garden This can take quite a while we usually leave our bird feeders overnight. Once you’ve filled all your cups, put them in the fridge to set. Try to keep the string in the middle of the cup. It’s a good idea to put a small circle of cardboard with a hole in the centre at the bottom before tying the knot, this will help stop the feeder slipping off the string.įill the cup with your food mixture, making sure to pack it down quite tightly. Tie a double knot in the string at the base of the cup, on the outside. Leave about 10cm on the outside of the cup, and about 20cm on the inside of the cup. Use a pencil to make a small hole in the bottom of each paper cup, and thread the string through. This will make the mixture safer to handle, but will also mean you get less leakage.Ĭut a 40cm length of string. Once your ingredients are well-mixed, leave them to cool a little while you prepare your paper cups. I let mine do some mixing, but handle the heating and pouring myself to avoid any risk of burns. Supervise children very carefully while doing this. Melt the lard or suet in a saucepan, then add it to your dry ingredients and stir until everything is well mixed. We’ve found that a ratio of about 2 parts dry to 1 part fat/suet works well. To make your own bird feeders, start by mixing your dry ingredients in a bowl. Wild * bird food, oats, breadcrumbs, sultanas, currants, unsalted peanuts (you don’t need all of these, a mixture of any is fine) Lard, suet or solid vegetable fat (this last option is great for vegetarian-friendly feeders) Homemade bird feeder recipe You will need
#Homemade bird feeder how to#
Here’s how to make bird feeders with lard or other solid fats. It’s also a lovely activity to get kids involved with.
You can buy a wide variety of * bird foodand * fat balls to keep your feathered friends happy, but making your own homemade bird feeders is simple to do. Providing a winter food source for birds is not only a great way to help your local wildlife encouraging birds to visit your garden will supply you with plenty of interest during the winter months. Also, birds need lots of energy-rich food to maintain fat reserves, which are called upon most when temperatures drop. Winter is a tough time of year for wild birds, as natural food sources such as insects and berries are scarce. Why homemade bird feeders are great for feeding wild birds in winter You can make a bird feeder at any time of year, but it’s particularly important to support wild birds in winter. These homemade bird feeders are a great way to give your local wild birds a real treat.
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