With the extreme temperature changes we are currently experiencing, it’s important to remember to help our feathered friends. In the winter months you should make sure to keep feeders full and fresh water available for our winter residents. Birds need food high in fat content during the winter months. I’ll give several suggestions for food below:
Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite for a lot of birds and have a higher fat content then the stripped sunflower seeds. You can usually find a 50# bag for anywhere between $14-$16 a bag.
Peanuts are another good option; peanuts, whether whole peanuts or peanut splits, are a good source of protein and fat. Peanuts tend to be a little more expensive so I ration my supply and only put out peanuts a couple of times a week. My Bluejays can empty my whole peanut feeder within a couple of hours. If you choose to feed peanuts you should always feed raw peanuts, never roasted or salted. You can find peanuts for birds at any reputable feed store that sells wild bird food.
I also highly recommend feeding some sort suet, whether you make your own or purchase it from a store, your woodpeckers, and other birds, will thank you! Suet is beef or pork fat that is rendered down and mixed with seeds, fruit and various nuts. I’ve been making my own suet for a few years now and my spoiled birds won’t eat the store bought stuff anymore so be careful if you decide to start making your own, it’s a slippery slope. 🙂 You can find my recipe for suet by clicking here .
It’s also important to feed a good seed mixture for the birds that don’t necessarily care for suet or only sunflower seeds. A good seed mixture will contain sunflower seeds, cracked corn, peanut pieces, and white millet.
If you have Bluebirds that stick around during the winter months, they would appreciate some mealworms. Mealworms are quite expensive so I recommend rationing them like you do peanuts. You can find mealworms at wildbird food stores or at your local farm store; if you keep chickens, they’ll appreciate these treats as well.
Another thing I like to do is mix peanut butter and birdseed together and smear it on pinecones and tree branches. My birds love this and if you wanted to give them an extra treat, buy chunky peanut butter and not creamy.
Birds need a fresh water source at all times of the year and the winter months are really stressful for birds. A lot of people don’t provide water because they don’t have a way to keep it thawed. I received a heated bird bath for Christmas several years ago and I have absolutely no complaints about it. It’s easy to clean, which is a must, and the water doesn’t freeze, even on the coldest days like we have now. I’ve purchased one from Menards as a gift and the recipient has been very happy with it. Click here for the link to the one from Menards.
Hopefully I’ve given you some ideas in order to help the birds in your yard. Once you’ve started feeding the birds, the winter months aren’t months in which you should decide that you no longer wish to do this. With the bitter cold and deep snow, it makes it hard for them to find food on their own.
