With winter feeding, you help the birds survive the long and cold winter, when the supply of food in nature is weak. In Finland, the short daylight hours are also a challenge. The bird should get enough fueled energy in the few light hours to store.
Winter feeding of small birds guarantees the birds' food supply even during the coldest days and shortest days in the Nordic region. At the same time, it gives the quiet winter environment the joy of little winged friends and ensures beautiful birdsong next summer in the yard. It is nice to follow the guests of the feeding place. Feeding the birds gives you the opportunity to enjoy the company of natural animals and is also suitable for a household that does not have the opportunity to have pets.
Winter feeding is beneficial for birds from autumn until well into spring. Feeding in the early fall helps species that accumulate winter reserves in replenishing their winter reserves. And species that do not store winter food refuel their bodies with fatty seeds for winter. Feeding should start at the point when the birds' food intake in the wild decreases. Most often, feeding is started after the ground freezes or when the ground is covered with snow. For spring, feeding should be continued for as long as possible until food starts to be found in nature. Spring is a very challenging time for birds, when the weather is still very changeable and energy is spent on nesting trees and chick production.
The birds learn to return to familiar feeding places and often come in the fall to see if there is already food at the familiar feeding place. Migratory birds often return to the same territory year after year. In March-April, the feeding places are filled with hungry migratory birds, whose energy reserves have been depleted during the strenuous migration journey. Birds also use up a lot of energy when they are singing in the spring.
A sheltered feeding place is safe for baby birds
Provide a safe and quiet feeding place for the birds.
It is good to place the feeding place in a sheltered place, near a bush or a dense tree. It is good to place the feeder a short distance away from the windows, so that the birds do not bump into them. From a good feeding place, the birds also have visibility in many directions. Make sure that the automatic feeder, bird board and fat-seed mixtures are such that there is no danger of the birds getting trapped in them. Also note that the cats cannot get to the feeding place to stalk the feeding birds.
A bird board, automatic feeders and tallow stalls are suitable feeding points. You can get an easy and attractive table setting by hanging various tallow boxes and bird treat sticks at the feeding place.
More food points ensure that even the lower-ranking birds in the yard get food. The hygiene of the feeding place must be taken care of so that it remains disease-free throughout the feeding season. By using heat-treated products, you ensure that the seeds do not contain and spread salmonella. A clean feeding place keeps out unwanted guests like mice and rats. Choose automatic feeders and food where the birds can't stay on top of the food, then the food stays clean.
Winterbird products take the safety of birds at the feeding place into account especially well. The netless suspension developed for the products prevents birds from getting caught in the net while eating.
Birds need versatile food
Poultry food must have a high energy content so that eating does not require more energy than it does
what does the bird get out of it. The high fat content guarantees a high energy content. Breads and other products containing a lot of flour fill the stomach, but do not contain enough energy. Good digestibility of the food in the bird's body is also important. From fat, the bird gets very digestible energy quickly, while, for example, the digestibility of seeds is weaker and the bird's digestion has to work harder to convert food into energy.
Talvilintu and Tintin fat seed mixtures are designed to meet the challenging winter conditions and high energy needs of Nordic birds particularly well. By hanging domestic bird food at the feeding place, you are assured that the food contains plenty of energy, which is well digestible in the bird's body. All domestic Talvilintu and Tintin fatty seed mixtures are heat-treated and therefore clean and safe to use without the risk of salmonella.
If you want to make a more varied table setting, you can offer the birds not only fat but also peanuts, sunflower seeds, oats, fruits and berries and lard. Many birds prefer sunflowers and throw other grains from the feeder or bird board to the ground, where they like to peck them, e.g. yellow crickets and gophers. Note that if you offer food containing seed pods, the pods that have fallen to the ground can attract hoe guests such as mice and rats to the feeding area. When feeding with seeds, it is important to take special care of the cleanliness and cleanliness of the feeding area.
Winter Bird Nutcracker, Winter Bird
Bird food must have a high energy content so that the bird does not consume more energy than it receives from eating. A high fat content ensures a high energy content.