Birds don’t go into hibernation. This means that when the winter months roll around, those birds are going to be getting pretty cold. Sure, some birds will migrate to warmer pastures, but those that stick around have to weather the storm. If your area is dealing with particularly snowy weather, then the health of those birds could be at risk.
Thankfully, there is something that you can do. During the winter months, you can put out some food for those birds. This food will not only ensure that the birds can eat (it can be tough to track down food in the snowy weather), but it will also help to boost their fat which, of course, is going to keep them warm.
Fat Balls/Suet
Fat balls are literal balls of fat. They are often made from suet (or some other animal fat) and mixed with seeds, and dry fruits.
This is probably one of the best things to feed birds during the winter months. This is because fat balls are exceedingly high in fat content, and birds tend to love eating them.
While you can easily purchase fat balls from the store, you can make them at home too. You just need to get some suet (ask your butcher) and mix the fat up with some seeds and dried fruits. Roll into a ball, and you now have fat balls! Alternatively, you can just stick the paste into a bird feeder. They will still eat it.
Lard
If you can’t get hold of suet, then you can use lard instead. Your local butcher will likely have lard to spare, although you can also trim it off pork yourself. Alternatively, most stores sell lard.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is ridiculously high in fat, and it is very nutritious. Birds love the taste. The great thing about peanut butter is that it shouldn’t be too expensive.
Give the birds a few scoops of this in your bird feeders, and they will be flocking to your home to have a bit of a munch.
Sunflower Seed
Sunflower seeds are high in natural fats and a variety of beneficial oils. Once again, they shouldn’t be too difficult or expensive to get.
While the birds are going to be able to eat sunflowers that are still in their shells, it is important that you do not purchase salted sunflower seeds. The birds won’t be able to cope with the huge amounts of salt in them.
We recommend that you head to an animal feed store to pick up sunflower seeds. The price will often be a lot lower, and they will be bird-safe.
Peanuts
If peanut butter is good, then peanuts are going to be just as great.
If you are going to be giving the birds peanuts, then make sure that the peanuts are de-hulled. You should also avoid giving the birds salted peanuts for the same reason as with the sunflower seeds. Too much salt will kill them.
