Window Bird Feeders

[Stargazer]

This is especially for Ladybirder. Last week, following the window feeder postings I could not wait until I went to an Asda but bought one from my local (small town) bird shop for £13.50. I also bought some live meal worms (a mere hen's nose full for £2.50).
I also ordered online an Asda window feeder for £7.98 which was postage free as it was picked up from my nearest store (25 miles away) by my daughter who lives closer. When I unpacked it I found that it was an identical one to the one I had bought at my local shop. They are made by an American firm called Droll Yankees and the locally bought one was marketed under the name Jacobi Jayne & Company. The Adsa one is endoresed by Bill Oddie and is marketed by a firm called Haith's and endorsed by the BSA.
I would like to know if the birds find the dried meal worms just as tasty as the live ones are so expensive from my local shop at any rate?


http://direct.asda.com/Window-Bird-Feeder/000828355,default,pd.html

[gingejbee]

The way the dried mealworms get gobbled up here - there can't be much wrong with them. Nice and cheap at Wilkinsons, too.

[webbo3]

we sell them where i work, try and find a local gardman stockist.

look for page 40 and 41 bottom left and right of the page, they are very popular and we sell loads.


http://www.gardman.co.uk/sites/all/themes/gardman/downloads/WBC_2013_Feeders_Cat_Ref_23645_LR.pdf



Dave.

[Chipchopper]

I find suet pellets, a cheaper alternative. A handful every in the feeders every morning seems to last for about 1/2 an hour.

When the birds are actively feeding chicks, I'll switch to meal worms.

[Iluvspikey]

my local aquarium shop where I bought my bird feeder from sell dried mealworms in all sorts of weights, I usually buy 5k tub for £25.

[ladybirder]

Hi Stargazer, so glad you got one, err sorry, two LOL.

With the live meal worms I would leave it until the mums are feeding babies in a few weeks. Because the babies can't have a drink, the live meal worms are invaluable as they are moist and therefore they satisfy the nestlings' thirst. I've never had much luck with dried meal worms but I see others have so you could use those mixed with the sunflower hearts for the time being.

I get my live meal worms for £5.50 for 250g with free postage from:

http://www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk/Category/Regular

and keep them in the veg box in the bottom of the fridge. I only put out about 200 a day and when they're gone they're gone. No more until the next day. If you could just feed live ones for the babies for a few weeks that would be such a help as many have starved in their nests.

Good luck and enjoy. X

[Stargazer]

Thanks for your replies. Very useful advice from everyone especially Ladybirder. A ***** pigeon has been eating all the stuff on my newly acquired bird table (yes I succumed Saturday and bought one - having said last week that I had no table). In my older years I find watching birds feeding so close to my window as satisfying as some people find in other more expensive ways!