harmful feeder seed?

[Patch49]

My bird feeder has hulled sunflower seeds which blue tits are using to feed their young. Will this harm them? Should I take down the feeder and make them hunt for caterpillers instead?

[Lonnie]

I asked a similar question to an RSPB official, and she said that birds are very caring parents, and wouldn't give something to their young which would harm them. Sorry I couldn't tell you more.

[Thunderbird+]

I think Lonnie's absolutely right, birds instinctivly know just what to feed their young on. My feeders have been almost deserted since the presence of caterpillers on near by oak trees.

[razza]

It used to be considered taboo to feed nuts,sunflower etc while parent birds were feeding young,but recent observations have since found it is o.k. Mealworms are a very tasty meal for young fledglings,but try to avoid maggots as they are too rich for young birds.

[Cetti]

Another good reason to keep the sunflower hearts going is they are instant fuel for the parents, so they have more energy to feeding the babes - thereby ensuring more chicks survive.

[spudqueen]

I think that Cetti is right - the adults use the sunflower seeds as food for themselves to give them enough energy to go out and hunt the 'correct' food for their babies.