subject: Why Keeping Your Bird Feeder Clean is Important [print this page] Wild birds are not difficult to keep happyWild birds are not difficult to keep happy. Simply provide them with good quality food and keep the feeding areas clean.
A great many people who genuinely love birds will set up one or more bird feeding stations, stock them with food, and then simply forget about them until the bird feeders are empty at which point they will restock them. But, if the feeder is in an area that is not attracting a lot of birds, that food could remain in the feeder for a long time. And, it could become moldy. Once food becomes moldy, it becomes an attraction for all kinds of pests, none of which are good for the birds trying to feed on the food. So, even though it is an inconvenience, once you put your feeder out and place food in it, make an effort to wash it down every few weeks or so.
But it is also important to purchase food of good quality. You don't have to buy the premium brands, but if you can afford it stay away from the low end brands. The best way of making sure that the food you feed them is of good quality is to buy from a reputable source. If you are lucky, you will find such a place in your town or city where you can visit, talk to the owners, and actually see the food before you buy it.
If you can't find a local supplier,don't worry. There are tons of dealers who sell bird foods through mail order or over the Internet. Before, ordering from one of these places, however, check some of the many review sites on line to get the feedback from customers who have actually ordered from them.
As you go to buy your foods, try to find food which doesn't have chemicals, poisons, and such. You will probably pay a bit more for these, but they are a lot healthier for the birds. If you are going to feed them at all, you might as well make an effort to feed them the best quality food that you can.
One type of bird food that is becoming more popular and that you may find intriguing is food bars. These are somewhat the equivalent of the health bars that many consumers buy when they don't have time for a meal. Except that they are healthier, at least for the birds.
These bird food bars primarily consist of animal fat. But inside this animal fat, the manufacturer has placed a plethora of nutrients that the birds will love as well as ones that are good for them such as suet, insects, and other nutrients. The fat is then shaped into something resembling a bar of soap. This is very handy in the winter time. You simply take out a food bar, put it on one of your feeders, and your birds will have a great source of food filled with nutrients to help them get through the winter.
