How to Make Homemade Bird Food
Bird watching can bring hours of fun and enjoyment to the whole family, and can teach children valuable lessons about nature.. This very easy and much cheaper version of homemade bird food, I feel is better than store bought, and you will attract many beautiful birds to your backyard, with less filler. Below is a simple recipe, and at the bottom of the page is a more detailed recipe.. Either one is great for your fine feathered friends... ENJOY!
Simple Wild Bird Food:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cracked corn
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (homemade peanut butter is even better.. click Peanut butter recipe page above..)
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl..
and then press the mixture into a suet feeder, or you can use a small string bag, but personally I fear them getting tangled in the string bags, a suet feeder I feel is better, and you can get them in the dollar stores.. they look like little cages, that the birds land on and pick through the holes.. and you can hang this from a tree or your feeder.
Premium Wild Bird Food
If you have the time, try and make this great homemade premium bird food..
1 pound striped sunflower seeds, hulls still on.
1 pound black oil sunflower seeds, hulls still on..
1 pound raw peanuts
1 pound dark raisins, dried blueberries, apples or other dried fruits chopped..
1 pound cracked corn
1 small carton live mealworms (can purchase in pet shops)
In a rodent proof metal container with a tight lid, mix together the striped sunflower seeds, the black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruit and the cracked corn and store in a cool area, such as the garage, or basement.. store the mealworms in the fridge according to the package instructions.
Spread one or two scoops of the seed mixture onto a tray type feeder and sprinkle with fresh mealworms... this is an amazing treat for your backyard feathered friends!
This makes 5 pounds... but remember to keep the mealworms in the fridge until you use them..
Homemade bird food, is much better than some of the commercially bought bird food (in my opinion!) it is usually high priced, and tends to have a lot of filler the birds don't like. This tends to build up around the feeder and you end up with a mess in the spring.
So try making your own, and your little backyard friends will love you!
