Putting food out for the birds…

I hate the idea of left over food being put out in the garden.

I just hate the thought of throwing leftovers away! Why cook more than you need? Why no freeze any significant amounts anyway? After all, it will make bubble and squeak if nothing else.

My neighbour throws food out into the garden. We know when she does as the huge seagulls and crows swoop in. They often drop chicken bones and slices of bread into my garden, it’s disgusting!

Why don't you just give the dog the peas in the first place & less kibble? Just check online what dogs can't eat.

My grandparents dogs never had dogfood, just leftovers & prep.meat / offal. I can't say, on the small sample I know, that pet dogs live longer in these days of highly processed kibble.

I’d be worried about rats, they are everywhere even if we don’t see them. I don’t want my dog to come into contact with them, so I wouldn’t ever put food on the ground.

valdali

Why don't you just give the dog the peas in the first place & less kibble? Just check online what dogs can't eat.

My grandparents dogs never had dogfood, just leftovers & prep.meat / offal. I can't say, on the small sample I know, that pet dogs live longer in these days of highly processed kibble.

She gets terrible bouts of diahorrea ( had one last week) so I have to be careful with what she eats. I started adding vegetables to her diet ( green beans, carrots, broccoli ) but have had to go back to basics to get to the bottom of what’s causing it. Her main meal isn’t kibble although she has a handful of it for supper.

@Maybee this is just an argy bargy, is not a deal breaker, if his throwing food on the lawn annoys you just thank your lucky stars this is all you have to moan about.
And in order to sort it out once and for all, get a composter in the garden and put any bits left over in there.

Casdon

I’d be worried about rats, they are everywhere even if we don’t see them. I don’t want my dog to come into contact with them, so I wouldn’t ever put food on the ground.

That’s why I put the food in a bowl. If it isn’t eaten straight away it’s removed. I like watching the pecking order of the birds, mainly rooks, magpies, jackdaws and seagulls. We’re leaving tomorrow; there’s some really good chicken stock that I made the other day that I can’t use now because of the fridge temperature so I’ll mix it with some bread and put it out for them in the morning. They really don’t drop it on anyone else’s garden ( we’re mainly surrounded by fields anyway). I wouldn’t dream of putting chicken bones out for fear of a dog or cat eating them.

Babs03

@Maybee this is just an argy bargy, is not a deal breaker, if his throwing food on the lawn annoys you just thank your lucky stars this is all you have to moan about.
And in order to sort it out once and for all, get a composter in the garden and put any bits left over in there.

I had a composter at my house and ended up with rats living in it. I do everything I can to avoid throwing things in the bin.They still come searching for tiny bits of eggshell because I didn’t realise it attracted them. I know it isn’t a bit deal; that’s why I put on the AIBU thread.

Babs03

@Maybee this is just an argy bargy, is not a deal breaker, if his throwing food on the lawn annoys you just thank your lucky stars this is all you have to moan about.
And in order to sort it out once and for all, get a composter in the garden and put any bits left over in there.

By the way, could have said the same to you on the driving thread you started but I actually defended you. Think I’ll ask to get this thread removed. Feeling a bit raw at the moment….

Casdon

I’d be worried about rats, they are everywhere even if we don’t see them. I don’t want my dog to come into contact with them, so I wouldn’t ever put food on the ground.

This is what worries me. Mr Dog does it, and I am always complaining about it. He likes to see the birds peck at things, which is fine, but there is no point in putting up a Not For Rats sign, as their illiteracy rates are shocking.

I have a lot of black birds frequent my garden, I have a bird table and I have hanging feeders but I will put food on the lawn because the blackbirds are mainly ground feeders….
Because they’re so territorial, I spread the food out as well, and I’ll probably get 8 to 10 blackbirds every day.. That’s at one time

Dog gets some leftovers, rest in the bin or in a tub in the fridge if we can use it next day.

Rats give me the heeby jeebies! I stopped feeding the birds because of rats. However, I do occasionally throw excess parrot food on the grass or in the borders for the birds when I clean his cage out.

@Maybee70
Sorry didn't mean to tread on your toes. And you're right I had more or less the same levelled at me on the drivers are selfish thread. But am just trying to lighten the mood because I can tell you feel worked up about this.

I leave crusts of bread on the lawn and I put suet balls as well.
And there is always a Suet block on the bird table
Apart from what the birds have pecked at, it’s always there in the morning particularly the bread I’ll leave her for a couple of days and then remove it but the rats certainly don’t have it or any of the other stuff out there… Mind you,
I do have a cat and a dog, so maybe that’s a deterrent ..🤷‍♀️
I also have a nest of magpies that been there for years in the trees at the bottom of my garden…

Rats would be my worry. I know they’re excellent climbers but I’d suggest to your partner, putting waste peas in a container on a bird table - I’d bring the container in at dusk. Not foolproof rat wise but stops dog scavenging

I think what you do sounds completely sensible but he is also entitled to throw food onto the lawn in his own house. I probably do all sorts of things in my house that people wouldnt like but ot is my house. Sorry!

What’s the point of the RSPB trying to encourage people to attract small garden birds into a safe environment when they are deliberately and thoughtlessly putting out food to attract magpies, seagulls and crows that will drive the small birds away. These large scavengers will take care of themselves. It’s the small garden birds that need help.

I’m sure the local rat population is delighted.

I also think food thrown on the ground looks disgusting. If you must put out left-overs, get a bird table or even better….eat up all your food!

Just have a Hot (composter) bin.

merlotgran

What’s the point of the RSPB trying to encourage people to attract small garden birds into a safe environment when they are deliberately and thoughtlessly putting out food to attract magpies, seagulls and crows that will drive the small birds away. These large scavengers will take care of themselves. It’s the small garden birds that need help.

I’m sure the local rat population is delighted.

I also think food thrown on the ground looks disgusting. If you must put out left-overs, get a bird table or even better….eat up all your food!

I do not encourage magpies they have been there for over 20 years. They seldom feed at the table and I have never seen them on the lawn..
You think bread on the lawn looks disgusting…. Well, there are a lot of things that look disgusting to me but bread on the lawn certainly isn’t one of them 😂😂
By the way, for your information, I don’t get crows or seagulls plenty of sparrows goldfinches and blue tits… 😜

I currently have an apple with holes in it on my lawn. Part of an experiment. To be fair the insects devouring it do look disgusting.

Galaxy

I currently have an apple with holes in it on my lawn. Part of an experiment. To be fair the insects devouring it do look disgusting.

Insects feed the birds….🤓

Rats are my fear. We have them around here and indiscriminate bird feeding is the major cause. Also a neighbour of ours used to leave food for cats on her doorstep.

Galaxy

I currently have an apple with holes in it on my lawn. Part of an experiment. To be fair the insects devouring it do look disgusting.

I always put any apples on the lawn for the blackbirds: I think it’s their favourite food. I don’t put food out for the rooks at my house but my garden is small and in a residential area. There is a rookery quite close to my partners and they’re often in the field at the end of the garden. There aren’t many small birds roundabout as it’s quite exposed and if we do put seed in the feeder the jackdaws devour it. I must point out that I don’t put food out all of the time. It’s only if there’s something that I know is going to end up in the black bin anyway. I try really hard to meal plan and get really annoyed with myself when I miscalculate. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t have a brown bin and food scraps just get thrown into a bin bag. There isn’t a bin for glass, either; we have to take that to the bottle bank.