How to Feed Wild Birds for Free!
Every day we all throw away loads of tasty titbits for wild birds, we have put together a list common things we all throw in the bin, you will also find out what types of birds you can attract ant what items birds dont like to eat.
Fat
Fat including suet is a Particular favourite of the Tit familiy. All types of fat are also welcomed by spotted woodpeckers, thushes and wrens. You Should Not feed polyunsaturated Fats though as these lack the high energy levels that birds need in the Winter.
Cheese
Robins, dunnocks, Blackbirds and Song Thrushes love mild grated cheese, it is also great for wrens if placed under a hedgerow or anywhere you have seen them feeding.
Potatoes
We all Like Chips, well most of us, but Not birds, the prefer baked, mashed or roast
ed particluarly if you can add a little fat.
Fruits
Dried Fruits, raisins, sultanas etc are much sought afte by robins, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds, so if you have any at the back of a cupboard, why not put them out. Remember though soak them first in spring and summer. Fresh Fruit, apples, pears, etc even if bruised or part rotten are very popular with all Thrushes, Tits and Starlings, I am sure most of you will have some spare fruit after christmas
Pastrey
Cooked or un-cooked is a winner!
Bacon Rind and Other Fats
Fat from Unsalted cuts of meat is great for all birds and can be put out in large peices for birds to take morsels from. Try to Anchore it down or use a scrap feeder to prevent larger birds from taking away the large peices. Ther is a lot of debate about Bacon Rind as much of it is salted during curing. As long is it is not salty it is a great bird food and should be cut up into small peices.
Bread
All birds like bread, you should remember though that birds can not live on bread alone, it lacks the neccesary protein and vitamins that wild birds need to survive. That said it does make an excellent complimentary feed and most people have plenty spare. During the spring and early summer you should crumble bread into small peices as dry bread is not suitable for small chicks.
What not to Feed!!!
Wild birds are unable to metabolise salt, which is highly toxic, affecting the nervouse system. Under normal circumstances birds will not eat harmfull amounts of salt but in harsh conditions they might not have a choice, Never put out Salted Peanuts or salty foods on a bird table. Also do not use salt to prevent a bird bath from freezing!!
Mouldy foods are best avoided, most moulds are harmless but some do cause respiritory and other problems for birds. try to put our smaller amounts of feed regularly, rarther than say lots of food once a week
How Can You Sell Quality Bird Feeders Made Here in the UK So Cheap???
As many of you will know we manufacture our own range of quality rabbit hutches and runs here in north northumberland. This generates a lot of scrap material that we use to make bird feeders tables and other small items. We effectivly have little or no material costs for these items so we can be ultra competative on our prices.
Happy Shopping from us all.
Top 5 Pet Christmas Gifts Give Away Competition
Win Free Pet Gifts 
Take a look at this competition to win the Top Pet Gifts for this Christmas, hurry entries need to be in by 13th December. We are sponsering the top Cat Prize and hope that one of our customers is the luck winner. We will do our best to get the fantastic Hamster Cage to you before Christmas.
Please click on the Image Below or click on The Rabbit Hutch Shop on Rock FM to enter today, good look everyone.
The rabbit hutch in winter
As the nights get longer and the weather colder, it’s important to prepare for the winter. The majority of this advice is for outdoor rabbits; however indoor bunnies will still need somewhere warm to sleep if the temperature in your house drops low at night.
Rabbit Hutch Repairs
The sides of hutches also need to be water proofed. The protective coating will wear and needs to be reapplied every few years – more if necessary. This will stop the damp entering the hutch and also protect the wood from rotting. If you are treating the inside of the accommodation, it needs to be with a stain or varnish that is safe for pets. The DIY store or product manufacturer should be able to advise you on which products are suitable.
Hutches should be raised off the floor to prevent the base becoming damp. A brick at each corner can be used if the rabbit hutch doesn’t have legs.
Hibernation
Rabbits don’t hibernate, if your rabbit becomes limp or sleepy its ill not hibernating for the winter, take it to the vet.
Keeping Warm & Dry
Large mesh doors can be partially covered allowing your rabbit to see out and the sun to come in but preventing wind and rain. Ventilation is still important though, so leave serval inches gap for this. Covering the whole hutch with an old blanket/carpet and then a tarpaulin will help keep the heat in and the weather out. Or you could use a purpose built Rabbit Hutch Cover. During the day leave the front open for ventilation and at night cover the majority of the hutch leaving a smaller area for ventilation. In the UK and other cold Climates it is also worth considering an insulated cover. Rabbits need a warm snug bed area. This should be the equivalent of a box with an entrance hole. Often hutches have a bed area divided from the main hutch. If a sleeping section isn’t available or it’s very large, then provide a smaller box as well. A smaller area will warm up around your bunnies and keep them snug. This is only for sleeping, your rabbit will still need plenty of space for exercise. Provide extra bedding and a thick layer of litter for the floor. Newspaper can be used to line the floors/walls underneath the bedding. Entrances should face away from the wind. If it’s not possible to turn the rabbit hutch around then put something just in front to block direct wind and rain.
If you’re in an area that is at risk of flooding, you will need to ensure the accommodation is sufficiently high of the ground not to cause a risk to your rabbits. If possible, moving the hutch into a shed or garage will help keep it warm. Do not put it in a garage that you also use for your car as the fumes pose a health hazard.
Food & Water
Outdoor rabbits will need more food during the winter months, they use more energy heating themselves so need to take in more energy through their food.
Water bottles/bowls will freeze and need checking regularly. Even if the main bottle is unfrozen, it’s important to check the spout as this can freeze solid and block. Insulating the bottle can help.
It’s helpful to have spare bottle(s) to use whilst ice defrosts, and also because plastic become brittle in the cold and is more likely to crack or shatter.
We now stock a full range or Rabbit Hutch Covers for most hutches