Peanut Bird Feeder
Peanuts remain one of the cleanest and easiest ways to attract and feed garden birds. And if you’re feeding peanuts, you should feed them from a good quality peanut feeder to stop birds from taking large chunks of peanut which could be potentially harmful.
Peanuts are packed with protein and will help to attract tits, finches, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. Some types of peanuts should not be fed to garden birds. Please stay away from salted, smoked, seasoned, or chocolate covered peanuts as these are dangerous for birds.
When purchasing your supply of peanuts, it’s very important to buy good quality stock. Aflatoxin is a toxic compound which occurs in many types of mould and can prove fatal for birds. Please ensure any peanuts fed to garden birds are free from mould.
Many different garden birds will eat peanuts but it's perhaps the nuthatch who tops the list. This gorgeous visitor can simply break the peanut using its bill but as not many people will have a garden that’s frequented only by nuthatches, then we always recommend feeding peanuts from a mesh container. Whole nuts can be a serious choking hazard especially during the spring and summer months.
The Heavy-Duty Flick ‘n’ Click Peanut Feeder has a hinged top which makes it easy to open and fill. Made from heavy duty mesh it closes with a magnetic clasp.
If you’re wanting a budget peanut feeder, then the Flick ‘n’ Click Peanut Feeder is a good choice. It’s around 7 inches high but also has a removable base for easy cleaning. It would make a great starter feeder.
We have two squirrel resistant peanut feeders available if these are your preferred method of feeding peanuts.
The Squirrel Resistant Cage Peanut Feeder is made from heavy-duty steel and has a robust mesh peanut feeder. The cage does clip off for easy cleaning and filling too. At 13 inches high it’s a good quality feeder which should help to attract members of the tit family.
The original and still one of the best squirrel resistant feeders is The Nuttery Squirrel-Resistant Peanut Bird Feeder. This award winning British designed feeder is effective and stylish. In a beautiful sage green colour, it is 350mm in height and comes with an attached peanut feeder. If you like the design, then it also comes as a bird seed feeder too.
Peanuts are around 45% fat which will provide your garden birds with the right amount of protein to make them strong and give them tons of energy for the cold winter months.
Should you suffer with an allergy to nuts then there are many different products you can buy to feed your garden birds. Black Sunflower is a fantastic alternative as its makeup is very similar to peanuts. It also has a high fat content usually around 28% per single sunflower seed. Here at Haith’s our sunflower and peanuts are stored in the same warehouse and traces of peanut dust can still contaminate the product, so if you do suffer with a nut allergy then caution is still required.
People have been feeding garden birds for centuries and peanuts themselves where only used as animal feed prior to the 19th century so by feeding peanuts to garden birds then you are taking part in a very old tradition and one which, we hope, will attract many different birds to your garden.
Written by Angela
