How much can you feed them ?

[Knight]

Just wondering winter is almost over here , so i would like to know if theres such a thing as over feeding birds ? I took a picture of this little guy wich stayed at the feeders all winter then i took a look at some from another area and this guy looks really fat compared to the others. Should i just put out so much seed a day or keep the feeders full?

Another thing i would like to know is, if anyone has given tought to the Avian flue that is spreading at a alarming rate .How will this affect the way you look at birds ? will you continue to feed birds ?

[mjs1973]

Nice image Glenn. I keep my feeders full all winter. Once it warms up, I back off.

[paulnj]

Birds are not like goldfish ;) They won't eat until they pop, so don't be too worried.That redpoll looks fine to me.

Avian flu..... please we have a better chance of being struck by lightning IMHO. I haven't paid much attention to the scare of bird flu in months, but last I checked more people die from space shuttle crashes than bird flu .

[Bevb]

My feeders are out all year too, they seem to back off slightly in the warmer months but only because natural food ie worms, berries etc are available, and my views are the same as Paulnj's on the avian flu, its certainly not changed my views on the birds.

[Ellies123]

Brilliant photo...

I don't believe there's a problem with 'overfeeding' birds - as long as it's nutritious. Generally birds puff their feathers to keep warm.

Best to avoid putting out whole peanuts if food is being taken away to feed young chicks though. Young birds can choke. They will not break them up, just swallow.

Nuts in a feeder where the birds need to break them up before they can fly off with them are better. Or crush them up b4 putting them on a table.

(:>)

[Knight]

Thanks for taking the time to respond