Did you know that the best time for feeding wild birds is during the winter months? We've found some American made supplies and we're here to help you find out how to choose a bird feeder and decide which bird food to use.
To raise their metabolic rate and help them stay warm, food with high fat and high-calorie content is important to a wild bird's diet during this coldest time of the year. With the ground frozen and snow covered, food with natural protein content, like bugs and worms, can be challenging to find. Now is the perfect time to invest in made in the USA wild bird feeding supplies to help our feathered friends survive through the winter.
SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING A BIRD FEEDER
Make sure the feeder is easy to clean. Plastic, glass or steel feeders clean better than those made of wood or clay. Dirty feeders can lead to the growth of bacteria that can harm and kill birds.
Until you know how popular your yard will be, start with smaller feeders. The longer the bird seed is exposed to water and inclement weather, the more likely it is to grow bacteria. Smaller feeders will empty quicker.
Look for features in the feeder design that help keep the bird seed dry, like domes, drainage holes, or enclosures.
Our favorite made in the USA bird feeding companies and products
DROLL YANKEES
What a surprise to discover that this bird feeder company is practically my neighbor! In 1969 co-founder Peter Kilham developed the prototype for the first tubular bird feeder on the market. Headquartered in Connecticut, Droll Yankees bird feeders are easy to fill, keep bird seed dry, and have received the title of “The World's Best Bird Feeders”.
DUNCRAFT
Duncraft, “The Wild Bird Superstore” is an online retailer of all things wild birds. Duncraft's Highlighted “Made in the USA” items right now include a wide selection of Eco-friendly bird feeders. These feeders, like the Eco Strong Platform Feeder, are made in the USA from high quality, recycled plastic.
KAYTEE
Located in Wisconsin, KAYTEE is the American leader in bird and small animal care and nutrition. This company cares about wild birds so much, they started the Kaytee Avian Foundation that, according to their website, has been “established to enhance people's knowledge and enjoyment of birds through education, conservation and research”.
A FUN PROJECT TO DO WITH KIDS: MAKE YOUR OWN BIRD FEEDER!
Here is what you need:
– Large pine cones
– Peanut butter (or made in the USA Crisco, if there are peanut allergies)
– A butter knife
– 1 or 2 plates
– Kaytee Wild Bird Seed
– String or yarn
Cover pine cone with peanut butter using the butter knife. For smaller kiddos, place a lump of peanut butter onto a plate and have them roll the pine cone in it. Pour some bird seed onto another plate. Once the pine cone is covered in peanut butter, roll it into the bird seed until all of the peanut butter is covered. Tie the top of the pine cone bird feeder with string or yarn. Hang from a tree branch.
We make a bunch of these and hang them around our yard in the winter!
For more information on feeding wild birds, check out the Audubon website.
Follow USA Love List's board The Winds of Winter on Pinterest.
Ice cream cones, plain or sugar, are also great to cover with peanut butter & birdseed to hang from tree branches with yarn or twine…..grateful birdies eat up the seed, peanut butter, & ice cream cones!
Thanks for sharing this guide, it will help me better taking care of birds in my area.
“Havegard Farm Inc. is a family-owned business–a manufacturer of quality bird feeding products. Our business was established in 1974 and has experienced explosive growth from day one. Havegard products are currently marketed throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and with several products, the East Coast.”
Havegard Farm is located in Door County, Wisconsin
http://www.havegard.com/
I love watching the birds from my kitchen window. There’s a family of cardinals who live in our giant holly bush.
This is really good to know. I fed the sparrows my organic raw sunflower seeds, and have been googling online a good place for bird food. They are so cute and got very friendly with me, and I gave them names, too. So fun! Now I know where to get the bird food!
What kind of sparrows? Did you know House Sparrows are very aggressive and not good for the Bluebird and wren populations. They will kill other birds and break their eggs, monopolize bird houses. Do some research before feeding them!
I wish we had these lovely birds around us. We usually just get hoards of blackbirds that like to congregate around our yard. My husband keeps telling me that we need to get a plastic owl…
We always used to feed the birds. Now that we have cats, I am afraid I am luring them to their deaths, so we had to stop. (my cats are great hunters, unfortunately)
Some peanut butters have Xylitol in them now which can kill dogs. That can’t be good for anyone being that it is a chemical, like aspartame. I don’t think Crisco is healthy either. How about natural peanut butter and/or coconut oil for colder months? Also, you can make your own suet cakes, too, by skimming the fat from your homemade soups and meat drippings fro. roasts, etc. You can then heat it in the microwave when you get enough, mix in some birdseed, and pour into a foil lined cookie sheet, cut into squares, chill, then hang them outside in suet baskets, or wrap tightly in a plastic netted onion bag.
Susan Mc Neill, I know what you mean about the cats. Have a power soaker (kids water gun) ready, cause cats don’t like to get wet and shouldn’t want to return after a few times of getting a shower.
When my kids were small we always used to make peanut butter and birdseed pinecones. Now, we have SO many cats in the neighborhood, I am actually afraid to feed them for fear the cats will get them!
I love the idea of a bird feeders made from pines cones . It’s too late to do it this year (for our climate), but we already found a great pine cone for our next winter project
Terrific info for helping to feed the birds. Happy they have products made here for them too.
My mother is a big fan of both of these companies. Her biggest challenge, though, is keeping the darn squirrels out of the feeders. That is just as challenging as keeping the ‘coons out of the garbage!
love this pot! I <3 animals, especially birds! xo
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Love this article! Great products and ideas!
My grandson and I love to feed birds and watch them while they come to eat, so buying American Made products for our fun bird feeding will make me enjoy it even better.
I love the peanutbutter-birdseed-pinecones! My three kids always made them as Christmas gifts for their aunts and uncles when they were little 🙂
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