Milk, bread... Why shouldn't we feed the birds in our gardens with these foods
Through John Foucault
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With the return of the cold, which will last for a few more days, combined with the drought, it is the ideal time to help the birds feed, due to less plentiful food, advises the League for the Protection of Birds. (LPO). Usually birds eat insects, berries, seeds and fruits.
In order not to disturb the reproductive period, it is rather advisable to help the birds to feed even during the bad season, during a prolonged cold period, usually “from mid-November to the end of March”.
But beware, it’s not about giving them everything and nothing. Some foods we eat are toxic to them. Here are which ones.
Avoid dairy at all costs
“Warning! Never give milk to birds: they do not digest it and can be responsible for fatal digestive disorders”, warns the LPO.
Only cooked crusts can be given, as long as they are not too salty.
Especially no bread
Also to be avoided: bread, biscuits, rusks… which contain too much salt, among other things.
“Birds can’t do not digest the breadit causes stomach swelling”, underlines the LPO in a dedicated sheet, specifying that it can also cause bone problems, causing “a malformation of the wings called “angel wings” which prevents them from flying”.
Add to this the fact that gluten causes liver disease. Even with gluten-free bread, it should be avoided.
Likewise, avoid pet biscuits.
Avoid vegetables, pasta, rice, lentils…
Also, do not feed birds salad, carrots or baked potatoes. Choose seasonal fruit, like apples or pears. Without the flaws.
And no legumes, such as lentils or peas, cooked or raw. Just like pasta or rice.
No cheese, meat or fish
For those who hesitate, let’s forget the meat, especially no salted bacon, no meat fat, and not even fish. Indeed, the LPO recalls that “since birds are warm-blooded animals, it is not advisable to give them too much animal fat (bacon, tallow, lard…)”. Because it clogs their arteries.
Neither seeds nor salty food
In order not to disturb the health, diet or behavior of our garden birds, we must also refrain from giving salty seeds, a bird which is not an aperitif companion. Not even salty foods, which could cause kidney blockage.
It is therefore necessary prefer unsalted seeds, which you can buy or prepare yourself. The LPO recommends: 1/3 black sunflower seeds, 1/3 fresh or in-shell peanuts (unsalted and unroasted), 1/3 cracked corn.
In addition to seeds, we can also offer simple vegetable shortening cakes, vegetable shortening cakes mixed with seeds, red fruits or insects (in small quantities), as we have explained in this article.
And no net fat ball
The LPO calls for vigilance on the use of balls of fat wrapped in nets, “because birds can get their feet caught in the mesh of the net and get trapped, or even die”.
Don’t forget the water
Finally, if you want to help the birds by providing them with additional food, it is advisable to install different power supplies to avoid crowding and limit disease transmission.
And don’t forget to put water in a small container near the feeders so they can drink.
Another argument from the LPO which should encourage us to be more vigilant: the more we take the reflex to feed them, the more “birds lose the habit of feeding themselves in nature. Some individuals (which you will find outside the gardens, ed), such as swans or ducks, change their behavior and can become aggressive near the feeding place. »
So many reasons to limit yourself, even if it comes from a good feeling.
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