Recommend best bird feed for a Robin, please?

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RichInSpirit

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Does anyone have any recommendations for the best bird feed for a Robin and other small birds?
I occasionally give him / her small scraps of bread and potatoes at the moment.
But I am not at home 7 days a week so some days the Robin gets nothing.
I was thinking of hanging some sort of bird feeder in the shed which has some openings that small birds can access but larger birds like crows and magpies can not.
Thanks in advance!
 
Unless you really hate the robin, don't feed it bread. Mealworm, fruit (esp. berries), suet pellets, bits of cheese, (crushed) peanuts are the things to go for.

Robins can't digest bread and get no nutritional value from it. But it does fill them up, which means they are less likely to eat other stuff that they do need. Result: malnutrition, and eventual starvation.

(This advice generally holds for all wild birds.)
 
Interesting, always left bread out for the small birds when we experience heavy frost or snow, little did I know that it's a poor substitute nutritionally.
 
Don't feed them anything. Birds are well able to feed themselves. Leave out water, nothing else. Certain foodstuffs just attract rodents.
 
If you are putting out feed for any birds you really have to careful with hygiene. Unwashed feeders where birds collect are germ-spreaders. And when washed (and occasionally disinfected) they have to be moved around as they are a collection point for defecation (disease spreading again) - and birds will hunt for dropped food on the pooed up ground.

Hygiene needs regular attention. Otherwise you will be doing more harm than good, no matter how charming the bird gatherings appear. And birds will become dependent on the artificial food source. So if you start you should keep it up for the winter - both the feeding and the attention to hygiene.
 
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Still a good bit out there for the birds, I see them picking berries still from the trees. My father was a huge feeder of birds especially small ones, had the mice and the rats to match! He always bought a massive bucket of I think peanuts or maybe they were mixed nuts from local farm store. Keep it far away from house and I wouldn't fancy birds going into shed either and pooping in there which will happen if they are feeding there. My Dad always got the kind of cage enclosed feeders that the big birds couldn't get into.
 
Just to echo above replies re. Not feeding birds. gardeners world had a podcast recently where the conservationist said that some birds die due to spread of disease at bird feeders, but also some species do really well thanks to having feeders, and their numbers swell over time & they crowd out other species , which then reduce/die off
 
If feeding garden birds is so deadly then why do Birdwatch Ireland and the UK Woodland Trust advise people on how to do it?
 

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Holes are too small for pigeons, crows and magpies. Big enough for robins, tits and sparrows.

I fill it with sunflower hearts so there's no mess. They have to go inside it so there's no spilled seed on the ground.

I clean it with warm soapy water when it's empty.
 
The also like porridge oats....uncooked of course. and yes peanuts too.
 
ClubMan said:
If feeding garden birds is so deadly then why do Birdwatch Ireland and the UK Woodland Trust advise people on how to do it?
Click to expand...

It is fine to feed birds provided you do it properly - correct foods, correct feeders, good hygiene, plenty of space to rotate feeders, etc. I despair to see some feeding stations around - not cleaned, not moved (or insufficient space to support rotation), etc. The British Trust for Ornithology gives this advice:

"The most likely places for disease to spread in gardens are garden feeders and bird baths, which sick birds may contaminate with infectious material, such as saliva or droppings. Here are some simple tips to reduce the risk of disease in your garden birds:

Your feeding set-up​

  • Use several feeding stations to reduce the number of birds in any one place.
  • Rotate the use of feeding stations so they’re not all in constant use; rest periods can help reduce the accumulation of potentially infectious material under feeders.
  • Avoid placing feeders under garden features where birds perch or roost; this will prevent contamination with droppings.

Keeping things clean​

  • Regularly clean bird baths, feeders, feeding stations and hard surfaces under feeders, and treat with a suitable disinfectant (e.g. a weak solution of domestic bleach). Carefully rinse all surfaces with clean water and air dry before using. Clean your feeders outside and maintain careful personal hygiene, including wearing gloves and making sure that brushes and buckets are not used for other purposes, as some diseases can affect human and domestic animal health.
  • Provide a variety of good-quality fresh foods, and avoid over-filling feeders, to ensure they are emptied every few days. This will help to prevent old food building up.
  • Do not allow seed or old food to accumulate on the ground below feeders, and particularly on surfaces that are damp and/or contaminated with droppings. Regularly clear accumulations of old food and droppings from any areas that cannot be disinfected (e.g. bare earth or grass).
  • Provide clean drinking water on a daily basis."
"https://www.bto.org/how-you-can-help/providing-birds/feeding-birds/good-hygiene-practice

Feeding garden birds

Learn what to provide for birds and when to feed.
www.bto.org
 
When I make a chicken, I drain the juice into a tray and I mix in porridge and the birds hoover it all up. I have fat ball feeders in the garden and they are crow proof.
 
Ruffian said:
It is fine to feed birds provided you do it properly - correct foods, correct feeders, good hygiene, plenty of space to rotate feeders, etc. ...
Click to expand...
Some of that seems like overkill (no pun intended) to me to be honest.
I think I'll keep doing what I've always been doing as it doesn't seem to be causing any sort of bird genocide in my area.
 
ClubMan said:
it doesn't seem to be causing any sort of bird genocide in my area
Click to expand...

Genocide is overkill (pun intended!). How would you know if there are excessive deaths - check RIP.IE?

I agree that looking out at the birds feeding is lovely. But it may be more for our own delectation than for their benefit. I used to feed lots. Now only for very brief periods if there is a prolonged severe frost/snow spell. So some winters not at all.
 
Thanks for remembering Bird Watch Ireland, thankfully we don't depend on the Brits for everything, apart from Jacob Rees-Mogg's investments here and his prayers for us at daily mass. He visits his money in Dublin every couple of weeks; I'm not sure if he says mass here too.

OP, this might also help https://birdwatchireland.ie/irelands-birds-birdwatch-ireland/nestbox-designs-for-birds-and-wildlife/
 
A few years ago I used to feed a Robin porridge oats . I used to keep the food in the shed , I would put some on a box and while I was in the shed she would come in and eat and go. Gradually I fed her outside and eventually she would eat it from my hand. She would eat first and then gather enough to feed her family. I then used to feed her and the four siblings , even once or twice from my hand.
 
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