Recommend best bird feed for a Robin, please?

joer said:
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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I used to have a robin come to my hand every day for her (or his) mealworms. They are quite easy to train. I never had a family of them though!
 
Ruffian said:
I used to have a robin come to my hand every day for her (or his) mealworms. They are quite easy to train. I never had a family of them though!
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There have been many Robins in my garden since but they never came as close as my 'pet' and her family.
 
Ruffian said:
Genocide is overkill (pun intended!). How would you know if there are excessive deaths - check RIP.IE?
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Birdwatch Ireland carry out an annual survey of garden birds, and their publications seem to focus on the decline farmland species due to intensive farm practices. You often hear of the concerns about the numbers that cats kill, (more here), while I don't doubt disease might be a factor around poorly maintained feeders, it's not something I've seen discussed as a significant issue.
 

Greenfinch have become a lot less common over the last decade or so. They used to be one of the more common birds at feeders. Disease ( Trichomoniasis) is the major factor attributed. Here is Birdwatch Ireland's advice:

The parasite (Trichomonas gallinae) is transmitted between birds via their saliva, typically at shared food and water sources. It cannot live long outside a host, but can persist longer in damp conditions.

To minimise the spread of infection it is important to clean all feeders and water dishes thoroughly on a regular basis (i.e. at least every two weeks). Feeders should be cleaned with a suitable disinfectant or mild bleach solution (5-10% solution), rinsed thoroughly and allowed to air dry fully before being used again. If you have ‘spare’ feeders it can be good to rotate these when cleaning (i.e. use different feeders every two weeks, giving you plenty of time to clean and dry them).

Other tips include:

  • Use several feeders in different locations in your garden, so that all birds aren’t congregating in a single place.
  • Change the locations you put your feeders every few weeks, to prevent a build-up of droppings in any one place.
  • Use feeders with mesh or drainage holes, to avoid a build up of moisture.
  • Change the water in baths daily.
  • Where possible, sweep up droppings and any old food and dispose of it carefully

Trichomoniasis (sick finches) - BirdWatch Ireland

If you've found a sick finch in your garden, there's a good chance it might have Trichomoniasis. See here for details on this infection and what you can do.
birdwatchireland.ie
 
Reactions: Leo
joer said:
There have been many Robins in my garden since but they never came as close as my 'pet' and her family.
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I used leave out some mealworms on a small table for the robin. I then gradually moved the table closer to where I sat (over several days). When it got used to using the table directly beside me I left the food on my hand on the table. That established I got rid of the table and the robin kept coming to the hand.

I don't know if it was a good idea though (for the robin).
 
It takes quite a while for them to gain your trust. But if they do , you become friends, on their terms only though.
The trick is stay very still while they eat off your hand because any sudden movement and that's that.
You may as well eat it yourself ...the food , that is.
 
In my garden robins, goldfinches, bullfinches in particular love sunflower hearts. A very small dog crate works well at keeping the larger birds out. The additional benefit is the base can be pulled out and hosed down. It takes a few days for them to become used to it.
 
I have bird feeders which I keep filled with peanuts. It's great to see so many different birds on them , robins, finches sparrows .
I must ring the new government and get them to reduce the price of bird nuts
 
Thanks everyone for all the advice.!
I gave her/him a bit of a spud today.
There is a awful lot of stuff to think about in your recommendations here.
Disease etc.
I don't want to kill the poor fellow with kindness.
 
If you are going to put out bread, you should soak it first. However, bread has no nutritional value.

Birds also need water all year round and in a cold spell like this it’s particularly important to put out some when other sources may be frozen. Keep the container clean and change the water regularly.
 
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