So you have a great flock of finches or sparrows hanging around your backyard.
You want to feed them but don’t want to spend a arm and a leg on store bought bird feed that comes in a large bag and is very bulky to store.
Don’t worry, there is an inexpensive way to feed the birds in your backyard using an everyday kitchen staple, oatmeal.
Oatmeal makes a great food source for birds. You can feed birds oats that are colored pinhead, rolled or jumbo but not cooked or instant oats.
Oats are highly nutritious food that are full of proteins, carbohydrates, and low in fat.
Oats provide a perfect food source because birds have an energy requirement during the cold winter months.
Oats should be fed in moderation, like most foods.
How to Make Bird Food With Oatmeal?
There are multiple ways you can turn any oatmeal you have lying around the house into DIY bird food.
Serve on Its Own
The simplest and most stress-free approach to introducing oats into a bird’s diet is just simply scatter the oats in your backyard or other desired location.
You can also place the oats in either your bird feeder or your bird table instead of commercial feeders.
Mix with Seed Mix
While you might find grains added in commercial bird seeds, why not add a little more by sprinkling some oatmeal in your seeds.
Make Your Own Fat Balls
Fat balls are another way to feed birds oatmeal.
For a tasty fat ball, you are gonna mix one part oatmeal and two parts fat so the feathered
friends in your backyard are gonna love it.
Here’s a reminder: a hard fat, such as suet, is used so that your fat ball stays set, even in the warmer months.
Why Should I Make Bird Food Oatmeal?
Making your own bird food oatmeal has lots of advantages.
Not only for the birds in your yard but also for you.
For you:
- It’s a cheap alternative to commercial bird food brands that can be pricey
- Can be a fun activity to share with your kids
- It’s completely flexible, you can adjust it and create something different to accommodate whatever wildlife you are trying to attract, or potentially the species of bird in your area
- It’s free from additives or harmful ingredients
- It’s a brilliant way to reduce food waste
For the Birds:
- It’s an easily accessible food source
- It’s full of vitamins and essential minerals
- It’s slow release energy that’s really useful when it’s cold.
Is Oatmeal Good for Birds?
Yeah. Oatmeal is a healthy, nutritious grain that contains protein and carbohydrates, and it is low in fat.
Oatmeal gives birds slow-release energy and contains essential micronutrients such as:
- vitamins B3, B6
- iron
- magnesium
- potassium
- and zinc
The health benefits of oatmeal don’t just apply to humans, but also to birds. Oats make for an excellent food source, especially in winter months.
The additional energy to get by the cold weather is important when other natural food sources are less available.
Just like we talk about moderation in diets, moderation is important here, too. Oatmeal is an excellent food source for birds, but you can have too much of a good thing.
Be aware that overfeeding will lead to weight gain, and be sure to only dedicate a small amount of oatmeal on your bird table.
What Types of Birds Eat Oatmeal?
Oatmeal is really good at attracting granivorous bird species.
These are birds that primarily eat seeds, seed eats, and grains.
Bird feeders and trays provided a readily available food supply.
The following are examples of granivorous bird species:
- Sparrows and finches
- Game birds (grouse, pheasant, quail, partridges)
- Pigeons and doves
- Buntings and other large finch-like birds.
What Type of Oatmeal Should I Use?
There are lots of different kinds of oats that you can use to feed the birds in your backyard. As long as they are dry and you do not use cooked oats.
Pinhead is good for bird feeders because it is small, while steel-cut, jumbo or rolled oats are all great.
Don’t do this: Just do not use instant oats or oatmeal packets. Many instant oats brands do contain additives like milk powder, soy protein, or sugar. These additives should not be in a bird’s diet and can effect the overall health and wellness of a bird.
Can I Use Cooked Oatmeal?
If you want birds to have a blast every time you feed them, don’t do it with cooked oatmeal.
I mean, really if you have ever looked at the bottom of the pot after cooking oatmeal, we all know what it looks like. There is always a thick sticky groop stuck at the bottom of the glass pan.
Cooked oatmeal goes (and becomes) hard and dry, and it gets difficult for birds to swallow, and it can be dangerous.
Can I Add Anything Else to the Oatmeal?
You can make oatmeal a starting point for making bird food.
You can add pretty much whatever you want to the bird food depending on the types of birds you have in your area.
You can add seeds, as well as other grains like millet, barley, and wheat.
You can also add dried fruit for a little treat extra.
How Often Should I Feed Birds Oatmeal?
When It comes to feeding birds, moderation is paramount. Sure, oatmeal for example is a terrific source of energy for many birds. However, too much of it can harm a birds health.
Overfeeding can also cause them to gain weight and can effect their ability to function “in the wild”.
If wild birds are too plentiful where you live, try feeding them sparingly. Overfeeding wildlife can make them reliant on you for food.
By doing this, you are taking away the birds desire to hunt for food naturally.
How Much Oatmeal Should I Use?
While we can see what the advantages of bird food oatmeal are, how much oatmeal should you have?
As I mentioned in my previous article , moderation is important, so you should use oats in moderation.
Other than health implications of too much oatmeal use, there are also several other negative effects of using too much oatmeal.
Generally large birds like pigeons will monopolize the feeders or bird tables.
If you place large amounts of oatmeal, then further encourage the outdoor flock from using that feed, they may eat up a limited feeding source for smaller birds alltogether.
In this case, if larger birds are using the oatmeal, offer the outdoor flock additional food sources in conjunction to oatmeal. Offer a variety of feeders including tubes but also feed disperse openly with feeder trays, other feeders allowing below ground feeding as well.
Having too much food may also lead to wasted/unwanted bird food.
Remember: It’s always a good idea to clean out your feeders from time to time and remove any moldy seeds/feed from your feeders.
Final Words
Why don’t you give it a whirl in your own backyard!?
As you can see I make mine from little Yogurt pots and string – so easy and simple to do.
My kids get a kick out of taking part and making them to hang in the garden too. Better yet, it’s a cheap way of helping to feed our wild birds.