Peanuts........

got some fresh peanuts today and am going to start giving them to my birds eventually, never got round to it last year but am determined to get the ybs onto them.......

offerd some of my stock birds and yearlings a peanut and naturally they didnt take it off my but some did pick it up off the floor of the nestbox......didnt seem too botherd about the peanut so is it something they need to get used to ? and what is it they like so much about them ? can they taste a peanut and how do they know its not just maize ? also do i take the red skin off ?

it's like anything new, they have to get used to it, once they are they wont leave them on the floor, and now you don't have to take the skins off.

hi fred, first one i gave seemed a bit big for the bird to swallow so i gave him a smaller one which he ate, can they still eat the larger ones....is it safe ? will they eventually take them from my hand ?

The late great Alf Baker used to collect acorns in the winter to give to his birds - whole, so unless the peanuts were bigger than an acorn I shouldn't worry

that will do for me fred, thanks........

fred do you give them to your birds, and if so do you think it makes a big difference to them being tamer or do you feed them because of the vit b, vit e and oils ......?

both

that was short and sweet

Yes when I started feeding peanuts none of my birds would eat them but once they have a couple they will bite your hand off for them, My cocks would rather come to me for a peanut than spend time with the hens, and thats even now when they have only been paired up yesterday, they love them but like al things give them spareingly, 1 or 2 a day but not every day that way they will make a fuss of you to get one.

thanks martyn, wonder why they love them so much.......? can a pigeon taste.....?

the answer to that is ,see what they do for them ,you.ll be surprised

I used to think if they just swallow corn then they cant taste, but I def know that they do taste, other wise why would they love some things and not others. I was telling gareth the other day I made some tea in the cold weather and added honey, the drinkers that morning were frozen so I warmed the tea and honey up and after feeding the birds I gave them this to drink. I watched in amazement as they drank stopped seemed to lick thier beaks and went back for 2 , 3 , and even 4 drinks, so tell me they dont taste?

it will have been the sweetness of the honey then would it martyn....? used to give ours tea years ago and was planning on giving ybs it this season, what is it you give them....?

well Im a massive believer in honey, I have heared of stories about honey and pollen being found sealed in egyptian tombs which was still good it has preserving and life giving properties. I buy the tea to be honest from body and ride wood, it smells nice and i have tried it myself just to try it, and it is loverly mixed with sweet pembrokeshire honey. I have had trouble this year getting a good suply of honey the bees have been sick?

Put the peanuts in a food mixer to make them smaller and add this to the food so they can get used to eating them

yes don good idea, ive no mixer to chop them up tho.......maybe crush them up a bit to get them smalller......

Give it a go

i used them last year and what a difference to my yb,s ,controlled them much better

yes will be geting my 25 kilo of penuts again makes all the diverance in to distance racing and good for training young birds

do you use the ones for human consumption john me myself wouldnt give them anything i wouldnt eat

tried them with the peanuts today, wouldnt take them from my hand but one or two would eat from the floor of the nestbox.......suppose it will take a while to get them used to them but my main aim is to get the ybs onto them.....

just get them used to them first then when they get the taste for them they,ll soon be eating them out of your hand,not all of them but one or two will

peel bros wrote:

just get them used to them first then when they get the taste for them they,ll soon be eating them out of your hand,not all of them but one or two will

I agree with peel bros, but also when one or two start taking them, tease them, hold onto the peanut so they can't get it, the others will want to know as well.

so does it actually make the birds tamer or just not as wary of you.....?

a lot tamer david now give them there nuts

both

good at this aren't I