Written by Sanketa Nayak in Pets
Viewed by 587 readers since 12-30-2008

Birds on your front yard can be fun to watch and in what way can you attract our feathered friends to come and play on your yard? The answer is: bird feed! That’s the only reasons bird frequent the same place, because there are treats prepared for them.

Fortunately for you, there is no need to construct a really elaborate and expensive bird feeder. You can make do with inexpensive materials, as well as those that are readily available in your home. Think about it. You get to help Mother Nature by recycling, and you get to feed her children as well.

Where Should These Feeders be Placed?

There are many places that you can place your home-made feeders. If you have trees in your garden strong or high enough, you can perch it up there or hang it on a branch. This is ideal to protect the visiting birds from predators that may be found in your garden.

You can also hang the feeder on a post if no tree can be found in your garden. If your garden is safe enough, the feeder can be placed on ground level as well. You can even sit and feed these birds yourself if you want to.

Homemade Jug Feeder

This is one of those home-made jug feeders that you can come up with using used plastic milk jugs in your home. Aside from the jug, you’ll only need a stick, and a knife to cut a hole in the jug for the birds to enter through. What will the stick be for? It will serve as a serve for the birds while they wait for the one feeding to be finished.

Other Materials for Creating a Home-made Bird Feeder

• Two-liter soda bottles: Similar to the jug feeder, this time you cut out some sections on three sides of the bottle while leaving the bottom part intact. The cut-out parts will serve as perches for the birds, and the bottom part will be the feeder proper. You can also cut holes in the body of the bottle, through which you can thread a thread or wire since these feeders are meant to be hung on trees.
• Aluminum cans: Slice up a few parts towards the bottom of the can, then bend them outward. Like the soda bottle feeder, this feeder is meant to be placed on a tree.

What Types of Seed Should I Use For My Feeders?

There are many kinds of feeds that you can place on your homemade feeders. You need not use expensive bird-seed mixes that turn out to be unattractive for the birds. You can use these seeds to attract our feathered friends to your feeders:

• Cracked corn
• Millet
• Thistles
• Black-oil sunflower seeds

You can also use pine cones dipped in honey along with these seeds to make a more attractive treat for the birds. Aside from seeds, birds also love stale bread, as well as left over fruit. That is why you should easily throw away the fruits that you haven’t ate and have gone rotten, because some hungry birds might just appreciate it.