Bird feeding can be a budget-busting hobby, but only if you let it! Read on to discover many bird seed alternatives and cheap bird feeding ideas that can keep your wallet, and yard, full!
Feeding birds can be an enjoyable hobby that brings nature to your backyard Watching colorful songbirds flock to your yard provides entertainment, stress-relief, and a connection with nature However, keeping feeders stocked and attracting feathered friends can add up financially. Bird seed, nectar, feeders, and accessories can get expensive. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy backyard birds. With some creativity and planning, you can create a bird-friendly space while sticking to your budget. Here are 12 great ways to feed birds inexpensively so you can enjoy avian visitors without breaking the bank.
Make Your Own DIY Bird Feeders
Specialized bird feeders from backyard birding catalogs can be pricey. Luckily you can make functional feeders at home using recycled items and basic tools Here are some easy DIY feeder ideas to try
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Cut the bottom off a 2-liter plastic soda bottle and invert the top to create a tube feeder for clinging birds like chickadees
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Recycle a milk carton or juice container into a platform feeder by cutting entry holes in the sides.
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Coat an empty toilet paper or paper towel tube with peanut butter and roll in birdseed to make a quick feeder.
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String Cheerios, grapes, or dried fruit onto a piece of thread and hang for an instant fruit feeder.
Making your own feeders means you can add as many as you want around your yard without excessive expense. Place feeders in different spots to attract more species.
Use Food From Your Pantry
Before going to the store, check your pantry and fridge for items birds will enjoy. Here are some common foods you may already have that make great bird treats:
- Mealworms from the pet store
- Grapes, raisins, currants, cranberries, and blueberries
- Chopped nuts, such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, and walnuts
- Oatmeal, cracked corn, wheat berries, barley, and other grains
- Grated cheese, crumbled cornbread, and birdseed muffin mix
- Apples, oranges, melons, bananas, and other fruit
Take inventory before shopping and experiment with serving different foods. You’ll save money using up what you already have.
Grow Your Own Bird-Friendly Plants
Growing plants with seeds and fruits that birds love provides natural food sources right in your yard. Some top options include:
- Sunflowers for their large seed heads. Leave some undeadheaded in fall.
- Coneflowers, coreopsis, and other native flowers with seeds for finches.
- Trees and shrubs with berry crops like holly, dogwood, viburnum, and winterberry.
- Herbs like lavender, mint, parsley, dill, and fennel that produce seeds.
Plants take more time and effort than buying bird food but save money in the long run. Let some crop heads and herbs go to seed instead of deadheading.
Buy Birdseed in Bulk
Skip the tiny, overpriced bags and opt for bulk birdseed. Buy a large 25-50 pound bag of a single birdseed like black oil sunflower seeds or nyjer thistle and store what you don’t immediately need in a cool, dry spot. Bulk sizes offer the best savings and you can mix your own custom seed blend instead of paying for filler. Consider going in on a bulk order with fellow bird enthusiasts to get the lowest prices.
Use Beef Fat Suet Instead of Suet Cakes
Suet is an excellent high-energy winter food for birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches. But commercially made suet cakes and nuggets are expensive. For much less, ask your local butcher for raw beef fat which birds relish. Render down the fat and freeze in molds or smear in pinecones. Deer hunters are also great sources for free suet.
Look for Discounts and Sales
Take advantage of coupons, sales, and store discounts on bird-related items. Sign up for loyalty programs at local stores for extra savings. Time purchases for seasonal sales events like holiday sales, inventory clearance, Black Friday, and after-Christmas specials when birdfeeding supplies are deeply discounted. Buy ahead when prices are low.
Make Your Own Nectar for Hummingbirds
It’s easy to mix up homemade nectar for hummingbirds instead of buying premixed formulas. Use a ratio of 1 part white sugar dissolved thoroughly in 4 parts water. Boil the water first to thoroughly dissolve the sugar. Let cool before filling feeders. Make a large batch and refrigerate unused portions to save time and effort. Adding red food coloring is unnecessary.
Re-use and Recycle
Wash and reuse old seed hulls attractively piled on ground feeding areas to provide a natural look and extra fill. Crush emptied eggshells and sprinkle the calcium-rich remains onto platform feeders as grit. Old bird related calendars make colorful wrapping for homemade suet cakes. Re-purpose all sorts of household items into novel feeders and baths. Get creative!
Keep Feeders and Birdhouses in Good Repair
Investing in quality cedar feeders and birdhouses will pay off in the long run versus replacing cheaper versions every few years. Use metal hardware cloth to screen vent holes and prevent enlarging by aggressive birds. Routinely clean and disinfect feeders and baths to prevent disease. Doing so will save you money by reducing waste from spoilage and deterioration.
Use Winter Wildlife Foods
Naturally occurring foods can supplement feeders in winter. Allow dried seed heads and fruits to remain on some trees and shrubs into winter. Cluster a few Christmas trees together as shelter near your feeder area once the holidays have passed. When out ice fishing, save your minnows to attract insect-loving birds. Tap maple trees for sap drips in very early spring.
Supplement Feeders with Suet Logs
An easy way to put out suet for birds is with suet logs, which are made by packing suet into mesh onion bags or nylon stockings. These are quick to make in batches and can be tucked into tree branches near feeders. Use rendered suet or substitute crunchy peanut butter which is affordable bought in bulk. Recycle old pantyhose for the suet casing.
Join Forces with Neighbors
Band together with nearby neighbors to make joint bulk purchases of birdseed and share. Buy a large bag of sunflower seeds to split up. Trade bird-friendly plants with others to expand variety. Swap homemade bird goodies like suet and nectar. Sharing ideas and resources helps everyone save.
Scour Curbsides and Check Free Sections
Keep an eye out for free items as you walk or drive around town. Snag discarded Christmas trees and brush for cover. Salvage wood scraps for building feeders. Pick up empty pots, pans, or containers for DIY baths and feeders. Curbside leftovers and online free listings provide great bird feeding materials at no cost.
The most enjoyable aspects of feeding birds don’t have to cost anything at all. Simple things like watching colorful visitors enjoying your yard, listening to birdsongs, and photographing feathered activity are free. With a bit of clever planning, you can indulge your passion for birds without overspending. Follow these budget-friendly tips to keep your bird feeders busy while keeping cash in your wallet.
DIY bird feeder hacks
Love bird feeding but don’t want to break the bank with expensive feeders, waterers, baths, and food? Try these do-it-yourself projects and bird seed alternatives that are budget friendly, fast, and simple solutions! Most materials can be found at your local hardware or grocery store.
- ON YOUR OWN: Check out our full list of DIY Bird Feeders on the Perky-Pet® Pinterest profile.
- TAKIN’ A BATH: You can even make your own bird bath, to give your feathered friends the opportunity to splish and splash!
- FOOD: Another way to bird feed on a budget is by making your own hummingbird nectar. Simply use the 4:1, water:sugar, ratio; boil four cups of water and add sugar, stirring until dissolved, cool and store.
Budget bird feeding is a fun, and fulfilling, contribution to the environment, but don’t skimp on the health and well-being of wild birds. Protect and maintain their lifestyle just like you would your own, with care and commitment.
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Take care of what you have
If you’ve already spent the money on quality feeders and bird baths, don’t let them deteriorate. Fix or sustain the materials you already have.
- BIRD BATHS: Store clay bird baths inside for the winter so they don’t crack from freezing temperatures. Clay absorbs moisture. When moisture is absorbed and freezes, the clay expands and causes cracking.
- BE TIDY: Clean your bird feeder often to prevent the spread of avian disease and to promote good bird health. Aside from promoting a healthy bird population, you’ll also reduce corrosion caused by bird waste, old food and debris.
Starlings typically come in large groups and consume a lot of food. They crowd the feeders, cause structural and environmental damage with their droppings, and keep other birds you really want to see, away from your feeder.
- DIET CONTROL: Offer food they don’t typically prefer, like safflower seed, which attracts purple finches, cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, tit mice, and grosbeaks. Serve unblended seed in tube feeders, hopper feeders, or open trays. Squirrels, grackles, and crows don’t care for safflower either.
- DELIVERY METHOD: Serve food upside down because Starlings physically cannot cling to an upside-down feeder. There are specialty feeders that have feeding ports which allow goldfinches to feed in an upside-down position.
Other bird seed alternatives to offer to birds include fruit and vegetable seeds, dried fruits, peanut butter and/or jelly, apples, pears, nuts, and unbuttered popcorn.
How To Make Your Own Bird Food – Cheap!
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to feed the birds?
If you live in the US, look for a Farm Store or Feed Store. Buy chicken scratch, which is white and red millet, sometimes wheat or oats, and cracked corn. That is the cheapest possible food to fill your bird feeders.
What is the 5 7 9 rule for bird feeders?
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Bird Buddy Taleshttps://blog.mybirdbuddy.com5 Tips to Keep Squirrels off your Bird FeederLocation. In birding circles, it’s common to hear about the 5-7-9 rule, which is something you’ll definitely want to know! It refers to how you should place you…
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FeatherSnaphttps://www.feathersnapcam.comHow to Keep Squirrels off of Bird FeedersDec 15, 2023 — The best strategy you have to keep squirrels from eating all the bird food is the 5-7-9 rule. Squirrels can’t jump more than 5 feet off the ground,
What is a good cheap bird food?
Other bird seed alternatives to offer to birds include fruit and vegetable seeds, dried fruits, peanut butter and/or jelly, apples, pears, nuts, and unbuttered popcorn.