Feeding Birds – Keep your Feeders clean to prevent Bird Diseases

Feeding birds has become a popular past time for many people. It’s also very important as many bird habitats are being destroyed by growth and urban sprawl.
photo credit: foshie

There are two things to remember when feeding birds. If you start please keep it up. Birds become used to feeding in one area and depend on the food supplied to them, particularly in tough times.

The second is to keep the bird feeder clean and not to have the feeders over crowded. Both situations can lead to bird diseases.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you bird’s stay happy and healthy

• Give the birds enough space. Set up another feeder if you have a lot of birds.
• Clean your feeder and the droppings on the perching area each time you fill your feeder.
• Disinfect the feeder once or twice a month. One part of liquid chlorine household bleach to nine parts of warm water will do the job. If possible, immerse the feeder for two to three minutes in the mixture and allow to air dry.
• Feed the bird’s high quality food. Bread is not really good for birds and can cause many illnesses. Moldy seed can also cause illness.
• Keep rodents out of food. Mice can carry some bird diseases so make sure to keep them out of the feeders.
• Check your feeder for sharp edges where birds might cut themselves. Small scratches or cuts allow bacteria and viruses to infect a bird more easily.
• Place your feeders in an area that is not too damp and is protected form cold winds. It would be wise to make sure the feeders are in an area that offers protection from cats.
  photo credit: Alhazred

Birds add fun to any yard and eat many insects so having feeders is a benefit to you and them. Check out the article on the four most common bird diseases