Feeding Backyard Birds

[Friends just call me Ross]

Doug Fraser has come up with a Do-it-self project for us back yard bird feeders.

 

 

It's fun!  

I've made six, so far.  Some for me and some to give as gifts to other back yard bird feeders.

 

I have 'tweaked' Doug Fraser's recipe a bit.

Here is my tweaked recipe, in case you wanna give it a go:

 

SEED  LOGS  FOR  FEEDING  BACKYARD  BIRDS

             Do-it-yourself Recipe

 

This YouTube video, by Doug Fraser, explains—step by step—how to do it yourself:

 

https://youtu.be/AP9Ok4NFju4?list=FLPpSI8fFwRwtJfsBV2M1LdA&t=5

 

Items you will need  

 

Two 7” long by 4” diameter wide tubes of white or black PVC pipe.  Or, you can use two 7” tall by 4” diameter wide plastic bottles/jars with their tops and bottoms removed.
 
Two 10” wooden dowels for creating the center hole for your hanging cord
 
Something that will fit inside of the 4” tube to compress the seeds into a log (I use an empty peanut butter jar)
 
A ball of Jute, or some other heavy duty cord for hanging your log (I use leather cord)
 
Some sturdy sticks to attach the cord to, to keep the cord secured to the bottom of the seed log

 

A flimsy wire coat hanger that will bend easily, or some other stiff wire for pulling the hanging cord through the log.   Make a long wire crochet hook type tool out of the coat hanger.

 

1 Box of Knox unflavored gelatin

 

1¾ cups of boiling water

 

Parchment paper to line the tubes so your finished seed log will easily slide out

 

Large wooden spoon for mixing the gelatin into the seed and a large serving spoon for filling the tubes

 

Note: You can experiment with various amounts and types of bird seed.  MIX WELL in large pan or bowl
(The seed amounts and types listed below are what I find works best for my bird seed logs)

 

6      cups of shelled sunflower seeds (sunflower hearts)
1½   cups white millet
1½   cups cracked corn
1½   cups regular small black sunflower seeds in the shell
½     cup of thistle seeds (Niger seeds)
½     cup shelled peanuts 
½     cup safflower seeds

 

Add gelatin to boiling water, dump into seeds and mix well.  

Spoon into tubes and compress mixture.  

Stick dowels through center of logs.

Let set overnight in frig’.  

 

Remove from tubes, remove dowels and parchment paper.

Attach cords and hang.      

 

Yields two 6”x4” seed logs

 

Here are two of my completed projects:

 

I, and my backyard birds, thank you, Mr. Fraser.  

[Dustparticle]

It could be worse: 

 

[BLEmom]

2 hours ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

Doug Fraser has come up with a Do-it-self project for us back yard bird feeders.

 

 

It's fun!  

I've made six, so far.  Some for me and some to give as gifts to other back yard bird feeders.

 

I have 'tweaked' Doug Fraser's recipe a bit.

Here is my tweaked recipe, in case you wanna give it a go:

 

SEED  LOGS  FOR  FEEDING  BACKYARD  BIRDS

             Do-it-yourself Recipe

 

This YouTube video, by Doug Fraser, explains—step by step—how to do it yourself:

 

https://youtu.be/AP9Ok4NFju4?list=FLPpSI8fFwRwtJfsBV2M1LdA&t=5

 

Items you will need  

 

Two 7” long by 4” diameter wide tubes of white or black PVC pipe.  Or, you can use two 7” tall by 4” diameter wide plastic bottles/jars with their tops and bottoms removed.
 
Two 10” wooden dowels for creating the center hole for your hanging cord
 
Something that will fit inside of the 4” tube to compress the seeds into a log (I use an empty peanut butter jar)
 
A ball of Jute, or some other heavy duty cord for hanging your log (I use leather cord)
 
Some sturdy sticks to attach the cord to, to keep the cord secured to the bottom of the seed log

 

A flimsy wire coat hanger that will bend easily, or some other stiff wire for pulling the hanging cord through the log.   Make a long wire crochet hook type tool out of the coat hanger.

 

1 Box of Knox unflavored gelatin

 

1¾ cups of boiling water

 

Parchment paper to line the tubes so your finished seed log will easily slide out

 

Large wooden spoon for mixing the gelatin into the seed and a large serving spoon for filling the tubes

 

Note: You can experiment with various amounts and types of bird seed.  MIX WELL in large pan or bowl
(The seed amounts and types listed below are what I find works best for my bird seed logs)

 

6      cups of shelled sunflower seeds (sunflower hearts)
1½   cups white millet
1½   cups cracked corn
1½   cups regular small black sunflower seeds in the shell
½     cup of thistle seeds (Niger seeds)
½     cup shelled peanuts 
½     cup safflower seeds

 

Add gelatin to boiling water, dump into seeds and mix well.  

Spoon into tubes and compress mixture.  

Stick dowels through center of logs.

Let set overnight in frig’.  

 

Remove from tubes, remove dowels and parchment paper.

Attach cords and hang.      

 

Yields two 6”x4” seed logs

 

Here are two of my completed projects:

 

I, and my backyard birds, thank you, Mr. Fraser.  

This is so weird. I literally just watched this tutorial video this past week!!  over the weekend I replenished my seed supply. Now to convince the husband to help with the tubing. 😉