Peanuts by Neill Hunt

If you were to ask anyone about the type of birds most associated with Peanuts, you would probably only get one answer. The Tit family, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal and Long-tailed Tits all love peanuts. Their acrobatic antics on the feeders always impresses the observers. Their bright colours, twinkling calls and regularity at the peanut feeders is a very common sight in gardens throughout the UK.

Peanuts are naturally full of high energy fats and oils that are essential to good nutrition and weight gain. During this time of year, when families are growing it is necessary for our garden birds to be able to find high calorific food in our gardens and at the usual places. The birds need to find a reliable source, they need to build the body strength of fledglings in order for them to take on the dangers of the outside world. Peanuts provide many of the essential oils that promote healthy growth within many species - fat to insulate their bodies during the cold nights, oils which aid feather condition and vitamins help birds maintain healthy bones, feathers and muscle condition. Ideally fed from Peanut Feeders, bird tables or the ground.

Do not offer roasted or salted peanuts to the birds as they may have life threatening consequences. Our premium, standard and chopped peanuts are not salted in any way, shape or form but are rich with oil and fat content which helps with weight gain and calorific energy levels which gives our birds a much needed boost at this time of the year.

Peanuts can be fed to the birds in many ways, from feeders and tables. I've been offering them in my own feeders and I must admit, as always, the birds are loving them, Blue Tit and Great Tits are regularly visiting the feeders and Long-tailed Tit and Coal Tits have been visiting too, brilliant. If you are wanting to put them on your Bird-table, may I suggest you go for the chopped nuts as the smaller pieces are far easier for the younger birds to deal with, whole nuts presented on the table may cause choking if taken back to the nest, these should be put into a feeder were the adults can peck at and take small parts back to the nestlings.