Gardman Feeding Station

[evtubbergh]

My dad bought me a Gardman feeding station tree for Christmas but it was huge and way to ornate plus it didn't come with feeders like the picture on the box seemed to promise. So I took it back and finally they got new stock of the complete feeding station.



https://www.gardmanwildbirdcare.co.uk/co ... tation-kit

Ohh I was so excited! So it looks really cool and all but there is a little problem with the seed holders; when I pour millet etc into the tube they just pour out the holes! No matter what seeds I use they just escape and flood out the feeder. I'm really upset but if I take it back there is nothing else to replace it and I really want a feeding station (I can feed them on the paving and not get random bird seed weeds).

Anyone ever tried these feeders and had a problem/not had a problem? Oh how frustrating!

[rainbowgardener]

If the holes are too big for small seeds like millet, fill them with sunflower seeds. I use the black oiler.

If you want to feed small seeds, just get a feeder tube that is designed for them. You can change the tubes without replacing anything else.

It looks like it has a tray for putting out things that the tubes don't work for.

I basically only feed sunflower seeds and thistle seeds in the summer. There are lots of cheap thistle seed tubes/ socks around. Sometimes I put out freeze dried meal worms, which you can do in your tray. The square one with the large holes is for suet. Don't put out suet in the summer; it gets rancid too fast and will attract undesirables, winged and four footed.

[evtubbergh]

Thanks for the reply.

I have got sunflower seeds in one but I want to feed millet etc in the other. The tray is for larger things and I put fruit that doesn't fit on my apple feeder there.

I have tried mealworms but they were not touched. Maybe I will try again because it sometimes takes a while for birds to find and eat food.

We don't get thistle or nyger seed here. If I see them I will buy but for now I have to feed what we have.

These are the only tubes they have so I don't have a choice. But actually it is a good point. If I could find clear pvc tube I could make my own. Not that I have ever seen such a thing.

I was hoping someone could say they have this product and post a picture that proves I got a faulty one. Then I could tell them to sort it out. But if I go to all that effort and I just end up with the same thing and a shop that won't help me anymore.

[evtubbergh]

I saw a mixture of rolled oats, raisins, sunflower hearts, mealworms and peanut hearts on the Gardman website. So I mixed up rolled oats, raisins, chillies, and chopped hazelnuts. I don't have any mealworms because they went mouldy so even though this was to use them up in a way to try and get the birds to eat them I served this up in my bird feeder. They didn't come near the feeder for more than a week. Then suddenly one day I heard a ruckus outside and lo and behold there are masked weavers, bulbuls and mossies all over the feeder.

They are also eating a few sunflower seeds I put out although they are not black oil.

The robins don't need mealworms because they are having a great time throwing my rooting onions about eating the little white things in the soil. I think they are baby wood lice.

[rainbowgardener]

If you can't find or order a thistle seed feeder where you are

https://www.wayfair.com/Woodstream-Wildb ... 4AodCG0AHg

(I only mention thistle seed because those are the ones with the very small openings, other wise it is hard to find small enough gauge)

you could always just insert some kind of screening with appropriate gauge opening inside what you have.

I doubt your product was defective, but I've never seen one, so I can't say for sure.

I looked it up

https://www.backyardchirper.com/bird-hou ... 4AodMS8AfA

and it just says "three tube style feeders" doesn't seem to give any information about what kind of tubes, what they are suited for.

[evtubbergh]

Oh I see, I thought you meant feed them thistle seeds. No we don't get the feeders because we don't get the thistle seeds but I will keep it in mind.

Actually putting some mesh or something over the holes is a great idea. I will look for something. I don't know why we didn't think of it. For some reason our only solution was to tape over part of the hole, which doesn't work.

[rainbowgardener]

I'm thinking the mesh or screen might work better inside the tube. You have to be able to get in to the tube to fill and clean it, so it shouldn't be hard to insert. Once the mesh is inside, the seeds will keep it pressed up against the actual feeder holes.