Fat balls are not accepted: what to do?

If the fat balls are hung up in the garden, on the balcony or at the window but are not accepted by the surrounding birds, then the question arises as to why. There can be many reasons why the dumplings are not accepted. For example, they may not be attractive enough due to the composition, the weather is too bad and the birds still find enough in the wild, there are no tits or native songbirds in the immediate vicinity, the wrong place has been chosen or it is even dangerous for the birds or too much is being fed in the neighborhood. All of these can be reasons why tits, sparrows and other songbirds avoid their own dumplings.

Unattractive lining

Even if food is scarce in winter, birds are still demanding when it comes to food and therefore do not eat everything. If they don’t like the composition of a dumpling, they don’t fly to it a second time after providing information and recognizing that they don’t like it. This is not necessarily due to the fat balls bought from the trade, you can also avoid homemade ones if the composition is not right. Therefore, the following ingredients belong in an ideal fat ball, whether bought or homemade:

• oatmeal
• alternatively wheat flakes
• sunflower seeds
• small nuts
• Raisins without alcohol
• Together
• mix with fat
• Coconut, pork or beef fat

Different dumplings with different ingredients can be put together. The tits especially prefer sunflower seeds and oatmeal. Another species of bird feeds on nuts and raisins. In this way, all songbirds in the area are optimally cared for.

Warmer Winter

The weather can be a big factor in why the tits and other birds do not accept the lovingly made and hung dumplings. Because if it is warm in winter and there is no snow or the ground is not frozen, then the birds can usually find enough food in the wild. Nevertheless, hanging up the dumplings should not be avoided for the following reasons:

• cold days may come
• it might snow
• the ground may be frozen
• then birds need food immediately

When there is no more food available in the wild, the birds look for other options. If there aren’t that many fat balls hanging in the neighborhood, then your own will be flown to quickly when it snows or frosts, if the rest of the environment is right, as described below.

Dangerous feeding place

If a fat ball hangs too low or on a balcony with an apartment in which cats and dogs also live, then the birds usually do not fly to it. Because they feel threatened by the pets, even if they can only see through the pane. It is better to hang the dumplings in such a way that the birds are optimally protected from enemies. Therefore, even the bird seed dumplings that are placed in trees in the garden will not be attractive enough. It is better here to set up a well-protected bird feeder with entrances so small that only a small species of bird can slip in. So you should attach the food dumplings securely as follows if they are to be hung up in the garden:

• as protection against martens or cats not in the tree
• they could climb up here
• better set up a thin pole for the dumpling
• this must be high enough
• thin enough that it cannot be climbed high

Birds are prey animals. There are bird species, such as tits or sparrows, that dare to come close to people. But there are also very fearful songbirds who will avoid a fat ball if they feel unsafe for any reason, including those listed above.

Wrong feeding place

If the fat balls are hung up, attention must be paid to the correct place overall. The dangers have already been explained, but there are other reasons why the dumplings are not accepted on a safe window or balcony. Therefore, the perfect place around the fat ball looks like this:

• Do not hang dumplings in direct sunlight
  • Fat becomes soft and food drips out
• no water from above
  • in winter the dumpling freezes
• several dumplings do not hang on top of each other
  • the lower ones are soiled with feces from above
• Approach path must be conveniently located
  • no obstacles directly in front of the food dumpling

It is advisable to make one or more dumplings available all year round so that the birds are used to the space and do not have to wait until the first snow and ice in winter to look for food. So the tits and other songbirds always know where to get something. The animals often come to the window or balcony in the summer.

overfeeding in the neighborhood

If your own fat balls are not flown to, then it is also advisable to look around in the neighborhood. Because it may well be that each neighbor has also hung up one or more dumplings. Then there could be the following reasons why your own dumpling is not flown to:

• Birds are very picky
• Food does not like
• there is no escape route
• Approach angle is bad
• more attractive feeding places in the neighborhood
• overfeeding in the neighborhood

The birds watch each other. If a dumpling is accepted by just one bird, then all the others will follow. On the other hand, if the first bird has decided to avoid the food dumpling because it doesn’t like it, then the other birds usually follow and no longer fly to it.