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Bird Food Recipes – Top 7 Tips to Save Money on Bird Food

If you are an avid backyard birder you may have noticed bird seed prices are creeping higher and higher. So make your own Bird Food Recipes looks more important.With the growing price of bird seed there are specific tactics you can employ to minimize the impact on your wallet. Check out the top 7 strategies for saving money on bird food of Bird Food Recipes: 7. Buy bird seed in bulk. Whether buying laundry detergent, food, or birdseed, buying in bulk saves money. Bird seed purchased in bulk will have a lower price per pound than small purchases. We would only recommend this strategy if you feed your feathered friends often enough to keep the seed fresh. Bird food that sits around will attract weevils, moths, and other unwanted insects. 6. Buy quality bird seed. Let’s face it, it is tempting to buy cheap grocery store seed bags when prices are high… Don’t do it! Cheap seed bags are filled with low-quality ingredients that are ignored by birds and frankly make a mess. You’ll know you bought a bad bag of bird food if the main ingredients are wheat, milo, and barley. 5. Buy the right type of seed. When prices are high why feed birds that don’t interest you? Find out what seed your favorite feathered friend enjoys and only buy that seed type. This will usually deter birds that do not interest you and attract the birds that do interest you. Now one thing you may want to consider, if you like MOST birds is to fill your bird feeder with black-oil sunflower seeds. These seeds are a favorite among a large variety of bird species. 4. Squirrels. If squirrels are consuming most of your bird seed make sure to use squirrel proofing techniques. One tactic is to actually purchase ears of corn and locate the corn away from your more expensive bird food. Another method is to utilize a squirrel proof bird feeder. There are many feeders on the market with weight sensitive perching mechanisms. When squirrels try to get to the seed their weight causes the feeding ports to close off and the bird seed becomes inaccessible. Some squirrel proof bird feeders can also help to keep larger birds away from your bird food as well. 3. Loyalty programs. Look for loyalty programs online. There are many different online vendors that provide discounts and incentives for your loyalty. Sign up for loyalty programs to take advantage of discounts. 2. Make your own bird food. If you have the time and inclination try making your own bird food. There are plenty of recipes you can find online for suet and other backyard bird treats. Not could making your own food be more economical but you might just have a great time doing it! 1. Supplement your seed with other types of bird food. Use sugar and water for hummingbirds, orange slices or apples for Baltimore orioles, or pieces of stale bread. One cautionary note: the stale bread should really only be used sparingly. The bread pieces do not have the nutritional value birds need.

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Posted by admin - 2012/01/11 at 6:59 am

Categories: Bird Food Guide   Tags:

Wild Bird Food – Feeding Wild Birds

Feeding Wild Bird Food to wild birds in your garden is a very good thing to do.  Many species of wild birds are dwindling and some species are in danger of becoming extinct and are on the list of endangered species, so every little that we do to help them survive is all to the good. You should ideally feed wild birds in your garden all year round.  Garden birds will get used to being fed at the same time every day and will visit your garden at the time when you are likely to feed them. It is also important to put out containers of water for them to drink as well, especially during the summer months when water is scarce. So what Wild Bird Food should you give to your wild garden birds? Crumbed up bread is acceptable to feed to wild birds as part of a varied diet. There are many other things you can find in your kitchen to make Wild Bird Food to feed the birds. Porridge oats uncooked are very good and also cake crumbs, grated cheese, cooked potatoes and cooked rice (without salt) and also apples cut in half and chopped up bananas. You should be able to gauge how much Wild Bird Food the birds will eat and you should never leave uneaten food out overnight so as to avoid attracting mice and rats. You can buy bird feeders and fill them with bird seed and nut feeders filled with peanuts to hang up for the smaller birds.  Some people like to hang up fat balls for the birds to peck at too. One of the very best things to give wild birds is mealworms, especially during the breeding season when they have their babies to feed. They really love them but if you cannot bear the thought of handling live meal worms then you can buy the dried variety at your local bird food supplier.  Mealworms are very nourishing for wild birds but they can work out quite expensive.  Some people breed the mealworms themselves but most people would prefer to buy the dried variety. You may think that it is only in the winter that birds need help with food but in fact a food shortage can happen at any time of the year so all round feeding is the best thing you can do for the birds to help them survive.  This is especially true in the winter months when the ground is hard and they cannot get any worms or insects to eat.  Feeding Wild Bird Food to wild birds and attracting them to your garden is a wonderful and pleasurably thing to do.  It is very entertaining and amusing to watch their antics.  Wild birds bring so much beauty and pleasure, it would be a very dull world without them.

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Posted by admin - 2012/01/11 at 6:53 am

Categories: Bird Food Guide   Tags: ,

Canned Dog Food – good and bad

Have you been thinking about adding canned dog food to your dog’s diet but every time you pick up a can, your mind has a complete meltdown at the thought of trying to decipher the information on the label? Well, don’t give up, because reading and understanding those labels are an important step in making sure your feeding your dog right and with a little help you can get the hang of the labels and find the benefits of feeding canned dog food to your dog in no time. Feeding canned dog food can certainly have it’s benefits to your dog’s health but it can also have a downside depending on your dog’s personal needs. One of the first considerations is of course taste. If you have a picky eater, canned food will be a definite plus as it is generally very tasty. It can also hold health benefits if you have a dog that is suffering from kidney issues because canned dog food is high in water content, so it will help your dog go to the bathroom more frequently. Along those same lines, it’s easily eaten because it’s soft and it’s easy on the stomach for those with digestion issues. On the downside, one of the main problems with canned food lies with owning a larger dog breed. If you dog requires a large quantity of food/calories each day, the amount of canned food required to meet that need is going to be large and expensive compared to a dry dog food diet. It’s also important to note that dog’s that don’t have any dry dog food or chew bones in their diet are going to need regular dental care because their teeth are not getting cleaned properly with hard foods. It is also possible that too much wet dog food can disagree with your dog’s tummy and cause diarrhea. Once you’ve considered the basic considerations of feeding your dog canned dog food, you need to think about the actual ingredients of different wet dog food brands. This is going to require you to do some label reading. This is easier than you think if you know what to look for. To start with, identify a food that is formulated for your dog according to life stage or size according to the label. Then you should begin looking for a protein source or meat on the list of ingredients. Your meat source should always be one of the first three ingredients on the list because ingredients are listed according to weight, largest being first, therefore you will want your meat source to be at the top. You should know that if you have a fresh ingredient like chicken as the first ingredient it does not always mean that there’s a large amount of chicken in the can. What happens is, there’s a great deal of water in fresh chicken, this causes the weight of the chicken to go up. However, if the first ingredient listed is chicken meal, then you know that the dog food contains a large amount of it. When looking for your meat source, make sure it’s a whole meat source, not a mystery meat. Here are a few of the statements that are used on dog food labels that can be misleading: With Chicken Flavor – Flavor is detectable but doesn’t have to have any actual Chicken meant present in the product With Salmon – The product contains at least 3% salmon. So if you buy a product that says “now with real beef” it may only have 3% real beef in it! Beef Dinner – The product must contain at least 25% Beef. Liver For Dogs – At least 95% of the product must be liver or 70% including water   After you check out your meat/protein source, you need to make sure the dog food has the other basic nutritional needs such as carbohydrates. The five basics of these energy requirements are protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Protein – Usually Meat – Should be approximately 20% of the diet Carbohydrates – Rice, Corn, Wheat, Soy Should be approximately 50% of diet Fats Approximately 9-15% Vitamins – A, B, C, D, E & K Complexes. Minerals – Calcium, Potassium, Sodium & Magnesium & Other Trace Elements   Choosing to feed your dog a complete canned dog food diet is definitely something you should research and discuss with your vet before beginning. Many dog professional suggest feeding both a dry dog food and canned food diet together to supplement each other. The important part is to make sure you are feeding quality dog food products and reading your dog food labels because feeding your dog healthy will ensure that they live a quality life and live a longer lifespan. A few months ago I left the business world to pursue my passion of working with animals while trying to improve my health. To do this, I am using my 20+ years experience as a dog breeder and pet owner. I also worked for a well known veterinarian and national vet supply company for several years. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business and I worked in the Agriculture Business Industry for over twenty years. So if you are interested in the details of how the right dog food, dog care and just good old fashioned love and affection can help your dog live a healthier and longer life, please join us at: http://www.love-your-dog-food.com

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Posted by admin - 2012/01/11 at 6:19 am

Categories: Dog Food Guide   Tags:

What is Holistic Dog Food

When dog food manufacturers label their products as organic, or natural, most buyers are pretty clear about what they’re supposed to be getting. However, food that’s labeled as holistic is a little less obvious. Many pet owners are interested in this type of food, but just aren’t sure what holistic means when it comes to feeding their pets. Is holistic dog food just another marketing term, or does it offer something that other foods can’t give our pets? Here’s what you need to know. Step one is being aware that just like other dog food terminology, holistic is a word that doesn’t get much regulation. Only the manufacturer controls what goes into the food and controls the information we have about it, leaving us with just what they say to determine whether a food is right for our pets. That means we have to stick to brands we have researched and know we can trust if we’re going to get a good product. Generally, holistic dog foods are formulated to keep dogs in good health – all over. In specific, this can mean using less corn and soy in the food, or none at all. Most holistic dog food manufacturers also use high percentages of meat meal. Since corn and soy are so inexpensive, they often mean the food itself is cheaply made and low quality. Holistic food should be low in fillers and high in health promoting ingredients. A large number of dog food manufacturers making holistic foods identify with holistic medicine, a practice that addresses whole body health – not just the symptoms of a disease. Most holistic medical practices want their patients to eat well in order to feel well. When it comes to dogs, that usually means picking ingredients that are easily digested, hypoallergenic and natural in origin. However, all companies do it a little bit differently. So, if you can’t rely on the label, and no manufacturer makes holistic dog food the same way, what can you rely on? Well, you can start by looking at the label. Most foods that use the term holistic are more likely to use good ingredients and methods of manufacture. However, we can’t know for sure. That’s where we come in as dog owners – we can do our homework and make sure our pets are really getting the best food possible. In the end, we all have to read the labels. It can be hard to find the perfect holistic dog food for our pets, but it can also be worth it in the end. Make sure you research your dog’s food, and decide for yourself if you’re looking at a product that’ll support whole body health. If you want to take good care of your pet, this is the only way to go.

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Posted by admin - 2012/01/11 at 6:09 am

Categories: Dog Food Guide   Tags:

Buy dog food-EVO Dog Food – A great Choice

Quality ingredients in dog food is what sets apart a premium brand from the commercial brands you will find in any grocery store aisle. One brand that exceeds either category of products is called EVO dog food. It is a product that is one of the most nutrient-dense on the market. It is much more digestible, has a higher amount of protein, and therefore less is needed to satisfy the daily caloric needs of your canine. EVO dog food products was founded with the belief that the gap between wild and domestic dietary needs in canines needed to be bridged. The belief is that even though today’s domesticated dogs have been far removed from their ancestors in the wild, the dietary requirements remain much the same. EVO dog foods are on of the few that has realized that canines are carnivores. They have also realized that most modern foods rely on grains, which is against their nature and a cheap form of energy. The basis of EVO is a grain-free, low carb diet. They have removed all grain from the diet, which minimizes the starch and carbohydrate intake and maximizes the concentration of proteins. They use higher levels of protein from high quality meat sources. In fact, they have the highest meat content of any dry pet food on the market. Consuming a high protein diet increases circulating levels of amino acids and provides additional energy reserves. It also enhances immune system function, as well as provides more accelerated recovery from illness. A lot of commercial products rely heavily on vegetable protein, but EVO dog foods do not. They use top of the line meat protein that is very digestible and provides maximum nutrient absorption. Top quality meats such as chicken and turkey are used and provide vital nutrients like amino acids and calcium. To further insure the wellness of your pet, all EVO pet food is made with human edible ingredients and under USDA approved conditions. Buy dog food,EVO is an excellent choice for those looking for an alternative to a raw food diet. It is a convenient option that is perfect for overweight, performance or working, and dogs with an illness. This product is available in most premium pet food stores or available online. Dog Food provides detailed information on adult dog food, puppy food, senior dog food, organic dog food and more. Including brands such as EVO dog food.

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Posted by admin - 2012/01/11 at 6:00 am

Categories: Dog Food Guide   Tags: ,

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