FAQ: Food for birds

Each food's page shows its price history and when the price was last checked, and prices are updated about daily. The purchase itself happens on the shop's website, as zoogidas.lt sells nothing.

Not always. The price depends on ingredients, pack size and manufacturer, so it matters more to judge the composition, suitability for the species, freshness and how much the bird actually eats rather than throws away.

Cheap mixes sometimes contain a lot of fillers, such as wheat or oat husks, that the bird does not eat, so much of it ends up in the bin. Compare not only the price per kilogram but also how much is actually eaten.

Over time seeds lose vitamins and fats oxidise, so even unopened but old food becomes less valuable. When buying, check that there is enough time before the date to use up the whole amount.

Loose food can be fresh and convenient, but its composition, origin and storage conditions are harder to know. When buying it, make sure it is dry, dust-free, free of moths and clearly meant for your bird's species.

Yes, on zoogidas.lt you can compare the prices of the same food in Lithuanian online shops, including by price per kilogram. The order is placed on the chosen shop's website.

Shops set their own prices, run promotions and stock different pack sizes, and prices change over time. So it is worth comparing before buying and checking when the price was last checked.

Yes: a small pack is used up faster and each one is opened fresh, while a large one sits open longer. For one or two small birds, smaller packs or a large pack split into sealed containers are often more practical.

A no-husk mix consists of hulled seeds and flakes, so less mess is left around the cage. It is handy in flats, but it spoils faster and birds lose the activity of hulling, so keep it sealed and buy it in smaller amounts.

Black oil sunflower seeds have a thinner shell and more fat, so tits and finches find them easier to crack. Striped seeds are larger with a thicker shell and are preferred by bigger birds.

A good mix contains sunflower seeds, millet, cracked maize, oat flakes, nuts and sometimes fat or insect additions. The less wheat and filler it contains, the less food birds throw on the ground.

Small, oily niger seeds are especially loved by goldfinches and siskins. They go into a special tube feeder with small holes, as they spill easily from an ordinary feeder.

Yes, melted unsalted beef suet or coconut fat can be mixed with seeds, oat flakes and chopped nuts, poured into moulds and left to set. Do not use frying-pan fat, which contains salt and seasoning.

Ordinary fat balls soften in warmth, go rancid and can soil birds' feathers, so they are meant for the cold season. If you feed in summer, choose heat-resistant suet blocks or plain seeds.

Cracked maize is popular with pigeons, doves, pheasants, ducks and some sparrows. It is less attractive to small tits, so if you want to feed small birds, choose a mix with sunflower seeds and fat.

Put out as much as birds will eat in a day or two so the food does not get damp or mouldy. In frosts and after snowfall birds need more, so top up the feeder more often then.

Some birds, such as thrushes, robins or bramblings, prefer to feed on the ground. Put food out in small portions on a board or tray in an open spot and clear leftovers regularly so they do not attract rodents.

Woodpeckers like fat balls or suet blocks, unsalted nuts and sunflower seeds. Hang fat food on a tree trunk or in a special holder they can cling to.

A small amount of plain cooked rice or pasta will not harm them, but it spoils and freezes quickly, so it is better avoided. Seeds, fat and nuts give birds far more energy in winter.

Yes, sunflower seeds and mixes in large sacks are often cheaper per kilogram and handy for the whole winter. Store them dry in sealed containers or a metal bin so damp and rodents cannot get in.