I cleaned our safflower feeder this morning
It is going to be warmer here in central Illinois for about a week to 10 days. This is a good time for Cleon and me to thoroughly clean each feeder every few days. The birds had just about emptied the safflower feeder – House Finches love these seeds here in our backyard. Cleon and I wear rubber gloves any time we handle the feeders. Cleon took it down and dumped the seeds onto newspaper, rolled it up tight, and put it in our garbage for pick-up. I filled our basement washtub with hot water, dish detergent, and bleach – ratios are on this website under Bird Feeders and Bird Baths. (Look for this topic on the website’s menu, click on it, and the article will come up. Scroll down to find the directions.) I scrubbed the feeder with a regular scrub brush, a bottle brush for the inside parts, and a toothbrush for the base. I rinsed everything with boiling water and then allowed it to air dry. Cleon filled it wilth clean seed straight from the bag.
Depending on rain – which we may get later today or this evening – next to be cleaned and disinfected will be the platform feeder so look for that to disappear for a few hours tomorrow or the next day.
I looked carefully at the roof of the safflower feeder and while there were bird droppings, they were all what I would normally expect to see – nothing that looked like diarrhea which is a symptom of Avian Flu. (For more information on Avian Flu, check the blog from 2/12. You can also go to this website’s menu, click on Articles, then click on Avian Flu which was also posted on 2/12.)
I simply cannot emphasize enough how important it is for all of us who have feeders to keep them as clean and disinfected as we possibly can. Feeders are where birds congregate and on cold days, the birds are right on top of each other. Avian Flu is spread by contact between birds and when birds ingest seed that has been in contact with infected birds. The disease can be spread by bird saliva and bird droppings. You do not want your feeders to be a place where this disease is spread. And remember, while this disease does take its toll on songbirds and raptors, it is devastating to domestic flocks of poultry and whole flocks are destroyed. And this applies to those of you who only have a few chickens more as pets and supplier of eggs in a small coop in your yard. Avian Flu is just as deadly to them as in the big commercial operations. So take the time needed to clean and disinfect your feeders at least once a week – every 3-4 days would be even better. If you cannot commit to this, it would be better for you to take your feeders down until the threat of this disease subsides.
For more information and guidance, check your state’s websites.