We feed the birds in the winter. After losing several fancy feeders to various disasters, we just have a wooden tray we fill and set on the front stoop. Works fine.

Question is this: I have a problem with ice buildup on the stoop and I'd like to put down some salt to break up the ice. I'm concerned about the birds either consuming the salt or the salt burning/irritating their feet.

What I have available and would prefer to use (to get rid of it) is some fine grain mineral salt. If that's a bad idea, I do have rock salt as well.

Problem or no?

what do you put out for seed?
peanuts? shelled peanuts?
millet?, suet? b.o. sunflower ?
safflower ? thistle?

I get these for my hanging feeders
https://www.acehardware.com/de...AvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

the ace hardware gives them to me because I am handsome

they work great for keeping rain and snow out of the feeders.

can you put a dozen holes on the bottom of the tray and then put mesh over the holes , for the water to run out , but the seed will stay on top?

Currently, here in the Frozen North my bird feeder is supporting:
A large group of Voles.
Two very cold Cottontail Rabbits.
A horde of red and gray squirrels.
Many birds. Mostly Chickadees, Nuthatches and Finches.
I have a small patio that ices up from time to time but I just shovel it off and put on spikes to fill and maintain the feeder. The anti-icing stuff might be bad for all non-birds that the feeder supports so I dont use any of it. If you are leaving your feeder tray out at night, you might be surprised at who is using it.

I have wondered the same thing about putting down ice melt and if it would be harmful to the birds. So far, I haven't seen any evidence of any harmful affects.

As a side note, I have birds come up and start chipping away on the cement between bricks on my porch and porch steps. I don't know if they are looking for a nutrient or grit, but it doesn't seem to be harmful to them....not so good for my porch though.

I use a similar type feeder....wooden frame tray with a screen base, works great.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ggile,

We live out on the prairie east of town. The area is still populated by native bird species that evolved there. It’s pretty quiet here, with respect to birds, in the winter months; the natives fly south. In the warm weather months we have meadowlarks, horned larks, lark bunting, nighthawks, various native sparrows and a few warblers and a others that escape me at the moment. I’ve noticed that those neighbors who feed birds have drawn in a bunch of urban parasites, and I include robins in that mix, along with English sparrows, grackles and starlings. I hate that. I know from feeding Gambel’s quail in the Arizona desert, that there are places you can feed birds without drawing in undesirables; hope that’s the case. There are also places were the bird population is what it is, and that’s all there is to it. There is a concern about contagions spreading where birds are fed.

I get mostly mourning doves, bluejays and crows, with the occasional chickadee.

Also red and gray squirrels.

No idea if it's a real risk but I would share your concern.

Is there any possibility of putting your feeder on some sort of mat ( maybe a welcome mat) that you could periodically shake or rinse ??

Natural salt should not be a problem, since it is short term and short exposure times to the birds.

Could you elevate the tray so it's not where you need the salt (i.e. ground/foot level)?

That would keep the salt out of the tray, where the birds don't want it and where it's not doing its job (melting the snow on the stoop). Also melting the snow in the tray would produce meltwater, leading to ice, which will freeze up the birdseed.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
Could you elevate the tray so it's not where you need the salt (i.e. ground/foot level)?

That would keep the salt out of the tray, where the birds don't want it and where it's not doing its job (melting the snow on the stoop). Also melting the snow in the tray would produce meltwater, leading to ice, which will freeze up the birdseed.

I would guess that the seed gets knocked off the feeder and ends up all over the ground surrounding the feeder. Happens where we feed ours....

I would think a bit of normal salt would'nt bother any critters. Most of them hunt for salt at some points in time...

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Natural salt should not be a problem, since it is short term and short exposure times to the birds.

Great, thanks.

Is there a different spot you can put it where your don’t need to get rid of any ice? Salt is not good for birds. Even if it was raised on your stoop, birds are messy eaters and much seed will fall onto the stoop where the salt is and other birds will be eating what fell while others eat from the tray. I would try to find a different spot.

I thought for sure Cornell U. would address this, but could find nothing about it on their site

No idea about the salt harming the birds and I don't know what a "stoop" is and you didn't mention the construction of it but if it happens to be masonry/concrete of any kind then salt is a no no on it.


THIS is the feeder I use. The squirrels can't destroy it and it holds enough seed that I don't have to refill it too often. Got mine a Tractor supply. You do have to unscrew the nut on top to refill, not terrible but not the most covenant either, and If not properly retightened, critter action and wind has unscrewed mind a couple times, letting it fall to the ground.