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Whole peanuts should only ever be fed using a mesh feeder, as this ensures that birds have to peck at the peanuts to remove small pieces and cannot swallow them whole. The reason this is important is that some birds – and in particular Robins – have been known to swallow whole peanuts, which has resulted in them choking to death.

If you are not using bird feeders for your peanuts, then whole nuts must be broken down properly before feeding. Alternatively, you can opt to buy our Chopped Peanuts if you are feeding garden birds directly on the ground.

Otherwise, feed Premium Whole Peanuts for birds using a specially designed peanut feeder. These are designed to hold the peanuts in place, allowing birds to easily and safely chip away at them.

Peanuts are a highly nutritious food for birds all year round, and particularly during the colder months. They contain a combination of important properties for birds: fibre, fat and protein. .

Yes - but only if whole peanuts are fed loose. Some bird species can safely eat whole peanuts by breaking them down with their beaks, but some smaller softbill birds - and notably Robins - have been known to choke to death on them, because the only way they can eat the peanut is to swallow it whole. Baby birds are also prone to choking on whole peanuts, as they have smaller throats.

To avoid this, always place whole peanuts for birds in a suitable peanut feeder. This allows birds to chip away at peanuts safely and take pieces without swallowing the entire peanut.

Alternatively, you could also opt for putting out peanut granules or Chopped Peanuts. These can be more easily consumed by birds when placed directly on the ground, or on a ground tray or bird table. Note: you should only use bird tables and ground feeders if they’re cleaned very regularly – see here for more info https://www.vinehousefarm.co.uk/hygiene.

There are many options when it comes to wild bird food. If you want to attract a wide variety of species to your garden throughout the year, you should aim to include a wide range of bird food.

Bird feeding areas should include a mixture of bird seeds (such as seed mixes or straight seeds), peanuts, and live foods like mealworms. You can also include suet products, like our Super Suet Fat Balls, Suet Pellets or Suet Blocks to attract a variety of species. Suet is a high-energy pre-made bird food product that usually also contains peanut flour.

Peanuts are actually not a nut, but a legume, meaning they grow below ground rather than above ground on a plant or tree as a nut does. The peanut plant develops flowers, then when the flower withers, it turns into a ‘peg’. This then turns downward until it penetrates the soil and eventually grows into a peanut.

Crucially, peanuts can only be grown in frost-free conditions, which therefore dictates the countries and regions in which they can be farmed. Examples include California in the USA, and African countries including Nigeria and Sudan.

Special machines are used to pull the peanuts from the ground when they’re ready to harvest, which takes place in the autumn months. At this point, the peanuts are actually quite moist, but are then cured by a process which uses warm air.

Peanuts are rich in essential oils and proteins, making them a favourite of many garden bird species including the tit family, Nuthatch and Great spotted woodpecker.