BIRD HELP

[gary]

Lord help me! This is the third time I have written this...it disappears before I can send it!!!

I NEED HELP!
For the 30 years we lived in downtown Gto, we always fed wild birds bread crumbs on our balcony, an informal and inexpensive way of showing our gratitude for their presence and their songs. In 2001, we "retired" and moved to Cuevas, some 15 kms. from downtown to an unhurried, tranquil rural life. Here we have 2,000 meters of land and, of course, many species of birds. Shortly after settling in, we began feeding crumbs to these birds: magpies (treepies, really), several varieties of doves, wrens, sparrows, and an occasional escaped parakeet. Our budget then was around 250 pesos a month which included the purchase of a 100 pound sack (costal) of sorgum balls (the preference of our wild birds), day-old bolillos and an occasional loaf of bread.
Time marched on and the bird population grew ("thanks", in part, to the Mexican military which granted permission to a local entreprenuer to operate a shooting range to shoot live pigeons!), including a hefty bunch of wounded pigeons as well as those which escaped unharmed from the shooting range. We had never seen pigeons hereabouts before. We also added sme strategically-located hummingbird feeders for the few we had observed in the area.
The other day I crunched some numbers to see why we weren't making ends meet...and, guess what? With an increase in sorghum prices (from 120 pesos to 250 pesos per costal - and now using 2 a month), plus a dramatic increase in the number of birds (about ten-fold in as many years), as well as a giant flurry of new hummingbirds (I.5 kilos of sugar per day!!), we are now spending upwards of 800 pesos a month on bird food and sugar!!! Unfortunately, Messrs Bush and Obama have not increased our Social Security benefits accordingly (we live entirely on a little mre than the minimum SS $), so we have reached te point where we must make some kind of decision: quit feeding the birds altogether (the suggestion of a Chicago "friend"), cut down on the amount of food (and watch the birds fight over available supplies), or - and this is where I hope you can help us - find less-expensive ways to care for these precious birds. There is no way I will not feed them; that I want understood!
If anyone can advise a way to obtain sorghum cheaper, or suggest an alternate food choice, or find a substitute for sugar, or get cheaper bread products. I know in some areas of the U.S., the Audubon Societs helps out with resources, but that is not available here.
Should you have any suggestions or ideas, I would appreciate hearing from you, via this Forum, or directly to my Email: garyhannes@yahoo.com
If you would care to meet personally, I'd be happy to do that. Also, if you wish to discuss the sue by phone, Email me and I will phone you.
Thank you...and we look forward to any response.
Gary Hannes

[NanN]

Do you think that you could supplement the food you are giving now with rastrojo, the dry the ground corn stalk feed supplement that is fed to live stock. I feed my horses special horse grain daily mixed in with salvado (wheat germ) and rastrojo moistened with water. I have noticed that when the horses spill their food the birds quickly come in to eat whatever is spilled, and the birds seem to eat everything, even the bits of rastrojo. I am not sure of the nutritional value of the rastrojo for the birds, it is mostly corn stalk and corn leaves not the actual corn and we give it to the horses for fiber to avoid problems with colic but because it contains the leaves of the stalk it does provide some nutritional value - see this article http://www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/fiel...sidues.pdf

One costal of rastrojo is 20 pesos where I buy it from the farmer, and the costals are the size that the 40 kilos of horse feed come in. I have my horses in La Carbonera, which is just past Yerbabuena and the guy with the rastrojo is not too far from there on the dirt road, sort of in the direction of La Trinidad.

[gary]

Muchisimas gracias, Nan.
I know exacly where you're talking about. For the price you mentioned, even if the birds don't like it (I feel sure they WILL eat it), I will not have lost much. My neighbor raises livestock and I'm sure he can help me get a sack....or use it if the birds are too fussy. Thanks again...I do appreciate your help.
Gary