frugal Christmas gift for nature lovers

**frugalfarmwife** · 11-02-2005, 05:35 AM

This year for Christmas we're adding to our gifts for our families, we always give an assortment of home grown beef in gift bags, it saves the stress of shopping, lists, money etc and the families ALL love it, they're all city people.

Well this year we're adding a new item, squirrel feeders

WE grew corn this year so have a corn crib FULL of ear corn. I'm taking a piece of old barn siding about 4" by 8", drilling a hole near the top to hang on a tree, putting a large nail angled up near the bottom and adding a bag of 1/2 dozen ears of corn. This should make for hours of entertainment for the families and kids.

The corn can be bought SUPER cheap directly from farmers, do NOT buy it at the pet/discount/drug stores, they charge $2.99 for 1/2 dozen ears

Heck, you can buy it for 3 dollars a BUSHEL from a farmer!!

KJ

**Darlene** · 11-02-2005, 07:29 AM

What a neat gift for squirrel lovers, they are fun to watch.

**favesis37** · 11-02-2005, 08:13 AM

i love my squirell feeder, i get many hours of fun from it, thanks for the tip about buying it from farmers, i always buy it from the store!

**daddys3chicks** · 11-02-2005, 08:30 AM

How cool! I would make one for my Mom, but she is always trying to get the squirrels out of her yard and her bird feeders! LOL!

**sanderson76** · 11-02-2005, 09:00 AM

Wow, that is a neat gift idea...

**Jayne** · 11-02-2005, 09:15 AM

Great Idea!!!!

**Hollyhandi** · 11-02-2005, 09:36 AM

Daddy's 3chicks
If a squirrel has a good corn feeder they will stay out of the bird feeder.
I also saw where if you hang you bitr feeder between 2 trees and use pvc pipe on each side the squirrels can't get to it to steal the food
I think I'll make a couple for our own use this winter.

**pkellyc** · 11-04-2005, 12:58 PM

My dd's bought a squirrel feeder for my dh last year for Christmas. We spent a good part of last winter watching them. It was fun and the squirrels are so comical.

**pita1213** · 11-05-2005, 03:35 PM

years and years ago when i was in school, i did a science project on what birdseed the natvie birds preferred. well i had to do something to keep teh squirrels out of the bird food since i was putting food out for the birds that fed from feeders in trees and for those that preferr to est from the ground.
i put out corn in the few places and peanuts in a few places and the squirrels left all the bird food alone.

so those corn feeders are a really good idea for frustrated bird watchers whose seed is getting eaten by the furry visitors instead of the feathered ones.