Post by rowanberry on Nov 15, 2021 18:52:46 GMT
I thought I should try and find some other food for the jays, (they can't live on monkey nuts all winter) and after doing a few online searches I learned they will eat cobnuts.
I found a farm in Kent selling large bags that aren't quite up to par for human consumption (they're selling them for squirrels) so I thought I'd take a chance.
The jays here probably have never seen a cobnut, but I tried them out with hazel nuts first and they did take them.... provided I shelled them first.
So not only did I sit for an hour de-husking 3 kilos of cobnuts, I now have to shell them, too.
I'm rationing them, though- they get twenty a day and at this rate they'll probably be on hazelnuts by Christmas. There are usually four jays coming every morning, so it doesn't take them long to get through 20 cobnuts, a large handful of monkey nuts and another handful of suet pellets. They seem to appreciate it, though- they get quite excited whenever I come out with their breakfast.
This is what three kilos of de-husked cobnuts looks like. I put them in the oven on a low heat for about 1/2 hour on baking trays, since they felt a bit damp when they first arrived.
CobNuts Nov 2021 by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr
I found a farm in Kent selling large bags that aren't quite up to par for human consumption (they're selling them for squirrels) so I thought I'd take a chance.
The jays here probably have never seen a cobnut, but I tried them out with hazel nuts first and they did take them.... provided I shelled them first.
So not only did I sit for an hour de-husking 3 kilos of cobnuts, I now have to shell them, too.
I'm rationing them, though- they get twenty a day and at this rate they'll probably be on hazelnuts by Christmas. There are usually four jays coming every morning, so it doesn't take them long to get through 20 cobnuts, a large handful of monkey nuts and another handful of suet pellets. They seem to appreciate it, though- they get quite excited whenever I come out with their breakfast.
This is what three kilos of de-husked cobnuts looks like. I put them in the oven on a low heat for about 1/2 hour on baking trays, since they felt a bit damp when they first arrived.
CobNuts Nov 2021 by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr