Wild Bird Treats
Wild bird treats are the higher-energy, occasional end of garden feeding — suet cakes, fat balls, mealworms and fruit-and-nut mixes — sitting alongside rather than replacing an everyday seed mix. They earn their place in cold weather and during nesting season, when garden birds need more calories fast, more than as a permanent fixture on the feeder all year round.
Treat feed versus everyday seed
A product like Suet to Go Suet Pellets or a high-energy mealworm suet cake is dense in fat and protein, which is exactly what a bird needs on a cold night but is not something to rely on as the only thing in a feeder year-round. Everyday seed and sunflower hearts are the steadier baseline; suet and mealworm treats are the top-up.
Bark butter style spreads, such as Happy Bird Bark Butter, work well smeared onto tree bark or a feeding post rather than tipped into a tray, and mimic the kind of foraging behaviour birds already do naturally rather than just dumping calories in a bowl.
When treat feeding matters most
Winter is the obvious case: shorter days mean less foraging time, and a high-fat suet cake helps birds get through a cold night when a plain seed mix alone would leave them short. Late winter into spring, when birds are feeding young, is the other peak — mealworms in particular are close to what parent birds would be catching naturally to feed chicks.
Outside those periods, treat feeds are still fine as an occasional addition, but there is no need to feel obliged to keep them topped up constantly — a well-stocked everyday feeder does most of the work, and treats are the seasonal boost rather than the whole job.
Keeping treat feeders clean and safe
Fat-based treats can turn rancid in a warm spell far faster than dry seed, so a feeder used for suet or fat balls needs checking and cleaning more often in summer, not less. A reusable suet tub is worth choosing over a single-use cage if you are feeding regularly, since it is easier to wipe out between refills.
Site any treat feeder somewhere birds have a clear line of sight to spot cats approaching, and away from a spot where fallen scraps will sit rotting on the ground underneath — that is more about hygiene than it sounds, and it keeps the same patch of garden from turning into a mess by midsummer.
In this section
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Peckish Complete Seed
A husk-free garden bird seed mix with Peckish's own added vitamin pellet
From£3.00
Peckish Winter Warmer Extra Energy Seed Mix
A 1KG winter seed mix with 9 ingredients and 20% oil for extra energy
£3.99
Peckish Complete Seed and Nut No Mess Wild Bird Seed Mix
A no-mess seed and nut mix for the garden, built from 12 ingredients for up to 16 bird species
£20.99
Peckish Sunflower Hearts
Sunflower hearts for wild birds, a husk-free, high-energy straight for feeder or table
£5.39
Peckish Extra Goodness Energy Balls
A 6-plus-6-free pack of energy balls with peanuts, sunflower seed and beef tallow
£3.99
Peckish Complete Ready to Use Bird Feeder
A pre-filled, refillable wild bird feeder, ready to hang straight out of the packaging
£5.99
Peckish Robin Seed Mix
A 1KG insect-added seed mix from Peckish, marketed specifically at robins
£3.75
Peckish No Grow Seed Mix
A weed-free wild bird seed mix, husk-free and treated so it won't sprout in the garden below
From£5.49
Peckish Suet & Peanut Feeder
A perforated stainless steel feeder that takes either suet pellets or peanuts
£12.99
Peckish Extra Goodness Crumble Mix
A 1KG crumble-texture treat mix for garden birds, with added vitamins
£4.99
Peckish Winter Warmer High Energy Wild Bird Seed Mix
A high-energy winter seed mix for garden birds, feeder or table
£24.99
Common questions
- What is the difference between wild bird food and wild bird treats?
- Everyday wild bird food is usually a seed or sunflower heart mix meant to be kept topped up continuously, while treats — suet, fat balls, mealworms — are denser in fat and protein and are better suited to cold weather or the nesting season rather than constant year-round feeding.
- Can I put suet out for garden birds all year round?
- You can, but it needs more frequent checking in warm weather because fat-based feeds spoil faster than dry seed. Many owners scale suet and fat balls back in summer and lean more on seed, then bring the fattier treats back as the weather turns colder.
- Are mealworms good for feeding garden birds?
- Yes, dried or live mealworms are a good protein source and are particularly useful in spring and early summer when parent birds are feeding chicks, since they are close to the kind of food birds would naturally be catching for their young at that time of year.
- How often should I clean a suet or fat ball feeder?
- More often than a dry seed feeder, and more often still in warm weather when fat residue can turn rancid within days. A quick wipe-out with hot water whenever you refill it is a reasonable habit, and a reusable tub-style feeder makes that easier than a single-use cage.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.