Feeding garden badgers and foxes
Badgers and foxes are opportunistic feeders and will happily eat kitchen scraps left in a garden, but that is not the same as saying scraps are good for them. The short answer: a dedicated wildlife food is built to be nutritionally balanced and to avoid the problems — salt, bones, mould — that come with feeding leftovers instead.
Why purpose-made food beats scraps
Bread, processed meat and salty leftovers are all things badgers and foxes will readily eat if they are offered, but none of them are close to what these animals would naturally find. Salty or heavily processed food in particular is worth avoiding, in the same way it is discouraged for garden birds and hedgehogs.
A dedicated wildlife food avoids that guesswork, and putting out small, consistent amounts rather than one large serving reduces the chance of food going off overnight or attracting rats, which is a real risk with any food left outdoors after dark.
A little and often, not a feeding station
Both badgers and foxes are wild animals, not pets, and the aim of feeding them is to supplement what they already find rather than to make a garden their main food source. Put out a modest amount in the same spot each evening rather than large quantities, and stop if you notice the same animal becoming unusually bold or dependent.
Clean up any uneaten food the next morning rather than leaving it to accumulate, which keeps the spot from attracting flies, rats or other animals you were not trying to feed in the first place.
In this section
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Treat 'N' Eat Fatball 90g (No Net)
A single 90g high-energy fat ball for wild birds, netless for safe garden feeding
£0.29
Honeyfields Simply Suet Pellets with Insects
High-energy suet pellets with insects, at 490kcal per 100g, in two sizes
From£3.49
Brambles Float Swan Duck Food
Floating swan and duck food made in Great Britain, in two sack sizes
From£9.29
Peckish Complete Seed
A husk-free garden bird seed mix with Peckish's own added vitamin pellet
From£3.00
Peckish Robin Seed Mix
A 1KG insect-added seed mix from Peckish, marketed specifically at robins
£3.75
Peckish Winter Warmer Extra Energy Seed Mix
A 1KG winter seed mix with 9 ingredients and 20% oil for extra energy
£3.99
Sunflower Hearts
Dehusked sunflower hearts for wild birds, described as high in oil and no mess
£42.99
Johnston Jeff Selected Wild Bird Food
A wild bird seed mix with black oil sunflower for a wide range of garden birds
From£2.79
Supa Dried Calci Worms
Dried calci-worms for wild birds, higher in calcium than dried mealworms, in a resealable tub
From£5.99
Suet to Go Suet Pellets Insect
Insect suet pellets for wild birds, 12.55kg, for year-round garden feeding
£32.99
Suet to Go High Energy Mealworm Suet Cakes - 10 Pack Value
High-energy suet cakes with mealworm, in a 10-pack value box
£12.29
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
Common questions
- Is it OK to feed foxes in my garden?
- Many people do, and it is not illegal, but it is worth doing thoughtfully — small, consistent amounts rather than large quantities, cleared away the next morning, and stopped if a fox starts appearing unusually bold or in daylight looking for more.
- What shouldn't I feed badgers or foxes?
- Salty processed meat, cooked bones, and large amounts of bread are all worth avoiding, in the same way they are discouraged for most garden wildlife. A dedicated wildlife food is formulated to avoid these problems rather than leaving you to guess what is safe from a kitchen cupboard.
- Will feeding foxes make them lose their fear of people?
- It can, particularly if food is offered by hand or a fox starts associating a specific person with feeding rather than just a spot in the garden. Leaving food in the same place and stepping back, rather than interacting directly, keeps the animal's natural wariness more intact.
- How much food should I put out for a badger?
- A modest, consistent amount is better than one large serving, since badgers and foxes are meant to be finding most of their own food rather than relying on a garden as a main source. Clear away anything uneaten the next morning so it does not attract rats or flies overnight.
Related
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.