Bird agencies are warning householders not to feed birds any of the leftover turkey fat this Christmas.
The RSPB said that many people believe they’re doing good putting out the old turkey dripping, whereas they could actually be doing birds harm.
Kirsi Peck, an RSPB wildlife advisor, said: “Please, please don’t use fat from roasting tins to feed garden birds because in this case you could be killing them with kindness. The juices mixed in roasting tins will go off very quickly and could cause disease on bird tables. Turkey fat could also damage feathers and during winter, they need to be in tiptop condition to keep them warm. But please do continue to support garden birds. There are loads of leftovers that are suitable.”
The key reasons for not putting out the meat leftovers are: turkey fat stays soft and can smear on to feathers destroying waterproofing and insulating qualities; turkey fat leftovers will contain lots of added salt which can be toxic for birds; leftovers in roasting tins go rancid quickly and can breed bacteria and birds can be prone to bacterial infection at this time of year anyway. The RSPB says it’s not just turkey fat that can be a problem, so please don’t put out any leftover meat fats.
The leftovers they do recommend include: Christmas cake crumbs, mince pie pastry crumbs, biscuit crumbs, mild non-salty grated cheese, cooked or uncooked rice or other grains, dry porridge oats, cooked potatoes and fruit.
This story first appeared in our January 5th issue.
