RSPB advice to cut summer feeding sparks backlash from suppliers
The bird food industry has responded critically to new guidance from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds urging people to reduce the use of seed and peanut feeders during the summer months, with suppliers warning the advice could have unintended consequences for birds.
The RSPB’s updated recommendation to pause feeding seeds and peanuts between May and October is aimed at limiting the spread of diseases such as trichomonosis, which spreads more easily when birds congregate at feeders in warmer conditions.
RSPB to pause sales of key bird foods
As part of the change in guidance, the RSPB has confirmed that its retail outlets will also stop selling straight seed, seed mixes and peanuts during the summer period.
Sales of these products will be paused from 1 May 2026 and are expected to resume on 26 October, aligning with the organisation’s revised advice on seasonal feeding.
Vine House Farm challenges advice
The strongest and most detailed response has come from Vine House Farm, which has openly questioned the guidance.
In a formal statement, the company said: “We are disappointed with the RSPB’s announcement on supplementary garden bird feeding.”
Lucy Taylor from Vine House Farm added: “We provided the RSPB with a solid case saying why this would be the wrong thing to do.” . The company warned that reducing feeding during the breeding season could have negative consequences, stating: “It is very likely to reduce the levels of breeding success in some songbird species.”
Vine House Farm also argued that disease risk is more closely linked to feeding practices than feeding itself. “The issue of disease transmission… is much more about how that feeding is carried out.”. The company has instead called for a greater emphasis on hygiene and feeder management. “We’ve long advocated very strict hygiene… which help reduce the problem.”
Haith’s emphasises continuing to feed birds
A similar stance has been taken Haith’s, which has also stressed that feeding should continue with proper care.
The company said: “You do not need to stop feeding birds - you need to keep doing it properly.” . It added that garden feeding plays an important wider role for wildlife, noting: “Millions of gardens form a connected network for wildlife.”
Industry focus on hygiene over reduced feeding
Across the sector, the emphasis has been on improving feeding practices rather than reducing provision.
Suppliers have highlighted measures such as cleaning feeders, rotating feeding areas and monitoring birds for signs of disease as practical ways to reduce risk without removing a reliable food source.
Ark Wildlife calls for balanced approach
Ark Wildlife has also urged caution over the RSPB’s recommendation, although with a broader focus on public guidance.
Founder Sean McMenemy said: “I agree with the science, but not with the solution. Feeding isn’t the problem. Poor feeding practices are.” . He warned that removing supplementary feeding could be harmful, particularly during the breeding season. “To remove that, particularly during the breeding season, risks doing more harm than good.”
McMenemy instead called for clearer guidance on responsible feeding, adding: “With the right information, the public is more than capable of feeding birds safely.”
Questions over scientific basis of industry response
While the RSPB has based its revised guidance on peer-reviewed scientific research into disease transmission at feeding stations, no equivalent published evidence has been presented by bird food suppliers to support their claims. This absence of a clear scientific underpinning may lead some to question the strength of the industry’s position, and whether its opposition is influenced as much by the potential impact on sales as by concern for bird welfare.
April 2026
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