How to hang a Heavy bird feeder
Heavy bird feeders will often limit your options when its suspended, as the risk of a collapse of both bird feeders and what it hangs off, is a serious concern.
How to hang super heavy but primarily seed type bird feeders would rely on counterbalancing additional weight on a bird feeder pole if its risks tipping over to one side. You can hang anything heavy on a wrought iron fence or wall-mounted bracket, with a sturdy branch as a go-to location for some of you.
General large and therefore heavy bird feeders that are filled up to the top will hang fine on a classic bird feeder pole, and what will always be a sturdy tree branch.
How you hang a heavy bird feeder that is weightier than normal - of which you feel it can possibly drop to the ground anytime - then its imperative you make it safe by finding a stable platform to hang heavy bird feeders on.
Bird feeder poles must still be your go to platform which will depend on a pole impaled deep in to the ground to stop it leaning to the one side.
A pole that is leaning could move which will open up the hole more, and this will lead to the bird feeder pole becoming more unstable - and now the pole can swing around in all directions when its windy.
Impale the pole deeper if you can and if not then rely on a wall or fence-mounted metal bracket to hang super heavy Hopper seed feeders or similarly, large bird feeders.
With all this to consider, do remember a bird feeder must still be placed where it can be found, which is in a visible area of the yard that remains accessible.
I will leave you with my final tip just in case you exhaust all hanging heavy bird feeder options. That is to not hang a heavy bird feeder, but to instead position it on top of a pole mounted bird feeder.
In addition, bird feeders don't have to necessary hang when they can be placed on a leveled surface somewhere safe in the yard instead.
Counterbalance on feeder pole
One major issue you will find when suspending a 5-10lb. capacity Hopper seed feeder for example - off a bird feeding station pole or Shepherd's Hook - is that an heavy feeder does risk making the pole side-heavy.
Which means the bird feeder pole will appear to lean to one side as the weight of the seeds, plus the heavy bird feeder itself, will cause a shallow impaled pole to lean.
And that could mean the bird feeder pole will eventually collapse as the ground becomes more saturated in wet weather.
How to keep a bird feeder pole straight would involve pushing the pole deeper in to the ground.
I promise you it will work if you can bury the pole deeper in to the ground, although I understand it may not be a possibility for many of you. Let me tell you though, a one or two bracket Shepherd's Hook pole, are often to blame for a leaning pole.
One heavy bird feeder hanging off a two-bracket Shepherd's Hook would NOT be able to be counterbalanced with a far lighter single, or two bird feeders hanging opposite.
Shepherd's Hooks with two-brackets may not provide enough space to counterbalance this heavy bird feeder unless you suspend two identical, or an equal weight bird feeder.
When utilizing a multi-bracket classic bird feeding station pole, several lighter but near equal weight bird feeders will counterbalance the problem heavy bird feeder - which will be hanging by itself - and must be suspended opposite of all small, lighter feeders.
Study branch will be safe
How to hang bird feeders of exceptional weight and size will absolutely hang safely on a strong, mature tree branch you may have available in your yard.
As a rule, to position a heavy bird feeder on a branch without witnessing the branch bending at all under the heavy bird feeder, will tell you if the placement is safe or the bird feeder must be pushed too what will be closer to the tree trunk.
Remember the further the bird feeder is pushed away from the trunk while hanging off a branch, which applies to a sturdy branch also, will see any branch get weaker.
Study branches will all be strongest at the point nearest to the tree trunk which is where you'd want to suspend a heavy bird feeder especially.
Bear in mind you can't necessary hang all bird feeders in a tree, such as a Hummingbird feeder, as Hummers don't really like to feed off a nectar-filled feeders suspended within a tree location.
Rely on a strong, sturdy tree branch if its available to you while falling back on a bird feeder pole, if that is your only option at this time.
Metal bracket on fence or wall
Where else a too heavy bird feeder can hang is possibly off a spare bracket used to hang flower pots or plant baskets, which can be re-purposed to suspend any type of bird feeder that will be a little on the weighty side.
If not then simply build a basic wooden bracket out of 2-3 inch thick cedar which would possibly match the wooden decor of your yard, if that is a concern to you.
Regardless, you can absolutely buy a bird feeder bracket that will probably be painted in black, and cast in wrought iron.
Wrought iron bird feeder brackets can be mounted to a fence post, which is how you essentially hang any bird feeders on a fence location in your property.
Metal brackets fit well in a backyard environment and especially look nice on wood.
Heavy bird feeders will be no problem with a wrought iron bracket yet if carelessly affixed to the fence - which is installed on a fence with regularly screws - will see the whole set up come crashing down to the ground.
With that, you could do irreparable damage to your fence post all because you were careless when screwing a super heavy bird feeder/bracket combination to the fence.
Places to avoid
Where you decide to hang a heavy bird feeder will ultimately come down to hanging it off a bird feeder pole, a sturdy tree branch or a metal bracket that can be installed on a wall or fence location.
All can be made safe, yet there is places where you shouldn't have a heavy bird feeder.
You may feel its safe but is absolutely imperative a heavy bird feeder - and one you aren't 100% sure about how secure it is - doesn't risk falling on to people and pets under it. With that, you don't want to risk damage to the structure of your home if it does happen.
Where not to hang a heavy bird feeder then is off what would always be a too weak gutter, that is unlikely to hold the weight of a heavy bird feeder over a long period.
How you hang a bird feeder off a gutter also relies a lot on a wide clearing between window or bricks - of which a heavy bird feeder is going to be a large bird feeder - that will simply knock the side of the house or window, as its going to be oversize.
Similarly, dangling a heavy bird feeder directly under what would be wooden or PVC soffit won't necessary create a strong enough mount.
And what is usually directly below a soffit location - that is the area beneath the roof overhang - its open windows, the front or back door, patio or the decking, where people relax outside or where children play.
Summarize
How you begin by hanging a heavy bird feeder is to rely on what platforms you've previously used to suspend what you deem to be lighter bird feeders.
It could be a bird feeder pole, a tree branch, a wall or fence bracket and indeed a place under the roof overhang, like the gutter, rafters or soffit.
When you know this heavier and therefore larger bird feeder won't cope on your regularly hang up - its time to think outside the box - to overcome potential issues that could relate to harm on people or pets if the bird feeder risks falling off the hanging location.
To hang a heavy bird feeder off a regular bird feeding station, simply counter the weight of the problem feeder by suspended more bird feeders opposite - which will at least bring their total weight close to the heavy bird feeder.
If you are unable to counterbalance the heavy bird feeder on a pole, it does risk leaning to one side, and possibly falling down all together if the bird feeder pole isn't buried deep enough - where the saturated ground is far too soft to keep a leaning pole upright.
Metal brackets which are mounted to a wall or fence post are sure to keep your heavy bird feeder safely in place.
You just need to make sure what may be a heavy wrought iron bracket, plus heavy bird feeder, doesn't still risk being pulled off its mount point due to too much strain on the wood or the brick the bracket is screwed in to.
Share this article:
