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21A Study Piece Of American Craftsmanship That Only The Amish Can Deliver. With 12 Colors To Choose From, This Eco-Friendly Bird Feeder Is Handcrafted To Perfection.
Imagine for a second…
Blue jays are attempting to get tasty black oil sunflower seeds from your tube feeder and they’re having a difficult time getting the seeds out. This type of feeder is way too small for larger blue jays, so they have to watch in awe as smaller birds enjoy a tasty meal.
Is there anything you can do to help?
The main problem is the bird feeder itself. You need to replace it with a larger bird feeder specifically designed for bigger birds like cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers, and the like.
I personally believe that the Best Ground Feeder for Blue Jays is the DutchCrafters’ Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray, which is the feeder that I intend to review right now.
What makes it so special? And why did I decide to review it in the first place?
I evaluated this bird feeder and 9 others based on 5 different categories that I formulated to focus my review on. I chose these categories because they were the most critical areas for each one of these feeders.
The categories include:
- Cleaning & Care
- Durability & Warranty
- Aesthetics
- Ease of Refilling
- Ease of Installation
To find out why I consider this the Best Ground Feeder for Blue Jays, keep reading to discover my thoughts on the topic.
DutchCrafters Platform Ground Bird Feeder
- Dimensions: 18 x 12 x 6 inches
- Feeder Type: Tray Feeder
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Material: Plastic made from poly recycled lumber
- Brand: DutchCrafters
Overall Score
Bottom Line:
I believe this ground bird feeder tray is a phenomenal choice after researching and thoroughly testing this product. The quality is hard to ignore because the design is beautiful and it’s available in numerous color variations. It’s easy to maintain and clean up, it’s constructed by the Amish in the United States, and it’s resistant to mildew, mold, and termites.
Biggest Benefits
- Aluminum mesh floor drains rainwater
- Made with environmentally friendly material
- Attracts blue jays and other large birds
- Available in 12 different colors
- It only weighs 3 pounds
Top Disadvantages
- Open to ground dwelling animals like squirrels
- Made of recycled plastic instead of wood
- Expensive
Our Verdict: Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray
At the end of the day, it’s my privilege to perform a deep dive review on the Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray. I’d like to tell you how it stacks up against the competition in the five critical categories that I mentioned earlier.
It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing bird feeder in the world, but it’s attractive enough in its own way. And the one thing that adds to the variety is that it comes in multiple colors.
Next, you’ll have no trouble installing this bird feeder because it’s simply a matter of choosing a location and placing the bird feeder in this spot. There isn’t any technical know-how or detailed installation required to use this bird feeder because it’s a tray on four legs and nothing more.
Is it durable? It’s certainly sturdy enough because it’s made of recycled plastic. It isn’t like it’s made of steel or anything, but the plastic is strong enough and it should hold up in inclement weather and heavy winds without much difficulty.
Best of all…
The manufacturer provides a one-year warrantee. So, if the bird feeder breaks because of a problem with the craftsmanship or materials, they will replace it with a new one free of charge during the first year.
Refilling the bird feeder is one of the easiest things in the world to accomplish. As I mentioned, it’s an open tray. So, when the bird seeds run out, just pour some more into the tray to refill it.
Personally, I recommend wiping the tray down first to eliminate potential mold and bacteria issues. But it isn’t 100% necessary if the bird feeder appears clean.
And speaking of clean…
Cleaning this bird feeder and caring for it is one of the easiest things you’ll ever do. It’s minimally designed and lightweight. Simply wipe it down with a washcloth and soap or spray it with a hose for an even deeper cleaning.
Related: Top 10 Best Blue Jay Feeders
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
Guess what?
Even though I provided a cursory rundown of the important categories to know about this bird feeder, I’d like to share even more detailed review information with you below.
You may not know this, but I spent two weeks thoroughly testing this blue jay bird feeder in my backyard. I compared the results of this test with the results of 9 other bird feeders that I tested over the past 20 weeks.
To say the information that I gathered was eye-opening is an understatement.
By the time I was through with testing, comparisons, and analysis, I automatically knew that the Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray was my favorite Ground Feeder for Blue Jays.
Now, I’d like to tell you how I scored this product in each of the five critical categories. I’ll tell you why I scored it the way I did and I’ll even share some comparisons with other products in the same category to make it easier to hone in on my thought process.
Aesthetics
For Aesthetics, I only gave the Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray a measly 50 out of 100, which isn’t terrible, but certainly tells you that it isn’t the most attractive blue jay feeder in the world.
For further reference, I gave the Woodlink Deluxe Cedar Bird Feeder a 100 out of 100.
Why such a big disparity between the 2 scores?
The Woodlink feeder has a very sleek, angular, and attractive design that really looks pretty hanging up from a tree or a pole in your backyard. It actually adds to the beauty of your outdoor decor.
On the other hand:
The Amish Blue Jay Feeder Tray looks more like a miniature pig trough. While it certainly isn’t the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen, it’s aesthetically basic looking more than anything else.
Some of the brighter colors like Aruba Blue, Lime Green, and Bright Red make it stand out a little bit, but not by much.
And if you look at the dimensions of this bird feeder, you’ll see it’s your basic 18” x 12” x 6” rectangle. There aren’t any sleek angles or design flourishes that really make it stand out and look pretty.
If you’re the type of person who wants their bird feeder to double as an outdoor ornament for their property, then this most likely isn’t the right feeder for you.
Or…
If your sole purpose of buying a blue jay feeder is to provide a large and easy to access receptacle to hold many types of bird seeds, suet cakes, and mealworms, then this feeder will be the ideal choice because it’s large, simple to refill, and very easy for backyard birds to access.
How the Ground Feeder for Blue Jays stacks up in the aesthetics ratings:
Ease of Installation
As far as the Ease of Installation category is concerned, I’m happy to say that the Amish DutchCrafters Bird Feeder Tray received a perfect 100 out of 100 score, which will not surprise anyone after I explain my reasoning.
To put this rating in better context, I scored the blue jay feeder named JC’s Wildlife Large Poly Hopper Bird Feeder with a 60 out of 100 ranking.
The JC’s Wildlife Feeder consists of a relatively large and somewhat awkwardly shaped hopper. It can be difficult to get it properly balanced if you intend to hang it up on a branch or a shrub using the gray cord that sticks out of the top of the feeder.
You’re better off mounting the JC Wildlife feeder on top of a pole because it’s sturdier and remains more stable this way.
The Amish Poly Ground Feeder Tray, on the other hand, doesn’t technically require installation. It doesn’t need to be installed on top of a pole, and it doesn’t need to be hung up from a shrub, a tree branch, or a hook.
As I said, it’s basically a feeder trough and nothing more.
Find a nice spot in your backyard with plenty of blue jays and other large backyard birds and place it on the ground, on top of a table, or put it on top of any other flat surface that seems like a good place for the birds to eat and enjoy a tasty meal.
How the Ground Feeder for Blue Jays stacks up in the ease of installation ratings:
Durability & Warranty
For the category Durability & Warranty, I ranked this product with a score of 70 out of 100. This isn’t the worst score on the list and it certainly isn’t the best by any means either.
One score below is the Squirrel Shop Picnic Table Platform Feeder, which only scored a 6 out of 10. And quite frankly, although it has a really attractive and fun overall design, it isn’t made with the sturdiest and strongest wood on the planet. A bigger selling point is the Unconditional Money Back Guarantee, which certainly doesn’t hurt.
On the opposite end…
I ranked the Nature’s Way Cedar Hopper Bird Feeder with the coveted 10 out of 10 score. I love the fact that they built it with treated wood. They used cedar made of premium quality material that’s both rot resistant and resistant to damage from insects.
They also built it using high quality hardware for the screws, hinges, and suet cages. This hardware is designed to last for a long time without ever rusting.
The Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray scored a 70, which isn’t bad but it certainly isn’t the best score in the world. It is made of poly lumber plastic using high quality Amish craftsmanship, so don’t get me wrong. But if a young child or adult accidentally trips over the feeder, they will likely crack off one or more of the legs if they aren’t careful.
Even better, DutchCrafters, the company that produces the Amish Poly Bird Feeder, stands by their work and offers all of their customers a one-year residential use warranty against material defects and workmanship problems. So, this is certainly good information to know and it should help you feel more confident when purchasing this feeder.
How the Ground Feeder for Blue Jays stacks up in the durability & warranty ratings:
Ease of Refilling
It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that in the Ease of Refilling category, I gave the Amish Bird Feeder Tray the best score possible with a perfect 100 out of 100.
On the other end…
I gave the Pacific Bird & Supply Green Ring Suet Ball Feeder a score of 60 out of 100, which is tied with a very similar peanut wreath feeder from Songbird Essentials.
Why the low scores?
If you look at the overall design of the wreath round feeders, you’ll see that it isn’t the easiest bird feeder in the world to maneuver and manipulate when trying to refill it.
It hooks together at the top, so you’ll need to unhook it and then take a scoop of whole peanuts and begin filling the spiral tubelike area for refilling. You’ll need a peanut scoop that’s the perfect size to fit the opening, because otherwise your whole peanuts will likely fall all over the floor and things can get messy.
The Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray is the complete opposite style of the peanut feeders from Songbird Essentials and Pacific Bird & Supply.
As I mentioned earlier, the basic design is a rectangular feeder trough. The area to put the bird seeds and other tasty food is a large and wide-open space.
Look inside the feeder and see if it’s empty. If it is, take a moment to wipe it down and then dump a new bag of black oil sunflower seeds, mealworms, striped sunflower seeds, or even line it with suet cakes or suet balls.
Refilling the Amish Bird Feeder Tray is one of the easiest things in the world to do.
How the Ground Feeder for Blue Jays stacks up in the ease of refilling ratings:
Cleaning & Care
And lastly, for the Cleaning & Care category I also rated this tray feeder with a full 100 out of 100 score. The simplistic design makes it very easy to clean and you’ll have no trouble keeping it in excellent condition.
Like last time, the worst scores in this category were the wreath peanut feeders from Songbird Essentials and Pacific Bird & Supply. They received 7 out of 10 scores.
Why the difference?
Well, the wire wreath feeders aren’t the easiest things in the world to manipulate and clean. To give it a thorough cleaning you need to take a soapy washcloth and literally wipe down every single piece of wire to the best of your ability to kill mold and bacteria.
And I recommend trying to wipe it down from the inside out to make sure it’s perfectly clean. This can be a little difficult but not the hardest thing in the world to accomplish.
But when compared to the Amish feeder…
The Amish bird feeder is one of the easiest things in the world to clean. Again, it’s just a tray with four legs in a rectangular shape.
When caring for it, make sure to dump out any of the old seeds that might be resting on the bottom of the tray. Then take a wash cloth covered in soap and use it to wipe down the inside and outside of the tray to kill potential bacteria and mold buildup that can be really harmful to blue jays and other birds.
Whereas cleaning the wire wreath feeder might take about 10 minutes, cleaning the rectangular ground feeder tray should only take around a minute in total.
How the Ground Feeder for Blue Jays stacks up in the cleaning & care ratings:
DutchCrafters Ground Bird Feeder FAQs:
Is It Possible To Remove The Aluminum Mesh Lining During Cleaning?
During the cleaning process, it is not possible to remove the aluminum mesh lining.
Your best bet is to flip the tray over and tap the bottom of the bird feeder. This should help to remove debris and old seeds that are trapped inside the mesh at the bottom of the tray.
If all else fails and you cannot get the debris to shake out of the bird feeder, you can always spray it down with a hose. This should loosen old debris and make it easier to fall out.
Can You Use The DutchCrafters Ground Bird Feeder To Feed Deer?
Believe it or not, some customers purchase this tray because they want to use it to feed the deer that tend to walk through their backyard. I personally wouldn’t have thought of it, but it’s actually a really good idea.
Even better, the manufacturer is willing to customize the feeder if you contact them. They say to message the seller directly and they can make the feeder a different height, expand the tray size, add more support below the mesh, and make other customizations to perfectly meet your needs.
Is This Bird Feeder Made Of Weather Proofed Material?
This sounds like a great idea, but believe it or not it isn’t necessary. Even though the bird feeder looks like it’s made of wood, it’s actually made of recycled plastic.
Guess what?
Because it’s made of recycled plastic, it doesn’t actually need to be weather treated. The plastic material will last under all types of weather conditions including freezing rain, heavy snow, ice cold weather, and other potential inclement weather situations.
Our Final Verdict: DutchCrafters Ground Bird Feeder Tray
Excellent! I’m happy to see that you made it to the finish line with me. Thanks for reading this review. I hope you learned a lot about the Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray, which in my opinion is the Best Ground Feeder For Blue Jays.
What makes this ground feeder tray so special? Some of the biggest highlights include:
- Its wide-open design makes it easy to refill
- Its minimalist style and features mean it’s easy to clean
- It has a one-year warranty
- It’s relatively durable and strong
- it’s a serviceable bird feeder that’s perfect for large birds including blue jays
Even more interesting, it also doubles as a deer feeder which you might not have considered.
Want to learn more about the other blue jay bird feeders referenced in this review? Take a moment to read my latest multi product review that you can find here: My All-Time Favorites Of The Best Bird Feeders For Blue Jays
Or consider another alternative…
Discover true to life testimonials from previous happy or disgruntled customers and find out the current up-to-the-minute price for the Amish Poly Ground Bird Feeder Tray by clicking the link below.
from BirdInformer.com https://ift.tt/2Y1GATz
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