Here is some information about raw versus roasted peanuts, to help you
decide which you want to feed to birds.

I volunteer in the shop at Seattle Audubon. We sell roasted peanuts for
feeding wild birds, and discourage people from feeding raw peanuts
(which are legumes, not true nuts like almonds or hazelnuts) because
they contain a trypsin inhibitor. If you Google this, many wild bird
and pet bird websites mention it, but other websites list raw peanuts as
being appropriate food for birds. Here is an excerpt from a website
called AvianWeb.com which explains why the trypsin inhibitor is a
problem:

"Peanuts: Feeding shelled unsalted peanuts isn't messy and they are
highly nutritious for the birds that can eat them. Most birds can
shell whole (unshelled) peanuts, with varying degrees of effort.
Squirrels love peanuts. However, don't feed RAW peanuts to squirrels and
other animals because it can seriously hurt them. Raw peanuts and other
legumes contain a trypsin inhibitor or substance that inhibits or
prevents the pancreas from producing trypsin, an enzyme essential for
the absorption of protein by the intestine. Squirrels fed a steady diet
of raw peanuts, soybeans. other legumes, and sweet potatoes could easily
develop severe malnutrition. According to the Washington State
Cooperative Extension Service, roasting hulled raw peanuts for 20 to 30
minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring them frequently, will
destroy the trypsin inhibitor and render them suitable for feed. If that
sounds like a lot of work, buy roasted peanuts but be sure they aren't
salted. (Salted nuts of any kind should never be fed to wild animals.)"

Some websites also mention aflatoxin, one of the most carcinogenic
substances known, that comes from a mold that grows naturally on peanuts
(my husband, who used to do cancer research, says that eating a peanut
butter sandwich is the cancer equivalent of smoking one
cigarette...eew.) Roasting may reduce the amount of aflatoxin in the
peanuts. For both the trypsin inhibitor and aflatoxin, I would imagine
that dosage is a factor.

Rachel Lawson
Seattle
RachelWL at msn.com