We had peanuts with the same result. Just seemed to be a waste of time. They just go bad and become a danger and may attract squirrels. Lots of birds seems to like hulled sunflower seeds over most other things. If they are presented in a safe way to feed. Seeds have a habit of growing if over soil or grass. Suggest you buy suet granules from supermarket and mix them with whatever you present. In this cold weather they don't go off and give the birds an energy boost. The sprinkles for birds are expensive.

It may be that the position of the feeders is not comfortable enough for the birds to use - if they feel exposed or vulnerable, they won't feed. Try resiting them elsewhere - the higher the better. I have nut feeders, etc., lashed to my balcony railings - there are plants on the balcony, and I live on the third floor, so high up, but no very close tree cover - nearest plant is a wisteria, 8 feet below my balcony, and nearest tree is a large conifer, about 20 feet away. Sometimes birds are happy to use feeders hung in trees - but not if the local magpie population is particularly high, as it is here, which is probably why they prefer my balcony, easier to escape, less likelihood of magpie attack. Hopefully you have other possible places to hang the feeders...
The other thing that occurs to me is, you've said the feeders are cylindrical - is there a perch, or a lip at the bottom of the nutfeeder which the birds can cling to as they feed?

As bamboo said birds will like a bolt hole. I've got 6 feeders lots & lots of birds eating me out of house & home but nice to see, all feeders in trees and by hedges

i have had this too, but only sometimes ~ at other times they love the peanuts!
i did empty out the peanuts and replace them and that seemed better ~ i hadnt realised that some at the bottom had gone bad ~ maybe the birds can smell if they are not right???

i agree with bamboo theres something about the positioning of your bird feeders or there are predetores close bye that they know about .birds even choose nest holes that they can only just fit in and are realy finniky as they are so vulnrable . smaller birds of prey also hunt round bird boxes . it mite be worth temerraraly putting some flat board up with a lip on it that you can sprinkle food on to incourage birds . once one lands they all feal a lot more comfertable about landing . it mite be worth getting some binoculers and study whats hapning. get in touch with the rspb to for advice .

As Stickitoffee suggests they may have gone bad...what a pong that is!! Also, make sure they are in a feeder that lets the birds peck bits from them. Few birds are big enough to swallow one whole!

I think position is all. My birds empty the peanut feeder every day. It hangs from an apple tree and is well out of reach of predators.

It's cylindrical ,with wire mesh sides and has no posts for birds to stand on. The smaller birds love it and I get regular visits from starlings who cling on for dear life and occasional visits from a woodpecker

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31559373@N00/313964127/

Presumably the peanuts don't still have their shells on??! Hope you get better luck following everyone else's advice . . . :)

Hi thanks you all for your advice, I think I'll replace the peanuts with fresh ones and try a different location in the garden. A bird table with some fat-balls hanging also sounds a nice idea for this time of year. Thanks again, all very useful advice.

I think a different assortment of birds in a variety of locations with the usual predators eat differently from feeders at different times and climates. At the moment they are not touching the fat balls which have a perch at the bottom and twigs to feed off too......Why? Last year any fat put out in containers put out just got hoovered up!!!The left over grapes and berries are going down a storm.....it's a mystery. We are still trying to get shot of a bag of mixed seeds that the birds hate. If I mix it with hulled sunflower seeds it still lingers. Our two big predators are Calico cat and son Blobby....not my moggies. Dedicated ornithologists!!!!!

Odd about the fatballs Dorjac - mine are currently having to be replaced (4 at a time) every 6 days, its the thing they're going for first...