bird seed (1 Viewer)

[critters]

Bird Seed

Hello:

I hope someone can help me with this. I have been buying something similar to Wal-marts Finch Feed. It contains Canary Seed, Nyjer Seed, White Millet, Red Siberian Millet, Canola, Red Millet and Hemp Devitalised (what ever that is?). I put it in a tall silo type of feeder, with a set of perches in the middle and a bottom tray. I get tons of Finches feeding from this, and a few Junkos ground feeding from the stuff.

I know the Finches love this stuff because like I said I get tons of the birds. Sometimes as many as 30 of them fighting for a spot. I've even changed the feed, from Finch Feed on the bottom and Nyger on top. As soon as the Nyger gets to the bottom the birds disappear. Only a few (5 to 10) remain and eat the Nyger. As soon as I put out more of this Finch Feed, they're back.

My problem is the mess afterwards. I mean the amount that is left over. I don't know what is left over. It looks like half the seed is on the ground. Are the Finches being picky by eating some of the seed and spitting (tossing) out the rest? Or what I'm seeing is the seed shell, that the birds are cracking open the seed to get what's inside? Am I wasting my time and money with this type of seed and I should get something better? Or what should I do?

Thanks for your help.

Andy

 

[pduxon]

Hi Andy

welcome to the forum. I'm sure some of those who are much more experienced than me at Garden bird feeding will be able to give you expert advice.

I must admit that the House Sparrows do seem to throw the bits they don't like on the floor!! Gets hoovered up by the resident Wood Pigeons.

 

[LzyPhotographer]

I found that the seed mix from the grocery or department stores is just too messy and not the best quality. There is a brand of "waste-free" that I get at the Petco store that is much neater - but still, a lot hits the ground.

Oh sure, you can always not fill the feeder and let the birds do some clean-up for you, but that doesn't always work. Best bet so far, for value and little mess, is sunflower seed parts/hearts.

 

[snowyowl]

Bird Seed

Hello:

I hope someone can help me with this. I have been buying something similar to Wal-marts Finch Feed. It contains Canary Seed, Nyjer Seed, White Millet, Red Siberian Millet, Canola, Red Millet and Hemp Devitalised (what ever that is?). I put it in a tall silo type of feeder, with a set of perches in the middle and a bottom tray. I get tons of Finches feeding from this, and a few Junkos ground feeding from the stuff.

My problem is the mess afterwards. I mean the amount that is left over. I don't know what is left over. It looks like half the seed is on the ground. Are the Finches being picky by eating some of the seed and spitting (tossing) out the rest? Or what I'm seeing is the seed shell, that the birds are cracking open the seed to get what's inside? Am I wasting my time and money with this type of seed and I should get something better? Or what should I do?

Andy

Hi Andy!
Depending on what you feed, sunflower seeds for example, most of what hits the ground are hulls. I've never quite figured out what's going on with millet but I suspect that it's the samee thing - hulls. Look in the cage of any budgie that gets millet sprays and you'll see a big pile of hulls on the cage bottom. I can't see why it would be any different. It could be the same for Niger but I don't know and neither do I particularly worry about it. Most stray feed that hits the ground is cleaned up by Mourning Doves, DE Juncos etc. It just turns the ground into a giant platform feeder. I do try to limit what hits the deck a bit because if there's too much obviously there will be waste.
Mess is in the eye of the beholder, I don't care and I don't have any close neighbours to worry about. The hulls all seem to blow away or become compost in Spring. I've hear of people cleaning up hulls and using them instead of traction sand although I sounds like a lot of work to me.
I run quite a few feeders, probably 8-9 and I've found the most economical approach is to feed specific seeds in each feeders - in a triple tube feeder I put Gray-striped Sunflower in one tube, Black-oil in one and mixed millet in the third, Niger in a seperate tube feeder. This approach stops starlings or Blue Jays scattering expensive Niger while they are trying top get at the sunflower seeds. I do put a seed mix on my platform as a sort of catch-all for species that are slow to go to other feeders.
I hope this is helpful.

 

[Angie]

I had a similar problem with one seed mix I used. The feeder went down really quickly and there was a lot on the ground. Then I watched what was happening.... the birds were being fussy, picking it out the holes and tossing it over the side!

I now mostly use one type of seed in a feeder or 'no husk, no waste' mixed seed in mesh trays in small amounts. Now very little goes to waste.