Recovering wasted sunflower seeds? (1 Viewer)

[Chip616]

I've just begun putting out a tray style bird feeder, filling it with black oil sunflower in the shell. The House Finches, which I wanted to attract, love it, and they are neat eaters. However, the Chickadees are much less neat, flinging shells and seeds all over the ground. I use a shop vac in the grass to pick up what gets wasted, and a quick look at what I pick up shows about 50% shells, and about 50% uncracked seeds. The Finches and the squirrels pick up some of the wasted seed, but still leave large amounts wasted in the lawn.

Any way to easily separate out the empty shells from the still good uncracked seeds?

I've looked at a number of posts here already, and it appears that waste is just part of feeding birds. However, I'd still like to reduce it if I can.

Thanks.

Frank.

 

[jzmtl]

I tried separating them, no luck and very messy. What you can do is to make the sidewall higher to prevent the seeds from fling out, or add a screen/grill that's a few CM above the bottom so the birds can reach pass and pick at the seeds but can't fling them about.

 

[sirwired]

You can consider switching to a no-mess blend, but of course it's more expensive. But no-mess has the advantage that you won't need to be vacuuming your lawn anymore.

 

[grobble]

Any way to easily separate out the empty shells from the still good uncracked seeds?

A bit primitive, but I sort the sunflower from my parrot feeder by blowing on it. If you decant what you pick up with the vac into a pot, then blow on it, that should work.

 

[Chip616]

I thought I'd try an idea that occurred to me. The birds made the mess, so I decided to let them clean it up. I put the vacuumed mix into a large upside down garbage can lid, and let them pick through it. The Chickadees continue to fling it around, but the small lip on the lid keeps most of it in the lid. And the Finches don't seem to mind one bit. The squirrels take some as well, which I don't mind one bit either, and they give our small dog some exercise. Anyway, as long as more of it gets used.

A bit primitive, but I sort the sunflower from my parrot feeder by blowing on it. If you decant what you pick up with the vac into a pot, then blow on it, that should work.

Yeah, peasants have been using that principle with the wind since the dawn of time. Once the vacuumed mix in the lid had been picked through fairly thoroughly, I thought I'd try separating it with the wind as well, but using an electric fan. Didn't work that bad! I recovered another 25% of seed from the picked-over mix, which I just put back in the lid for the birds and squirrels to work at again.

I tried the sunflower hearts, and the Chickadees fling that around as well. It builds up less in the lawn, but it is still a waste.

I'm happy to feed birds and squirrels, but hate the waste. It is costing me more for bird seed than it is for rum, and that I DON'T like. B

Anyway, we'll see how this goes. I'm also learning to put less seed in the feeder at a time, and to put seed in it those times when I can sit and enjoy the activity at the feeder. They seem to be watching me, and it only takes a few minutes after a fill before they are back again.

Frank.