'cheap' birdseed?

13 years ago

I have always bought "whatever" birdseed -- from Walmart, Tractor Supply, Lowes, Target, etc. depending on what store I happened to be in when I thought about birdseed. But I am getting the impression from you all that there's birdseed and then there's "cheap" birdseed. Just what makes a birdseed cheap and what makes it good? I would definitely like to discourage our plentiful cowbirds and HOSPS (though I haven't seen any HOSPS in my yard as of yet). What should I avoid and what should I buy?

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Comments (7)

kendra2003
13 years ago
Most folks use black oil sunflower seed and nyjer seed. The ones containing millet and corn tend to attract HOSPs. The HOSP will eat the "good" stuff sometimes, but at least it's not their favorite.
bandjzmom
13 years ago
Hey deanie! I can only answer for myself and give my opinion. I agree with Kendra. I think that the less you spend for seed mixes, the more millet, corn, and milo you get in the mixes. So, "cheap" seed is the seed with tons of that stuff which draws in the undesirables. I only feed Black Oil Sunflower, Thistle(Nyjer),Suet,Peanuts,Sunflower Hearts/Chips, and dried cherries and raisins. Look for seed mixes that contain NO millet, corn, or milo. There are loads of great options, even at Walmart. Every single time I have tried any mix containing any millet, here come the flocks of undesirable birds. That is just my experience. Some people may not have that problem. HTH.~~Angie
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I'm guessing it must be house sparrows; no other sparrows come in such large numbers. There is no food that house sparrows will not eat including nyjer and especially black oil sunflower seeds. They really like BOSS. They eat the nyjer seed as well; it's just not as easy for them to get at because of the small holes. I know as I have lots of HOSP so the only solution for me was active control of HOSP. Now I have their numbers under control and I have had other song birds galore that I never really saw much of before. I live in an urban area and have a small yard. I used to get overrun with HOSP because they seem to love the area I live in. Even -35 in the winter doesn't deter them. They are very hardy and adaptable. They will eat anything put out.
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dzyg
13 years ago
Yep, don't buy that junk! I buy bags of BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower), sunflower hearts and peanuts and then mix them up myself to put out. I sometimes get nyjer in the summer for the finches too but they eat BOSS and sunflower hearts just as well. I must say I saw a great decrease in the number of Cowbirds we get when we switched from the cheaper seed mixes. It has been years since I switched and we don't get many cowbirds around here at all.

Donna
deanie13
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks so much guys! No cheap stuff for me! Now I'm going out to the garage and read the ingredients on my bags.
callalilykris
13 years ago
I agree with kendra and bandjzmom. I only feed black oil sunflower, nyjer, suet, peanuts, and sunflower hearts/chips. The tractor supply stores or even sometimes hardware stores offer these types of seed in large quantities at lower prices.
bandjzmom
13 years ago
Yes, kris is right deanie. I buy 40lb bags of Black Oil Sunflower seed at my local Tractor Supply for $15.99. That will last me awhile. Then, if you want to buy a smaller bag of more premium seed which contains lots of fruits and nuts, you can mix it into your large bag of plain BOSS, making your own custom mix. I love Tractor Supply, and they have lots of great birding buys there, including those pretty and durable Stokes brand feeeders that I adore.~~Angie
ohsoblue77
13 years ago
Although troubling times have occurred and I haven't fed seed in a while, like the others I feed the Black Oil Sunflower and nyger seed.

I quit with mixes ages ago. Unfortunately, two or three of my neighbors seem to love it and draw HOSP, blackbirds, and hawks in with it. Angering but I've made good choices I guess I can't inform everyone. Some people just don't believe or understand the bluebird hobby. There's a lot to it - but it's real and it's a great experience and very rewarding.

'cheap' birdseed?

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'cheap' birdseed?

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kendra2003

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