Welcome garnet 116. It`s always nice to have another bird watcher on board. Sounds like you have all the major food preferences covered. Mixed seed is often cheaper but then as you say, a lot of it is just wasted. I can`t advise you on average prices as I`m in Canada but perhaps there are other farmers`supply stores in your area that carry seed - maybe even Wal-mart!!! It sounds like you have a nice variety of birds - have you considered offering suet for woodpeckers, flickers and nuthatches - always a joy to see them at the feeders.

I do buy my Bird feeders at Tractor supply. But not our seed..We get cracked corn,sunflower seed and thistle seed at our local grain store. and 1/2 of the price.I bought mixed seed and it had millet in it. All went on ground. But being from Farming state prices are cheaper here.Dh get the seed in 50# bags. My suet cakes get at Menards-big variety. Some times make my own.

I was informed not to buy seed with milo in it because the birds won't eat milo.

here tractor supply is higher in price than the ranch and farm stores or the feed mills the last bag of sunflower seed I got from tractor supply had lots more stems and waste in it than other brands. as far as milo goes it just depends on what birds you get, many of the little birds don't eat the milo as its hard for them to crack. but the doves and blackbirds and house finches and grosbeaks and some woodpeckers here eat the milo. they grow safflowers here so we are cheaper than some other places

What is safflower seed and what kind of birds eat it?

Safflower seed is a small, round, white, or yellow seed. The smaller birds eat it like goldfinches and titmice. Way to expensive! I get a mix of peanuts, black oil sunflower, striped sunflower, and safflower for ten bucks at Giant Eagle. It fills my feeder at least five times. I just think mixes get you more bang for your buck. They attract a variety of birds.

I agree. i get the same mixture of bird food you do. More variety of birds.

Thanks guys. I do have a double suet feeder (it is one that is enclosed in a cage, bought it at Lowe's) that the woodpeckers love. I have Downy, Hairy and occasionally a Red Bellied that frequent the suet feeder.

I forgot, there is a farm & feed store somewhat near me, I've never thought to go in there, but I may stop in and see if they have any seed. Thank you!

I only feed during the winter months but when I do I feed suet and Tractor Supply's Royal Wing Fruit & Nut blend. It is more pricey but it isn't wasted and I get very few house sparrows and starlings. If you feed cheap seed you get house sparrows and starlings... Trying to keep them out of my area as I now have out my nest boxes and chickadees busy building nests in them.

I know this is an old post, but safflower seed is too expensive, unless you have a squirrel or starling problem. The only bird food you need is black oil sunflower seed (BOSS) and suet cakes.

Just editing my comments above to say that l no longer wish to keep black birds like starlings, grackles, crows, etc., away from my feeders or yard. They are hungry also and may help keep Gypsy Moths and grubs at bay.

I buy most of my birdseed at Tractor Supply for several reasons. First, I pass the store several times a week going here or there and can get in and out in a jiffy even if I stop to ooooh and ahhhhh at the baby chicks and ducklets for a couple minutes. Secondly, because of the rapid shelf turnover, I know the seed stocks are probably fresher than other places where the seed or seed mixes may have been sitting on the shelf or in a warehouse for months. Thirdly, I typically buy only BOSS seeds for the birds and a bag of shelled peanuts as a blue jay treat. As to suet cakes, I feed those only during the winter and make my own using what seed I have on hand, peanut pieces, lard, and chunky peanut better. Any mix with safflower or corn goes uneaten around here and even the squirrels ignore those bits that are tossed out of the feeder onto the ground.

While I much prefer to buy seed at a real feed store, all our local feed stores have moved farther out or gone out of business here a bouts. Counting travel time, it quickly became more labor and dollar intensive to visit a feed store when quite honestly, I don't know that most backyard type birds can tell the difference or want to know where you got their vittles.

Chewy.com has a great selection of birdseed and several premium feeds with no

waste. Plus free shipping is great and package arrives in 2 days to your door.

I like the Wagner's Premium seeds that have different seeds for birds in my area.

When I put that out after using the cheap feed store seed with lots of junk filler seed,

I get new colorful varieties of birds which I didn't have before. If you're serious

about enjoying a good variety of birds, the premium feed is worth it.

Do the Chewy.com birdseed have any additives? Some say we should boycott birdseed with additives.

Edited to add example: catherinet Hi Pat! I won't buy most of the seed from Walmart because that brand has "vitamins", etc.