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Ideas for saving dropped seeds

13 years ago

Does anyone have any ideas how to save nyjer seed that the birds drop? This is such an expensive seed and so much of it gets wasted and not too many birds seem to eat it from the ground. I know there are wire mesh hoops one can buy but they are too big and wouldn't work with a right-side up Perky Pet Nyjer Feeder as there is no place to attach the straps. What do others do about dropped seeds? This is the only feeder I have problems with as I use shelled BOSS in my other feeders and nothing much gets wasted from that. Any ideas would be appreciated.

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Comments (3)

emma
13 years ago
I had more gold finches than I have ever had before and before they turned yellow. They ate the nyjer seed, but they also ate the hulled sunflower seed just as well. The regular finches won't eat the nyjer so won't buy anymore.
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
13 years ago
I have a lot of birds both little (sparrows, etc.) and large (turkeys) that eat nyjer seed dropped on the ground.

However, I'm never really sure how much of the seed on the ground is whole and how much is empty shells, and I don't really feel like getting down on the ground to inspect it.

According to Wild Birds Unlimited

"One downside of Nyjer is that there is a lot of shell waste. In fact, it may appear the Goldfinches are spilling the seed but careful inspection will show that the birds crack open the tiny shell and extract the meat from within, then discard the empty shell. The empty hulls may choke out lawns, negatively influence soil conditions, attract rodents, and create an unsightly mess in your yard. This waste should also be considered into the cost of feeding your Goldfinches."

Claire
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joan754
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you Claire for your reply. I did not know that nyjer seed had an outer shell. Maybe that is what is below my feeder on the ground. That would make sense as to why other birds didn't seem to bother with it; nothing left to eat from it lol. I used to scoop it up by the handfuls and I've never really looked at it as it just looked like the seed itself. I will again offer some for the goldfinches and this time I will inspect more closely what ends up on the ground.

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