I feed the finches, and the price of nyger seed has doubled in a year. And they can no longer claim that the price increases are because of high fuel prices, like they said last summer!

I'm real tired of all the prices that went up on everything last summer "because of the price of gas" and not come down now that gas is about 1/3 the price it was just a few months ago.

Oh, finch seed is outrageous! I had to stop buying it a couple of years ago.

I'm real tired of all the prices that went up on everything last summer 'because of the price of gas' and not come down now that gas is about 1/3 the price it was just a few months ago.

Yes, and why do I have the feeling they're not ever going to come back down?

You bet. I feed the birds, and will continue to do so. They are a main source of my winter entertainment.

Leslie

I loved feeding the birds in summer and getting visits from migrating flocks and individuals. But I had to start cutting the birds off in spring after the seed attracted a bear who destroyed the feeders and, worse, killed one of my dogs.

I used to buy 100 pounds of bird seed at a time, for about $20.00. Now, that amount would be about $50.00, so I have to buy the not so good stuff in order to afford to buy it at all. I've also cut back on the amount I put out each day.

We've had to stop feeding the birds because we take care of 3 feral cats....I didn't like the idea of making a buffet for the fur babies....But our neighbors take care of them and I know they are also complaining about the big jump in price.....

I quit buying seed several years ago, mostly due to the squirrels eating the seed and tearing up my feeders. I still make suet and feed the birds that daily. I still get lots of the same birds - cardinals, blue jays, juncos, titmice, nuthatches, an assortment of woodpeckers, chickadees and wrens. I just don't get the finches any longer.

I don't know how much the suet really costs me to make, but it is way cheaper than the cakes you buy at the store.

I no longer feed the birds, for economic reasons. I do put out scraps of bread, etc. and they disappear quickly. Last winter, I brought my toaster outside and turned it upside down and shook it to get rid of the black burnt crumbs. Within minutes, there many birds out there, fighting over these meager bits.

Yes it IS very expensive, but we continue to feed all year round, as the birds and squirrels are our entertainment as well. I make my own hummingbird food and make homemade food for the other birds, which is also expensive to make by the time you figure in the cost of the peanut butter, lard, wheat flour, cornmeal, raisins, honey, cranberries and fruit bits. We buy the sunflower seeds, peanuts, and cheap bread. I don't think anyone else in our area feeds, but the birds and squirrels eat good at our house.

We get black oil sunflower seeds at the feedstore- $22 for 50 pounds. I get thistle at WalMart, it's about $18 for 10 pounds. Crazy prices, it used to be about a dollar a pound, but my birds depend on me to feed them, we're the only house out here so I can't send them to the neighbors. :) The finches are numerous these days.

I get free suet from the store when they have it, otherwise they grind fat up with seeds and sell these gigantic "bird balls". rofl I bring them home, smash them down to where they'll fit in my wire mesh holder and freeze them until I need them. It's amazing how different kinds of birds are crazy for fat.

We feed birds and deer. It's a luxury I don't intend to give up.

Yes, it has become very expensive. DH is into feeding the birds in a very big way. Since Nov. 1st we have spent close to $250.00. Last week he found 50# of oil sunflower for $17.99 at Tractor Supply. They have it advertised as 40# bags for $17.99, but said that all they got in was the 50# bags, so they are selling it at the advertised price of the 40#s. Also bought a full case of a variety of types of suet cakes for the price of a case of plain cakes for the same reason.

A feeding station next to a room sized arborvitae
{{!gwi}}

Another station by a Maple tree that holds 3 more suet cakes and a heated bath and sheltered ground feeder underneath.
{{!gwi}}

This is the first year I did not buy the two #50 bags of seed mix feed to the birdies like I always do. It was too expensive. I feel bad for them since the snow is so deep there is nothing for them to nibble on. I used to enjoy watching them since the feeder was just outside my window.

Gazania, those are impressive feeding stations! I'm sure the birds are grateful.

After I posted about the expense, I began to wonder if I'd be smart to cut down to one feeder instead of two. But like Flamingo, I'm the only one around, so the birds depend on me. I just wish the squirrels would find another food source! For a while I was tossing unsalted peanuts out for them, only because I bought a jar that was past its prime. But now they're back to gorging on sunflower seeds.

I guess I'll buy that second feeder and get rid of the older one. I don't know how they manage it, but somehow the squirrels unscrew the locked top and get inside the tube.

I will continue to feed the birds as long as I am even remotely able. I bought some black oil sunflower seeds a few months ago and thought they had made a mistake when I saw the price. Sheesh!!!

Linda

My mom demands feeding the birds every year. I can't believe the amounts they fork out. When its really cold out, I feed them tons and I mean tons. I use those big coolwhip containers that are great to us and throw in the gazebo where they are fed.
We buy the huge 40lb. bag of black oil sunflower seeds and can go thorugh those in nothing flat when its cold and extra feedings given out.
Then we buy 25lbs. I believe it is of major wild bird seeds.
Then a small bag of finch food.
Then small bags of peanuts, used to be able to buy big bags of those too but not now.

Its very expensive and has been for long time now.

We also buy the suets too to put in two baskets.

You're not kidding, the prices have gone up! Last two times we were at Sam's, they no longer had the big box of birdseed from morning glory that I like. But they have 40-lb bags for just $11-something, so I finally bought a couple of those. WRONG! Full of that "filler stuff" that is a waste of money.

But I'll continue to buy seed for the birds, we've trained them to come to us and I'm not going to desert them now.

Those squirrel guards on the 2 feeder poles in my pics above keep them out 100%. And the poles are far enough away from the nearby trees that the squirrels can't jump onto the poles. They do spend a lot of time in the ground feeder and will hog the suet on occasion. We keep the suet hangers out on a flimsy branch so as the make it as hard as possible for them to hang on. We have 2 crows this year for the first that are daily feeders, but they are polite and don't intimidate the little birds or the squirrels. The ground feeder is licked clean every morning...deer love bird seed too. DH recently put a flood light out on the back shed so the deer could find the feeders and whatever shrubs they find tasty in our yard a little easier.

For those of you with squirrel problems - you can try feeding Safflower seed instead of Sunflower seed. The squirrels don't like it as well (they are not supposed to like it at all) and it is much cheaper seed. I used to buy 50 lb. bags of it at the feed store.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Safflower seed

Bird watching (and feeding)is the second-most favorite hobby in the US, next to gardening. Although the price of feed has gone up, very few people are giving up feeding their birds.
We live in the country, have three feeders (one seed and two sunflower seed) and watering stations. If I have to cut back on our grocery money we will still buy seed for the birds. Watching the variety of birds come in is just too much fun to give up!
However, I am going to try to get a consortium of our neighbors together so we can buy wholesale and perhaps save a little money.

I feed the birds too...I have 3 Anna's Hummingbirds with me this winter..I think the extra one might be the "pairs" son from this past nesting season.
With the foot of snow we got...the starlings almost destroyed every last bit of food I had for the others...now that the roads are clear and safe to travel on, I can get to the bird store and restock..there is a tiny bit of the last suet cake..and some of the homemade one I made too..but the seed is gone!
Oh and my birds don't like the black oil..they want safflower or SEEDED sunflower...little spoiled beasts...LOL

oh and I've had a Cooper's Hawk find my feeding station..and hangs out waiting for it's next "finch"!

I called our local feed store to inquire about safflower seed (after reading Lydia's post), and was told they carry it--for $1.29 a pound! Guess I'll pass on that for now, but thanks for the suggestion, Lydia.

Marlingardener, that's a good idea about forming a bird seed co-op.

Alisande, one thing- safflower seed comes already shelled, so really $1.29 isn't that bad. If you shelled 50# of sunflower seeds, you'd probably get about 25# of seed/nuts. And if the squirrels aren't eating any of it, you may end up coming out ahead. Maybe you could try a few pounds of it and see how it compares?

Good point! I'd forgotten safflower seed comes shelled. Yes, I'll give it a try. Thanks!

Sorry Alisande! I haven't bought any seed for years... but when I did, the Safflower was quite a bit cheaper than the Sunflower seed. I haven't checked prices lately. :-)

Mingo - I don't think the Safflower I bought had been shelled. It has a light colored greyish shell.. I think you can buy it shelled at a premium price, but I'm pretty sure mine came with the shells.

like today at sam's...side by side containers of salt...one in a sack was 6.99. the other in a plastic tub, 10 bucks more! is that crazy or what?

we feed the birds all the time (not summer, makes them lazy) except this past week and half they've all been gone...the 0 temps we had were hard...

I'm happy to know where all the birds are,,um, at your house. I don't see that many at my house, I'm guessing they are in the former sunflower field just south of us. I don't even see the blue jays anymore, eating berries off the trees. I hope their fat and happy out there. sniff!

If I get a chance to see any kters this winter, let me know to pack you up a bag of sunflower seed. We have a smaller bin, that dh wouldn't notice a few bags missing. (ok, he wouldn't notice at all) We've sold most of the seed but had a bin full that needed drying. We would be happy to share it.

I love seeing birds feeding, especially when the weather has been so nasty. It makes me feel hopeful that the little guys are going to be ok even when the temps are dreadful.

Yes, I feed the birds...including those that eat on the ground, like pigeons and doves, and possums, squirrels, raccoons, and a wild pig. :))

I buy black oil sunflower seeds, but most of my other food is donated, and I feed the donated food to my dogs and cats, so it isn't much for me to buy the sunflower seeds, when I consider what it would cost to feed 2 dogs and 20+ cats.

I had 25 of the Hurricane Ike orphan squirrels here but the rehabbers donated 10 lb. of pecan halves and 10 lb. of walnut halves...premium, food grade stuff...for them.

I also have horses, and their feed has gone down a dollar over the past 6 weeks. Still not back to the original price, but I was surprised that anything came down.

If you think feeding birds is expensive, I have 4 horses and it costs me $420 a month to feed them during the winter. It is $180 for their feed, and $240 a month for hay, but fortunately, I only have to buy hay a couple more months...have enough pasture for warm weather. But, even tho I could get by feeding them cheaper, they are old and I feel like they need a good quality grain and hay...so that's what they get.

If I didn't receive the donated food, which I get thousands of pounds of per month....there is no way I could feed all the animals here, but we have some good sponsors who donate to us every week, including 4 animal shelters, Houston Food Bank, and the wildlife center. A Walmart gives us all of their ripped bags. I got a lot of thistle seed a few months ago from the Food Bank, and have been waiting for the gold finches, which are just now showing up here.

I've only ever seen safflower seed in the already-shelled form, Lydia. I hope I didn't give Susan mis-information. Yikes! I apologize if I did, Susan. You better not trust what I said.

Forgot to mention a caterer donates her left over food to my friend and I, as well. It's not left overs, as in scraps, but pans of food she didn't use. We get all kinds of stuff. Last week it was breakfast food...french toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, honey dew melon, and we get from her beef stew, potatoes au gratin, pizza, meat for meat sauce for spaghetti, french fries, and a week or so ago, my part included 14 pecan pies. The meat and vegetables and fruit I can use goes to the possums, but the raccoons had a party with the pecan pies.

I put it all down by the bayou and in the morning, if anything is left, the crows clean it up. Well, they are birds too. ;)

Yes, we used to have 11 horses, so I know all too well how expensive that can be.

It's great that you get so many donations, Marilyn. I hope our local Walmart gives away its ripped bags to a deserving cause.