Choosing the right kind of seed can be tricky. A lot of people ask, “Why pay more for seed in a specialty catalog or at a specialty store when you can get the same thing cheaper at the grocery store?” First, it’s not the same thing! Second, you get what you pay for - the good stuff is going to cost you a little more, but your birds will truly love you for it!

Although you may find seed at your local grocery store for less money, this seed will not be as appealing to birds. These cheaper seed mixes often contain a lot of “filler” seed. This is seed that takes up room in the bag, is inexpensive, but is undesirable as part of a bird’s diet. Birds can be finicky; in fact, you will notice that birds pick through the seed mix to find what they really want. Birds often will not eat this filler seed, and instead flick it onto the ground. Premium seed will actually give you more edible seed per pound than other inexpensive seed mixes.

There are many kinds of seeds to choose from, but a few basic types of seeds can satisfy most birds. Buying several varieties of seed in bulk and mixing them yourself can actually save you money and you’ll be feeding your birds only the seeds they love!

Black oil sunflower seeds win the award for Best All Around! Black-oil sunflower seeds will attract the widest variety of birds to your yard. Cardinals, grosbeaks, nuthatches, and finches will all eat this gourmet seed. The thin shells are ideal for small birds to open and they are very rich in oil.

Striped sunflower seed is larger than the black-oil variety, and has a harder shell. This makes it good for heavy-billed birds like grosbeaks, jays and cardinals.

Sunflower hearts are sure to be a favorite with almost all birds! The birds can enjoy the sunflower hearts, without having to fight with the shells. They also are a lot cleaner under your feeder since there is virtually no waste. The downside is that this type of seed is less resistant to moisture as they are not protected by the shell.

Safflower seed is a cardinal favorite, and is also enjoyed by downy woodpeckers and evening grosbeaks. It is a white seed that is rich in oil. The best thing about safflower seed - squirrels usually avoid it! Mix safflower seed with black-oil sunflower seed and watch the birds flock, while the squirrels stay away.

Nyjer (Thistle) seed draws a lot of smaller songbirds such as finches, and pine siskins. There are special feeders with smaller feeding ports to dispense this tiny seed economically. Mixing small amounts of Nyjer with other seeds will make this expensive seed last longer!

White proso millet has a hard shell that makes it less prone to spoiling or rotting. Use this seed for ground or platform feeding. Although it comes in a red variety, birds typically prefer the white. It is also a key ingredient in many seed mixes.

Peanuts are a special treat for large birds. Peanut hearts or whole shelled peanuts are very nutritious and jays and woodpeckers love them! Unfortunately, so do the squirrels. If you’re serving peanuts, expect a visit or two from your gray bushy-tailed friends.

There is a virtually endless variety of seeds you can feed your wild birds. Buy single varieties in bulk and mix them yourself, or buy mixes already made for you. The important thing is to read the ingredients of mixes. The best mixes will consist mostly of sunflower seeds or hearts, rather than “filler” seed. It may seem a lot more expensive, but in the long run you will save money on all that wasted seed from cheaper mixes.

Article originally posted on Duncraft

Tags: Bird Feeders, Bird Food, Bird Seed, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, Peanuts, Safflower Seed, Sunflower Seeds

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 4th, 2009 at 7:41 pm and is filed under How To Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.