Wasteful Birds

[Nyboy]

The wild birds that visit feeders at work are very wasteful. Every day I find large amount of seed on the floor. What really surprises me is no birds eat seeds on ground. I think I must be over feeding if they can be so wastefull. i wasfilling feeders every day. How often do you fill yours

 

[thistlebloom]

I only feed black oil sunflower seeds. It is attractive to a wide variety of birds. I get 50# bags. The horse, mule, goats, and chickens also eat it.
The trouble with a lot of mixes is the filler seed they use that most birds don't like. That all gets rooted out while they look for the good stuff

I fill the feeders every Saturday. If they run out before then, they just have to get something else to eat. There are some weeks when the feeders are empty in two days, and other times when it lasts a couple of weeks.

 

[seedcorn]

It’s the filler. Usually the hard starch from corn that a bird can’t digest. It’s worth every dollar it costs you to buy no corn mix. Want to feed corn, buy shelled corn from a mill-cleaned corn is Best. You get what you pay for.l

 

[aftermidnight]

Different birds like different seed and scratch or flip around until they find what they like. We had the same problem until we started feeding shelled black oil sunflower seed only, not a seed wasted now. That and a suet feeder, none of that gets wasted either. We don't have as many finches at the feeder now, they prefer nyger seed.

Annette

 

[digitS']

Dad went for the nyger thistle seed and sunflower, too.

He didn't want millet seed. Claimed it was only of interest to the English sparrows.

I have been enjoying a bevy of quail showing up in my yard. The way they have mostly ignored what I have put out for them (rolled oats & such), I think that they are cleaning up under some bird feeders.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

We have lots of ground-feeders: cardinals, juncos, doves, sparrows, jays. Actually, DH is just throwing the seed out in one of the flower beds under the trees where we have the suet feeders. The woodpeckers and just about everyone loves the suet. especially the starlings.
We are feeding black oil sunflower and a mix that has a lot of white millet in it. I think several birds like that millet.

 

[Nyboy]

It is you get what you pay for. I was in tractor supply when I spotted what I thought great deal. 50 pounds for like $6. Not the deal I though when at least half is wasted.

 

[flowerbug]

we don't feed the birds here much on purpose. we keep bird baths instead. the idea is to keep the birds around but to not feed them so they have reason to feed on bugs and find weed seeds. we have a large variety of birds here. right now it is the blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers and mourning doves that are most active. in the spring the other warm weather regulars return.

what i do instead is plant bird food types of plants for winter forage. seems to be going ok. my main bird problem is actually the grackles which will crowd out and abuse all the other birds.

 

[Nyboy]

The birds do use the birdbath alot. I have the feeder hung in window my desk looks out. It might be selfish but feeder for my entertainment not because birds are hungry

 

[flowerbug]

yes, for the price it is great entertainment.