Bird Feed ?

[thedeadsea]

Ok this is the bird watching forum but I figured there will be some general bird experts in here.

I put out feeders this year with mixed bird seed; black sunflower, crushed corn, and little round yellow seeds (millet?).

The birds totally clean out the sunflowers and dont touch the others seeds. Is this common?? I have to go out and stir up the feeders to get the sunflower seeds on top and then the birds are back in force. I have several species from chickadee to blue jay in size and all prefer the sunflowers. I never noticed this before??

Steve

[dockothebay]

You'll get lots of information here - some very smart folks! I experienced the same issue - so I only buy the black sunflower seeds - I don't bother with any mixes! I get everything from chickadees to pileated woodpeckers both here in the cities and at our cabin up north. Between the seeds and suet blocks, my feeders are always busy.

[Steve Foss]

I put out feeders this year with mixed bird seed; black sunflower, crushed corn, and little round yellow seeds (millet?).

The birds totally clean out the sunflowers and dont touch the others seeds. Is this common?? I have to go out and stir up the feeders to get the sunflower seeds on top and then the birds are back in force. I have several species from chickadee to blue jay in size and all prefer the sunflowers. I never noticed this before??

Steve

After feeding birds and experimenting with seed over the course of 30 years, I can tell you that black oil sunflower is the single most universally attractive seed for northern birds. There are bird species that prefer other seed, but they all will come in to the sunflower seed and use it.

Finches, which tend to prefer niger (thistle) seed, will gobble the sunflower. Jays, which tend to prefer peanuts/corn, will gobble sunflower. Suet eaters such as woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches also will take sunflower, as will the sparrow and junco species.

Nowadays I provide three sources of energy for winter birds: black oil sunflower, cracked corn (for those few ground-scratchers) and suet.

[Jim Almquist]

Go to L&M or a feed mill and you should be able to buy 50# of Black Oil Sunflower seeds for right around $13.00. As far as suet you could make your own with this recipe.

lard

crunchy peanut butter

sunflower chips

plain yellow cornmeal

I take equal parts of lard and chunky peanut butter, place in a boiler and on LOW heat, let it melt.

Add sunflower chips, (and more peanuts if you want)

Add plain yellow cornmeal until it takes up the oil/grease from the lard and peanut butter. The mixture will be really thick.

You can pretty much customize this recipe....I've added rolled oats, raisins, and cherrios to this mixture before.

I fill the little plastic containers that suet comes in when you buy it from walmart, and store it in the fridge.

During the winter you won't have to add as much cornmeal, but in the summer, the cornmeal keeps it from melting

[thedeadsea]

Thanks guys. I'll pick up some regular black sunflower seeds. Thats what we always used to use, I figured the mix would attract more small birds, which IMO are more fun to watch.

I was laughing when it took the deer 12 hours to find the feeders, yet the birds took 6 days. The deer literally lick the feed right out of the feeders (even the hanging gallon jugs)! I 'll put the remainder of the mixed feed on the ground to make it easier for them.

I buy suet/fat from Zups. They will even cut it to your dimentions when it is frozen. I have a couple of feeders that have 1"x4" lumber as the side walls and top/bottom with dowels as the front/back walls. Seem to work pretty well, we even get flying squirrels on it sometimes.

We used to feed dog food to the whiskey jays but for some reason there aren't ever that many around here. Around my hunting shack they are everywhere.

Thanks again,

Steve