Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb bag of
sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few weeks ago
(was mostly the little beige kernels with a sunflower seed here and
there) They've really gone to town emptying my feeders in just a
matter of days.

Is it worth it?

"Blarneystone" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb bag of
sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few weeks ago
(was mostly the little beige kernels with a sunflower seed here and
there) They've really gone to town emptying my feeders in just a
matter of days.

Try the cheap brand, see how much waste the birds dump onto the ground. I
buy my seed from a local feed shop for about $0.30/lb. But you have to bag
it yourself from the bulk bin. Your Wal-Mart bag is $0.48/lb and the premium
seed is $2/lb. Ask yourself is it worth the $1.50 premium?

From my local feed shop, black oil sunflower seed only $0.69/lb, and about
$0.50/lb for large sunflower seed. I bet the premium bird seed is mostly
sunflowers, with some mullet and red mullet seeds, maybe cracked corn and
peanuts. You can probably easily make your own premium bird seed mix for
under $0.50/lb

-S

On 2006-03-18 14:39:16 -0500, "Blarneystone" said:

Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb bag of
sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few weeks ago
(was mostly the little beige kernels with a sunflower seed here and
there) They've really gone to town emptying my feeders in just a
matter of days.

Is it worth it?


No. The birds can not read. They don't care or know the difference. Get
the cheaper stuff.

Tom Randy wrote in
news:2006031919124175249%Sorry@spamsucksnet:

On 2006-03-18 14:39:16 -0500, "Blarneystone"
said:

Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden
shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb
bag of sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few
weeks ago (was mostly the little beige kernels with a
sunflower seed here and there) They've really gone to
town emptying my feeders in just a matter of days.

Is it worth it?


No. The birds can not read. They don't care or know the
difference. Get the cheaper stuff.

the cheaper stuff is mostly millet. if what you want to
attract is sparrows & pigeons, get the cheap stuff. if you
want cardinals, grosbeaks, juncos, nuthatches, etc, get the
more expensive blends with no millet. look at the types of
seed the birds you want to attract prefer, & buy that.
lee
--
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
1984-George Orwell

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:01:35 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

--
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
1984-George Orwell

Updated to current author,
George W. Bush.

Persephone

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..

the cheaper stuff is mostly millet. if what you want to
attract is sparrows & pigeons, get the cheap stuff. if you
want cardinals, grosbeaks, juncos, nuthatches, etc, get the
more expensive blends with no millet. look at the types of
seed the birds you want to attract prefer, & buy that.
lee

I can get thistle and oil sunflower seeds for a whole lot less then $2 per
pound, which is how much the seed mix the original poster was asking about.
That's well above the rip off price rate.

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...+Oil+Sunflower

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=Kaytee+thistle

Perhaps you would like to produce a convincing argument as to why $2 per
pound is a good buy, especially if it's going to have a consumption rate of
2-3 lbs per day.

My feeder gets a mix of finches, cardinals and chickadees using a mix that
about 50% millet.

-S

If i don't feed the birds at all, will they eat more weed seeds and
more caterpillar high up in the tree?

I just provide water, and from what i observe, the birds nimble at the
weeds all the time.

wrote in message
oups.com...
If i don't feed the birds at all, will they eat more weed seeds and
more caterpillar high up in the tree?

I just provide water, and from what i observe, the birds nimble at the
weeds all the time.

I think putting bird feeders attracts more birds to your area. You'll often
see them perch in trees for a bit and check out the bird feeder, to make
sure the coast is clear. The more birds in your yard, the more likely they
are to eat a few bugs on their way to the buffet.

-S

"Blarneystone" wrote in news:1142710756.784428.43200
@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb bag of
sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few weeks ago
(was mostly the little beige kernels with a sunflower seed here and
there) They've really gone to town emptying my feeders in just a
matter of days.

Is it worth it?


My boiwd friends enjoy the expensive stuff. It keeps them regular.

"Blarneystone" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb bag of
sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few weeks ago
(was mostly the little beige kernels with a sunflower seed here and
there) They've really gone to town emptying my feeders in just a
matter of days.

Is it worth it?

the birds will eat the Pennkote black sunflower seeds that you find at Lowes
in 50 pound bags of $13 just fine. unless you can AFFORD the expensive kind,
I don't bother. think of the birds and what they eat if they aren't
supplimented. I've seen chickadee's in the parking lot eating FRENCH
FRIES................so the cheaper seed is just fine. I get mine at the
Co-op or Lowes (or Depot) and the birds tear it up just fine. I also hang
suet baskets with suet (that I DO get at Wally World because theirs is the
same and cheaper) because they need the extra protein when it's cold.
Thistle seed for the tiny birds when I have the bucks in thistle socks, but
once it's spring, they're on their own.............
that's my take on it. I wouldn't waste my money on the fancy stuff unless I
saw proof that they ate almost all of it and I had the money to throw away..
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern TEnnessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36

"Snooze" wrote in
:

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..

the cheaper stuff is mostly millet. if what you want to
attract is sparrows & pigeons, get the cheap stuff. if you
want cardinals, grosbeaks, juncos, nuthatches, etc, get
the more expensive blends with no millet. look at the
types of seed the birds you want to attract prefer, & buy
that. lee

I can get thistle and oil sunflower seeds for a whole lot
less then $2 per pound, which is how much the seed mix the
original poster was asking about. That's well above the rip
off price rate.

i buy a blend of grey sunflower, black oil sunflower,
safflower, peanut (it has hazelnut, pistachio & a few other
seeds & nuts). no millet. it costs me .64 per pound. the birds
i feed don't eat the millet & i was tired of the mound of
rotting millet on the ground under the feeders (the chickens
might eat the millet, but i don't particularly like them
eating under the feeders where they can get diseases from wild
birds...). i buy thistle seperately & i don't remember how
much that is, as the goldfinches, house & purple finches seem
to like the blend more so i don't buy thistle more than
once/year.

Perhaps you would like to produce a convincing argument as
to why $2 per pound is a good buy, especially if it's going
to have a consumption rate of 2-3 lbs per day.

i don't particularly think that's a good price, but i buy my
birdseed at the feed store when i'm buying feed for the
livestock. i also can get a substantial discount if i preorder
my birdseed in the fall. perhaps the OP lives in a city & buys
at the grocery store. that kind of 'convenience' tends to have
a high price.
also, consumption rate may be including waste rate, which IME
is *much* higher when using millet blends.

My feeder gets a mix of finches, cardinals and chickadees
using a mix that about 50% millet.

but how much of that millet are you shoveling off the lawn in
the spring?
lee
--
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
1984-George Orwell

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..


but how much of that millet are you shoveling off the lawn in
the spring?
lee

Almost none, because the mourning doves consume whatever is spilled.

-S

Check at your grocery store. Our's gives suet away and very few customers
know this.

Betsy
"madgardener" wrote in message
...

"Blarneystone" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,

I picked up a bag of premium seed from the high-end garden shop nearby.
It was about $10 for 5lbs.

I was wondering if it's really better than buying a 25lb bag of
sunflower seed for $12 at wal mart?

Compared to the cheep-o seed I bought at home depot a few weeks ago
(was mostly the little beige kernels with a sunflower seed here and
there) They've really gone to town emptying my feeders in just a
matter of days.

Is it worth it?

the birds will eat the Pennkote black sunflower seeds that you find at
Lowes in 50 pound bags of $13 just fine. unless you can AFFORD the
expensive kind, I don't bother. think of the birds and what they eat if
they aren't supplimented. I've seen chickadee's in the parking lot eating
FRENCH FRIES................so the cheaper seed is just fine. I get mine
at the Co-op or Lowes (or Depot) and the birds tear it up just fine. I
also hang suet baskets with suet (that I DO get at Wally World because
theirs is the same and cheaper) because they need the extra protein when
it's cold. Thistle seed for the tiny birds when I have the bucks in
thistle socks, but once it's spring, they're on their own.............
that's my take on it. I wouldn't waste my money on the fancy stuff unless
I saw proof that they ate almost all of it and I had the money to throw
away..
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking English
Mountain in Eastern TEnnessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36



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