Don't Use Bird Seed

I've had friends tell me they took their feeders down because they were tired of the "weeds" growing under the feeder. I asked them if they were buying regular bird seed and they affirmed they were with a look of "what else would we buy?"

Bird seed mixes are cheap but they're not keeping the nutritional considerations of the bird in mind when they develop them. We stopped using those products many years ago and began using black oil sunflower seeds because they were shown to attract the most species of birds and they contained a good fat content to satisfy the needs of birds for energy.

You can purchase these seeds at a feed and seed store in 50# bags. We also buy "screened cracked corn" because many of the ground birds like that and it keeps the squirrels busy and uninterested in the feeders. In the winter we buy proso millet to scatter around. Our doves love it! I avoid it in summer since the birds have plenty of seed sources on our wildlife habitat property and it sprouts too quickly into grass if it's left for long. If you'd like a mix to fill your feeders, make your own bird seed mix.