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Niger feeders

pugslovesunpugslovesun Posts: 300
in Wildlife gardening
Hi has anyone got a  recommendation for a good brand of niger feeder. Ground below mine is littered with seeds, so a lot  going to waste. There’s no tray on mine.
many thanks.

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  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    I don't bother with a niger feeder anymore.As you say there is always a lot of mess.
    I now stick to sunflower hearts only.Loved by lots more birds and not just the goldies.
    Anything that drops on the ground is snapped up by blackbirds and other ground feeders.
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    I don't think I will use a niger feeder anymore. I have had to put the wheelbarrow underneath the bird feeders and you wouldn't believe the amount that drops in. I will try with just the sunflower hearts for a while and see if what drops gets eaten. The finches do like the niger seed though ...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t buy Niger seeds anymore, they just sit on the feeder flicking them out, I’ve watched gold finches throwing them about, no ground feeding birds eat them, what goes on the garden grows. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    @Lyn.  You have certainly convinced me not to buy any more niger seed. I see the goldfinches throw seed over their shoulders so to speak and I thought it was a husk or something inedible but it certainly takes root whatever it is. Hopefully the ground feeders will eat the fallen sunflower hearts. Have been wondering what to do for a while.

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    edited May 2019
    If you get a sunflower feeder the Gold finches will really appreciate that. 
    Sorry edited to add, should have said sunflower seed feeder.🙂 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    Thanks @Lyn. Will get it sorted. A load off my mind as there was nowhere to put the feeder where the dropped seed wouldn't germinate.  :)
  • BrexiteerBrexiteer Posts: 955
    The goldies do sit there and make a mess as they break the seeds into a size to swallow but the woodpigeons, blackbirds ect will eat that so no mess will be left. Sunflower hearts available at the pound shop
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    They don’t eat them here, they just grow. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    I only really get finches on my feeder don’t know why, I use sunflower hearts and they love them, my expensive niger and feeder were ignored! Very rude I thought......
  • BrexiteerBrexiteer Posts: 955
    Our goldies in Birmingham are posh ☺ only the best poundland sunflower hearts for my birds 
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