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Chicken feed for wild birds?

floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
in Wildlife gardening
The price of bird food is so expensive here this year even the so called cheap ones which are full of fillers. Sunflower hearts are a no no this year, so I was wondering about giving chicken grains?

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  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Hi @floralies
    When I fed my hens every morning, there were many happy diners at their table - including those 2 pesky pigeons that spy on my from their tree.
    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    In my experience chicken feed grains contain a ot barley ... that'll attract pigeons and some of the larger birds ... smaller birds like goldfinches, tits etc will discard most of them.

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    That's what I was wondering @Dovefromabove I just can't afford to buy 40 kg of sunflower hearts which is the amount the goldfinches will eat each winter, if not more!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited December 2022
    Chris Skinner of High Ash Farm (a fount of knowledge of all things to do with feeding wild birds etc  who broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio Norfolk) recommends the black sunflower seeds with the husks still on ... they're quite a bit cheaper than the shelled hearts ... he says the birds are quite capable of opening them ... it's just they take a little longer, but as he says that gives us a better chance to watch them.  Of course, it also means they drop the husks, but a broom soon deas with that.  

    https://www.facebook.com/Highashfarm/

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I quite agree, of course the soft billed birds go for the easy option first for fast food!
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited December 2022
    @floralies  have only once found sunflower hearts on sale here and the price was ridiculous.   Our wild birds get the packs of mixed grains sold in Leclerc.  We decant them into a big tub so we can add extra black sunflower seeds, also from Leclerc.   

    Currently getting thru 3 mugs a day as loose feed for ground feeders plus fat balls and blocks for the swingers.  The hens like it too.


    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    That's what I'm doing @Obelixx doing a decant and mix.
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