Millet seed (proso millet) is an attractive treat that attracts wild birds, easy to locate and rich in vital supplemental nutrients like iron and magnesium.
Scattered across or poured into a low hanging feeder, bird seed can attract finches, doves, sparrows and juncos alike. Its nutritional value closely replicates that of many wild bird species to encourage natural feeding behaviors while providing an authentic birding experience.
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IDEAL White Millet
White proso millet is an ideal way to attract ground-feeding birds and should be used alone or mixed to attract them. Packed full of B vitamins, protein, and essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron; white proso millet provides essential nutrition.
Sunflower seeds provide excellent sources of dietary fibre which promote good gut health, making sunflower a must for the healthy living of birds. But remember, birds require a variety of seeds and grains in their diet in order to live long and fulfilling lives; otherwise they risk becoming “hooked” on oil seeds such as sunflower instead of eating anything else!
Spray millet is a fine-grained seed with a thin hull that can be fed directly on the ground or low tray feeders. Its thin hull makes it popular among wild birds such as buntings, doves, pheasants, and quail; additionally it is often included as part of cage and aviary bird diets where it provides energy sources to small hookbills and canaries.
No-Mess No-Millet
As a general guideline, look for a seed blend without large ingredients like whole corn (which attracts pigeons and other unwanted visitors), tares (a type of dried pea that’s bad for birds), or milo. These ingredients often appear in cheap mixes as filler foods without providing much benefit to most wild birds.
Opt for a no-waste blend that contains black oil sunflower seeds and nyjer (another popular bird seed), along with small seeds such as canary seed to attract lesser goldfinches and pine siskins.
Jay’s No-Grow Blend offers another solution, using fine sunflower chips and hulled millet to minimize waste from inedible shells and husks. It is designed for ground feeding birds like mourning doves, towhees and quail; suitable for tray or platform feeders as well as open habitat feeding sites (not recommended in tube feeders).
Spray Millet
Spray millet is a favorite component of wild bird seed mixtures, often hanging from feeders for easy access. The unique texture of spray millet stimulates birds’ natural foraging behaviors while helping them decipher how to reach each seed – satisfying their instinct to forage while helping prevent behavioral issues that arise due to lack of activity.
Millet can offer many advantages to birds; however, it should not be the main source of nutrition. As demonstrated in the chart above, millet does not supply all the essential vitamins and minerals that birds require in their diet, making it only appropriate as an occasional treat in addition to providing a well-rounded and varied meal.
Spray millet contains not only an abundance of amino acids, but it is also rich in vitamins B complex and E as well as minerals such as iron and magnesium which provide vital nutrition for birds’ health. They support energy production as well as regulate nerve function. Furthermore, pecking at millet seeds stimulates beak muscles to help maintain shape while relieving stress caused by an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.
White Millet Seed
White proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) seeds are beloved among ground-feeding birds. Packed with vitamins and minerals, its low fat content makes it the ideal treat for baby birds or picky eaters – and even serves as an aid during molting, weaning or breeding processes.
Custom mixed formulations using bird seed are designed to attract various wild birds; however, for optimal health and wellbeing of their diet. When offered alongside other foods for birds it should form part of their balanced diet plan.
Birds that feed solely on millet can become malnourished quickly. Therefore, it’s essential that different kinds of food be scattered among various feeders for maximum nutritional coverage and use low tray feeders instead of ground feeding stations. Also avoid seed blends containing milo or red millet as these seeds act like filler/waste seeds that germinate quickly when wet, leading to bacteria growth which quickly spoils fresh seeds faster.
