If you’re looking for bird seed in bulk, you’re in luck. There are many different kinds to choose from. Some are better than others, and they all have different benefits for your birds. Here are some examples of the types of wild bird seed you can buy in bulk: Black oil sunflower, Safflower, Niger seed, and White millet.
Contents
White millet
When you want to feed the birds in your yard, white millet seed is a great choice. It’s an all-natural grain that contains no fillers. Its seeds are tannish brown and become yellow when hulled. Many species of birds, including finches and quail, will enjoy eating this seed.
White millet is especially popular with ground-feeding birds. It’s also a favorite among juncos and cardinals. However, it’s not as popular with large birds. Cowbirds and House Sparrows prefer black oil sunflower.
Black oil sunflower
Black oil sunflower seed is an excellent choice for attracting a variety of wild birds. In particular, it attracts cardinals, nuthatches, woodpeckers, and mourning doves. It is also a favorite of people, and is safe for human consumption. Black oil sunflower seeds come from a common sunflower plant. Throughout the years, many varieties of sunflower have been developed by selective breeding. Some produce a great deal of seed, while others produce only a few. In either case, the seeds are processed in the same way.
Black oil sunflower is a popular choice among backyard birds because it contains a high amount of oil. The oil content in these seeds makes them a great source of energy and is easy for smaller birds to eat. Unlike other types of sunflower seeds, black oil sunflower seed has a thin shell, which makes it perfect for feeding birds in platform, hopper, or tube feeders.
Safflower
Safflower is one of the most nutritious bulk wild bird seeds, and is an excellent choice for backyard bird feeding. It has a distinctively thick shell and can be set out in a variety of feeders. Safflower is a favorite of cardinals, grosbeaks, doves, and other native birds, though it is not favored by European Starlings. It can also be set out in window feeders and small hanging feeders.
While safflower isn’t commonly found in grocery stores, you can find it at pet stores and specialty wild bird stores. You can also purchase safflower in bulk from online bird seed retailers. These retailers will offer bulk discounts and lower prices than the local bird stores. Safflower is often included in bird seed blends, but you should look for a quality blend that contains it.
Niger seed
Niger seed is a high energy seed popular with wild finches. It is grown in parts of Africa and Ethiopia, and comes from a plant called Guizotia abyssinica. Niger seed contains large amounts of oil, which makes it an excellent source of energy. It is best served in specially designed feeders. A Nifty Niger feeder includes small holes for the birds to feed directly from the seed.
Niger seeds are also a great food for smaller birds. They provide a quick meal and have high protein and calorie content, which are important for building up fat reserves for the winter.
Sorghum
If you’re in the market for bulk wild bird seed, sorghum is a great choice. In addition to being an excellent source of energy, sorghum is a nutritious, non-rotting winter food source for all types of game birds. It’s a good choice for all types of wildlife, and is especially good for quail, turkey, pheasants, doves, and ducks. It’s also a popular choice for deer.
Most wild bird seed mixes contain sorghum. However, birds don’t eat this seed as much as other seeds, such as black oil sunflower and white millet. As a result, sorghum seeds can pile up beneath bird feeders. In addition, sorghum seeds deteriorate more quickly than most other seeds, and can become a health hazard much sooner than other seed types. In order to avoid these problems, consider purchasing hulled sunflower seeds.
Hulled sunflower
Hulled sunflower is one of the most economical and convenient ways to feed your wild birds. This seed is high in fat and energy, and is particularly valuable during winter, when the birds’ bodies need energy to keep warm. It is also an attractive choice among a wide variety of songbirds, including nuthatches, chickadees, and finches.
Hulled sunflower seeds are easy for birds to eat and are preferred by different species. Hulled sunflower attracts many types of birds, including jays, house sparrows, goldfinches, and Carolina wrens. This seed does have some disadvantages, however, and you must clean it more often than other types of sunflower.
