Last updated on May 1st, 2023 at 10:34 am
Feeding birds takes resources and requires some investment because they need to be farmed, treated, and transported. And recently, bird seed has gotten even more expensive due to market changes. Whether you purchase Nyjer seed, suet cakes, or black sunflower seeds, feeding the birds has gotten harder.
Here are 6 reasons why bird seed is so expensive:
1. Bird Seed Delivery Is Expensive
Consumers always pay a cost for the transport of goods, and bird seed is typically transported over long distances in large quantities.
Nyjer seed, for example, is native to Ethiopia and imported from farms in Africa and Asia to North America to be used as bird seed.
It takes a considerable amount of petroleum to get the job done, which means that bird seed will be expensive.
In recent years, the cost of petroleum has gone up, too, which in turn brought the price of delivered goods like bird seed up.
2. Corn Prices Have Increased Due to Higher Biofuel Demands
In recent years, there has been a shift towards producing more alternative energy sources, including biofuels.
Biofuels are made from corn and other grains, and farmers have shifted their sales to biofuel companies over bird seed companies.
They can retrieve more money when selling corn and other grains to be made into biofuels.
With the price of corn and other grains rising, bird seed suppliers must pay more to get a share of the available product.
They pass this cost on to the buyer, who must then pay more to purchase a bag of bird seed.
3. There Has Been an Increase in Sunflower Seed Demands
As the public has become more aware of the dangers of trans fats, companies have adjusted their products.
The adjustment includes less vegetable oil and more sunflower oil, thus reducing the trans fat content of their foods.
This means that black sunflower seeds, used to make sunflower oil and feed the birds, have become highly demanded, driving up the price.
4. Drought Has Impacted Bird Seed Production
Drought has brought down the 5-year average of safflower and sunflower seed production.
Farmers have been shrinking crop sizes to protect themselves against weather-related losses, so the cost of seeds paid by the consumers has been steadily increasing as a result.
Seeds are also becoming less available to farmers, making it harder to produce them.
5. More People Are Raising and Feeding Birds
Since the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, more people have taken up birding to pass the time and connect with the world.
As a result, more people are buying birding equipment and supplies, including bird feeders and seeds.
With more people demanding these supplies, the cost of them has gone up considerably.
6. Some Seeds Need To Be Heat Sterilized
Some seeds need to be heat sterilized to kill weed seeds, which is an expensive process that drives up the overall price of seeds.
For example, Nyjer seed is heat-treated before it makes the journey across the ocean. It’s also one of the most expensive bird seeds on the market.
How To Save Money on Bird Seed
You can save money on bird seed by buying seed at the right time of the year and using alternative foods to feed the birds.
Below I’ll explain when you should buy bird seed and share tips on avoiding waste and why you should buy bird seed in bulk.
When To Buy Bird Seed
You can save some money on bird seed by purchasing seed mixes right after fall harvests, in the late autumn and early winter.
This is when bird seed is most plentiful and easiest to come by, meaning the prices will be lower even if more consumers are buying it at this time.
Cheap Bird Seed Alternatives
The following are inexpensive alternatives to bird seed you can use to feed your avian friends:
- Fruit (fresh or dried)
- Cooked rice
- Noodles (cooked or raw)
- Lard
- Crunchy peanut butter
- Rolled oats
- Rice Krispies cereal
- Frozen bacon grease
- Peanuts
- Sunflower seeds (hulled, unsalted)
Ensure you don’t feed birds bread, as it’s easy for them to overeat this food.
Furthermore, bread lacks the essential nutrients that birds need to stay warm and healthy throughout the cold months.
You should avoid purchasing milo even though it’s an inexpensive seed choice unless you’re feeding chickens, turkeys, or house sparrows. Most birds will avoid milo.
How To Avoid Waste
You can avoid wasting bird seed by filling each feeder with one unique seed instead of using a mix.
This is because birds will hunt through a mix looking for their favorite kinds of seeds, and they’ll leave the rest.
By putting just one kind of seed in each feeder, you can learn what birds like which food and keep them from discarding unwanted seeds on the ground.
It’s also a good idea to feed birds a limited amount each day rather than continually refilling the feeder. Birds will overeat if the food is freely available.
Watch to see how much they eat from the early morning through to mid-morning and then place just that amount in the feeder half an hour before dusk.
You can also prevent birds from wasting seeds by using a sock feeder instead of a tube feeder.
Or, you can place a platform underneath the feeder so that the seed isn’t lost when it spills.
Why You Should Buy Bird Seed in Bulk
You can save a considerable amount of money on bird seed by buying in bulk rather than in small quantities.
For example, Wagner’s Black Oil Sunflower Seeds can be bought from Amazon.com in 25 or 40-pound bags.
This is a much better price than you’ll find at the average store.
Just make sure that you keep your bird seed somewhere dry, cool, and contained to not attract mold or pests.
The last thing you want is to invite an infestation into your home or feed birds contaminated seed.