Blackoil Sunflower seeds (1 Viewer)

Hi, new here and relatively new to wild bird feeding! Im really interested in feeding birds and have been researching black oil sunflower seed as a primary feed. What brands of sunflower seed are best and why? Is the expensive seed worth buying? Please comment any knowledge you have because I would really like to learn more!

Welcome to Birdforum, and sorry your question has been unaswered for so long!

I can't help with the brands available in your area, but the most important point to check is the 'Best before' date - fresh seed is far better than stale, rancid seed. So check which brands offer any guarantee of freshness. Also worth keeping the seed refrigerated while waiting to fill the feeders, if you can.

Been purchasing my black oil from Tractor Supply and its fairly clean. 40# bag costs me $19.95 and with coupons takes it down to $16.50. Lowes and Home Depot became expensive and their feed was very dirty.

Wild Birds Unlimited though I like to support private business, mom and pop, it's too expensive for me and the birds. The birds even told me one afternoon they don't taste a difference.

bunky.

By far the best quality (and also price) here in Canuckland is at Costco. TSC is second, but it's a distant second.

There is nothing approaching the quality of Costco's mixed seed either. You just have to look at it.

Nutcracker said:

Welcome to Birdforum, and sorry your question has been unaswered for so long!

I can't help with the brands available in your area, but the most important point to check is the 'Best before' date - fresh seed is far better than stale, rancid seed. So check which brands offer any guarantee of freshness. Also worth keeping the seed refrigerated while waiting to fill the feeders, if you can.

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For many years here in western North carolina, we have been buying BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) at the local feed store or Tractor Supply (same brand of seed). There is no freshness date on the bag and we have stored it in a trashcan iin our garage for 5 months without any problems - no mold, no bugs and seemingly no effect on the acceptance of birds who eat them the following season.
Our feeder system consists of BOSS in a Yankee Dome feeder to thwart gray squirrels and a platform feeder, which some birds seem to prefer, as opposed to a perching style feeder. We throw proso (white) millet and Boss on the ground for sparrows, juncos, cardinals, towhees, and other birds that prefer to eat at that elevation. Finally, we have a peanut butter/corn meal mix stuffed into holes in a hanging log feeder mainly for woodpeckers and nuthatches but titmice and chickadees also use it.
I would say then that our primary bird seed is BOSS. Don't forget to keep some kind of water nearby. Try eating a mouthful of nuts and seeing if you don't want a swig of something! Our's is a running water feature but my Mom does better with a simple open, shallow pan. Freezing in the winter is a pain so you have to be dedicated to keeping it available.
You might want to join Feeder Watch at Cornell to increase your interest even further. http://feederwatch.org/

Steve

Been getting mine from Tractor Supply, w/ coupon, as well. Best price in my area.