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Nyjer/Niger Seed and waste (1 Viewer)

I recently bought a Nyjer feeder to see if I could attract some Goldfinches into the garden. Virtually an instant success - had up to 15 at any one time within a week, they were literally queuing up waiting their turn. So I bought another feeder and in fact a third as well. This has continued to attract ever more Goldfinches, growing numbers of Greenfinches and last weekend a lone Siskin (first for the garden).
Cutting to the chase - I have noticed that the finches seem to grab a beak full of the seed each time, dropping the majority of it on the floor. I'm a little concerned that my garden will soon be covered in thistle seedlings but having got through several kilos of seed, looking for a way to slowdown how quickly I was getting through the seed especially as it seemed they were probably wasting up to 75pct of it. I thought it was asking a bit much to expect them to tidy up their eating habits so I bought the seed trays that attach to the bottom of the tube with the intention of collecting the waste and filling the tubes back up. Trouble is I hadn't counted on the finches' own natural waste in the form of their droppings which is also collected by these trays. I now have a big container full of uneaten but dropping soiled Nyjer which I obviously can't re-use.
Has anyone got any bright ideas? Also am I correct in thinking that I will soon be treated to thistle seedlings popping up everywhere?
 
I used to have the same problem with my feeders as the birds seemed to scatter it all about merrily whilst eating!
Perhaps it's a finch thing to be messy feeders? I used to have a few free-range canaries in my living room and they were terrible for chucking food out everywhere as they searched for their favourite seed! Forever had the hoover on LOL
I used to have the odd seedling coming up on my lawn but just kept the 'weeds' in check by mowing....but even so, my lawn soon became more seedling than grass! I didn't have THAT bad a problem though as other species soon ate up a lot of the spilt seed!
But on one memorable day, just before we moved house, I was mowing the lawn and noticed an unusual plant in the flower border.....Cannabis!!!!! I called my hubby to have a look and then pulled it out LOL Obviously from some bird seed out of the feeders - but the police probably wouldn't have seen it that way!!! And my pleas of being violently against ANY form of drug (i'm the girl who won't even take paracetamol!) would have fallen on deaf ears!!! LOL

GILL
 
LOL gill i have not been as lucky as you to with my nyger feeders but what you could do is adapt your trays by putting in gaps where the magority of the poo is and just connect it in a little connectorsor you could try putting a min birdtable underneath to catch the seed that then will be eaten and then you can kust wipe away te poo every now and then
 
Would sock feeders for the niger seed solve the problem? I believe the birds can only get a seed or so at a time, not beaksful. (I haven't used the sock feeder yet but plan to convert from a gravity feeder for the reasons already mentioned.)
 
Katy Penland said:
Would sock feeders for the niger seed solve the problem? I believe the birds can only get a seed or so at a time, not beaksful. (I haven't used the sock feeder yet but plan to convert from a gravity feeder for the reasons already mentioned.)


Sock feeders are the best way to use niger seed.Only one seed at a time.
I have tried them all.Sunflower hearts and niger seed will bring in more birds
than any wildbird mix!!

I always have 8 feeders and 4 suet filled at all times.

1..sunflower hearts
2..niger seed
3..wildbird mix
4..black oil sunflower seed{in shell}
5.finch mix
6..safflower

o:)
 
Thanks, Buhlbird! I've noticed since offering more sunflower hearts than the black-oil seeds in shells, the feeders are going down more quickly. LOL! I haven't been able to get to town to get a sock feeder yet but hopefully can this weekend.
 
Don't know what a sock feeder is, but guess that is what I use for the niger - in theory they can't eat more than one seed at a time - but they still chuck tons on the floor ...the snow is black for a metre round. Redpolls like the floor stuff though.

Not too bothered if seedling appear - can't buy niger in this country and have to import it all, so a few growing would be good :)
 
Katy Penland said:
Would sock feeders for the niger seed solve the problem? I believe the birds can only get a seed or so at a time, not beaksful. (I haven't used the sock feeder yet but plan to convert from a gravity feeder for the reasons already mentioned.)
Nay of the waste with sock feeders. There is probably a pound of thistle below each of my sock feeders. :(
 
KC

That just looks like one of the bags I get with my laundry powder blocks here in the UK. I wonder whether it would be safe to use one of those.
 
Y'know, I'm starting to think I should make a "suet" cake out of just niger seed. "Glue" it together with something other than fat so it would withstand the increasingly warmer weather as spring arrives. Wonder if that would eliminate so much wastage. Niger is so expensive, I just hate seeing that much on the ground because only the smallest of the finches eat it, and the pine siskins leave when the weather warms up, so not many takers for whatever falls on the ground.
 
Jos Stratford said:
Don't know what a sock feeder is, but guess that is what I use for the niger - in theory they can't eat more than one seed at a time - but they still chuck tons on the floor ...the snow is black for a metre round. Redpolls like the floor stuff though.

Not too bothered if seedling appear - can't buy niger in this country and have to import it all, so a few growing would be good :)

Niger is a native of Ethiopia, mostly produced in India. It will germinate in hot summers in Europe but won't grow successfully.
 
Touty said:
Niger is a native of Ethiopia, mostly produced in India. It will germinate in hot summers in Europe but won't grow successfully.


Here in the US I believe its heat treated as a condition of its import so no germination should happen, not sure if thats true in UK
 
DavidP said:
Here in the US I believe its heat treated as a condition of its import so no germination should happen, not sure if thats true in UK


Well David, they better recheck their heat treatments because in my own property and others I have seen Nyger, along with several other bird seeds, germinate under the feeders.

Mark
Bastrop, TX
 
humminbird said:
Well David, they better recheck their heat treatments because in my own property and others I have seen Nyger, along with several other bird seeds, germinate under the feeders.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

"Several years ago, APHIS identified niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica) imported as bird food as a pathway for multiple species of Federal noxious weeds. APHIS developed a heat treatment to devitalize the weed seeds without unduly affecting the palatabilityof the bird seed. APHIS then worked with industry to approve three heat treatment facilities to mitigate the risk associated with imported niger seed. "

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/plantproducts/seedweb.html

Obviously not working as well as they had hoped
 
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What's In A Name?

Presumably Niger only became Nyger or Nyjer after the PC crowd poked its beak in and manufactured a perceived problem where one did not exist.

Anyway, a small amount of Niger is a very useful addition to the diet of seed-eating wild birds prior to and during the breeding season, as it helps to prevent egg-binding (a.k.a. egg-retention) in females, which can be fatal.

Anthony
 
Anthony Morton said:
Presumably Niger only became Nyger or Nyjer after the PC crowd poked its beak in and manufactured a perceived problem where one did not exist.

Anthony

I'm sure you're right, although if you look at the above site the US government uses the "niger" spelling. Guess they haven't had a lawsuit yet
 
DavidP said:
I'm sure you're right, although if you look at the above site the US government uses the "niger" spelling. Guess they haven't had a lawsuit yet

Hi David,

Glad to hear it, although it may be because all your lawyers are over here stoking-up the Crazy Compensation Claim Culture that's overtaking us!

Hey, I just chipped a fingernail on my keyboard. Can I claim damages for a work-related injury? If so, how much and from whom? Where do I sign? :h?:

Yours in mirth,

Anthony
 
My Niger seed actually germinated INSIDE the feeder. I don't bother buying Niger seed now as the birds in my garden never really took to it.
 
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