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Sunflower hearts

blameitonthedogblameitonthedog Posts: 122
in Wildlife gardening

As lovely as it is, we seem to be feeding the whole local population of Goldfinches on these... we have a tree full of them all day long.  We don't want to stop but it is getting rather expensive - they ignore the specially grown teasels and niger seed.

Would anyone mind please sharing their most cost effective online source for buying sunflower hearts?  We do already buy in large sacks but wondering if we are missing a better priced source.  Thanks.

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,172

    I bought some big sacks full from our local garden centre in the autumn ... I can't remember how much I paid but they were reduced plus I get a loyalty card reduction so I paid virtually half price.  

    I did buy some online once but unlike the photo, the sack they were sent in was made of a mesh and they'd obviously been left out in the rain ...  within a few days the seeds began to turn mouldy and some began to sprout ... I got my money back but I won't buy online again without being sure they some in a waterproof sack. 

    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • ShepsSheps West YorkshirePosts: 1,315

    I had the same, though nice problem...my record was 64/65 Goldies at any one time on 8 feeders and it just became too expensive to try and keep up with them, plus I think they were becoming a little to dependent on them, so I gradually eased back on the number of feeders I put out, alternating between 2 and 4 depending on the time of year. At the moment I'm getting about 25/30 Goldies, but that will increase during the breeding season and so will the number of feeders I put out, which will help the fledglings get a good start.

    Reducing the Sunflower feeders also freed up a feeding station so I could use other types of feeders, thus attracting other birds like, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Linnet.

    image

    Here are a couple of links

    https://www.lovegardenbirds.co.uk/garden-bird-straight-food/sunflower-seed-hearts/premium-sunflower-seed-hearts?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwtiDvtmH2QIVrbztCh2F_w4QEAAYAiAAEgLH1PD_BwE

    https://www.gardenwildlifedirect.co.uk/premium-sunflower-hearts.html

    I'm not sure what you are paying now, or what size sacks you buy, but from what I have seen if you can pay about £1 per KG then you are not doing too bad.

  • LynLyn DevonPosts: 21,137

    I buy these, in fact I only buy from this company, theit robin mix is excellent, free next day deliver as well.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30KG-2x15Kg-Sunflower-Hearts-Bakery-Grade-Dehulled-Kernels-for-Wild-Bird-Food/121343302994?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • ShepsSheps West YorkshirePosts: 1,315

    That's a good price for 30KG, Lyn image

  • blameitonthedogblameitonthedog Posts: 122

    Thank you for the replies.  My OH has obviously done a good job of shopping around as we've been paying no more than £30 for 30kg.  We're going through a sack at the most alarming rate.  Perhaps we will ration them... slightly!

    Last edited: 02 February 2018 19:23:23

  • RedwingRedwing SussexPosts: 1,304
    blameitonthedog says:

    Thank you for the replies.  My OH has obviously done a good job of shopping around as we've been paying no more than £30 for 30kg.  We're going through a sack at the most alarming rate.  Perhaps we will ration them... slightly!

    Last edited: 02 February 2018 19:23:23

    See original post

     That’s a good price. I pay similar from an eBay seller.

    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 SomersetPosts: 10,501

    I pay £30 for 30kg hulled sunflower seeds  as well from Little Peckers. P & P free and they come in two waterproof 15kg sacks, although very heavy to shift, better than a big one.

    Very envious at number of goldfinches you have, mine vary between 12 and 15 ish  and sometimes only half a dozen.  Aren't they lovely! The big problem I've got is that they still seem to chuck half away which makes an awful stinky mess under the bird feeder (which can't be moved). I had paving down underneath, thinking I could sweep/scrape it up but that didn't work, so took it all up again.

    At the moment, I'm just putting a layer of compost on the top in the hope it will all rot down eventually - any ideas anyone.?

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 82,172

    The blackbirds and wood pigeons hoover up any

    dropped bits of sunflower hearts here.  

    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • LynLyn DevonPosts: 21,137

    I have paving under the feeders, wonder why Lizzie said it didn’t work, Surely other birds would eat it,  there are plenty of ground birds Love sunflower seeds.

    I don’t put just sunflower seeds in the feeder, I mix in the Robin mix together with chopped peanuts and chopped mealworms.

    Have to admit to spending an awful lot of money on bird feed, but then I don’t go out, never buy anything so that’s my one weakness?

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 SomersetPosts: 10,501

    Hello Lyn,

    I took up the paving under the bird feeders as the gunge just piled up and I found it impractical to try to scrape/sweep it all off regularly, especially when it got wet. We do have woodpigeons and blackbirds who eat some of it off the ground, but I also found the birds above also pooed on the food they dropped so I worried about disease. Then we started getting rats in broad daylight which really freaked me out!

    Do you clean your paving off regularly and if so, where do you put the mess? I wasn't sure if it can go in the compost bin? 

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