6 replies to this topic

[Greasy6020]

I'm interested in growing bird seed at my dads place...

For both seat time and to experiment. If it turns out good I'll try selling it.

Anyone think bird seed straight out of the bag (from Walmart etc) would germinate and produce any amount of seed? I have probably 4 acres I can play in with the bird seed...

If my dads old gleaner f2 combine is running next fall I should be able to pull it off the field. Gotta fix a pin way up in the guts of it. Sheared off last fall trying to combine a new seeding of hay with a barley nurse crop...

Let's hear your opinions!

[29 Chev]

I would suggest checking with a local seed and grain supplier as they should be able to offer you a good quality clean seed at a competitive price rather than purchasing a retail product with no guarantee of germination and possible contamination with other products added in to appear to give a good buy for the price - no point in planting something that may have weeds in it and is not guaranteed to be a good quality for germination.

 

Just my thoughts. 

[chieffan]

Most of the seed that is sold for bird feed has the germination killed so it don't grow under the feeders the next year.  Like 29Chevy suggested, check with you local seed & feed store.  They may have to order it but bet they can get you what you want.  Most birds don't eat millet so stay away from that filler stuff.  How about sunflowers ?  We get then from around $14 - $16/50lbs most of the time but have seen them as high as $28.  Be easy to harvest too as the smaller bird seed may be hard to contain in an old machine.

[Greasy6020]

Yep sunflowers sound like a good bet, lots of people feed birds in the winter here...

[Jazz]

Yep sunflowers sound like a good bet, lots of people feed birds in the winter here...

Then you get to deal with squirrels,,,they will climb the sunflower and check for ripeness. When ripe they chew the stock off up top to drop the flower. I have watched them do this at my place as I was unaware of who the culprit was.

Good Luck!

[Greasy6020]

Then you get to deal with squirrels,,,they will climb the sunflower and check for ripeness. When ripe they chew the stock off up top to drop the flower. I have watched them do this at my place as I was unaware of who the culprit was.
Good Luck!

squirrels here are well fed so they'll just wait for the daily handouts at the bird feeder in the front yard

[oldedeeres]

Easy enough to test germination at home. Just wet a paper towel, squeeze water out until it is just damp, sprinkle on some seed, fold the towel over loosely and put it in a covered plastic dish. Set the dish on top of the fridge where it's warm and check it in three or four days.  There are several different kinds of millet, some more favoured by birds than others. Google it.  You can also buy commercial Canary Seed at a seed plant, but I can tell you now that it is miserable, itchy, dusty stuff to combine.  The black oil sunflower seeds are the ones most favoured by the birds at my feeder, but they are a pretty long season crop and here are often combined after a very heavy frost. The combine can take a beating working on those solid, frozen heads.  Hope this helps you some.