Cheap(ish) Bird Feed..

V Bull

I bought a 12.75Kg bag of mixed bird seed yesterday in B&Q for 14.00 Euro and got one free..pretty good deal I think..Lots of birds around my feeders this morning enjoying their feed...:)

I'm going to stock up on it and buy a few bags for this coming winter as the sell by date is 2014..

santasbird

Cheers for the heads up on that offer. Sent the hubbie to B&Q Swords. Person said no offer on. So I told him to get one bag anyway. Another assistant goes by and said that it was buy one get one free. So happy days.:) I usually pay 27.50 for 20kg in my local pet shop.

Kess73

santasbird wrote: »

Cheers for the heads up on that offer. Sent the hubbie to B&Q Swords. Person said no offer on. So I told him to get one bag anyway. Another assistant goes by and said that it was buy one get one free. So happy days.:) I usually pay 27.50 for 20kg in my local pet shop.

That is pretty expensive. There is a pet shop in Limerick city (Paws N Claws which is in Foxes Bow) that sells 25kg bags of wild bird seed for €17.50. Just thought I would mention it for any Limerick/Clare/Tipp folk.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

While I'd generally recommend buying the cheapest seedmix you come across, there are some cheap mixes on the market which are a waste of money and contain ingredients that birds will not readily eat. Some have a high wheat and maize content (I'll certainly take some in a mix but not too much) and some have those coloured flakes that are absolutely worthless.

V Bull

The B&Q mix is going down a treat with my garden birds, they are whooping it up and lovin' it....It has a very good variety and mix of seed.... I would highly recommend it..:pac::pac::pac:

Kess73

Kayla Alive Ape wrote: »

While I'd generally recommend buying the cheapest seedmix you come across, there are some cheap mixes on the market which are a waste of money and contain ingredients that birds will not readily eat. Some have a high wheat and maize content (I'll certainly take some in a mix but not too much) and some have those coloured flakes that are absolutely worthless.

Spot on. Cheap often means a high content of what you mentioned. The 25kg sacks in the pet shop I mentioned generally has a pretty acceptable amount of wheat and none of the big chunky flakes. The same pet shop can generally beat the likes of Petmania, maxi zoo, Woodies, B&Q etc for things like suet pellets, suet blocks, niger seed, peanuts, sunflower hearts, mealworm etc both in terms of quality and price.

One of the best seed mixes I ever came across in a bricks and mortar store in Ireland used to be sold (and possibly still is) in Petmania. Cannot remember the brand but the mix was fantastic, the pity was the price they charged for it. Think it was either a 10kg or 12.75kg bag that was selling for around the €23.50 mark.

whyulittle

What's a good price for peanuts? Just seen a 25kg sack for €50 in a local DIY store. Think I paid a similar price per/kg for a smaller bag in Petmania last year.

Aldi have 100g tubs of mealworm reduced to €1:something. Exact same tubs are €7:something in B&Q!

trebor28

Kayla Alive Ape wrote: »

While I'd generally recommend buying the cheapest seedmix you come across, there are some cheap mixes on the market which are a waste of money and contain ingredients that birds will not readily eat. Some have a high wheat and maize content (I'll certainly take some in a mix but not too much) and some have those coloured flakes that are absolutely worthless.

whats wrong with wheat?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

trebor28 wrote: »

whats wrong with wheat?

Nothing, in the right proportions, but too much is used as a filler in place of the finer seeds popular with smaller birds. Many garden birds cannot crack wheat seeds.

Kess73

whyulittle wrote: »

What's a good price for peanuts? Just seen a 25kg sack for €50 in a local DIY store. Think I paid a similar price per/kg for a smaller bag in Petmania last year.

Aldi have 100g tubs of mealworm reduced to €1:something. Exact same tubs are €7:something in B&Q!

Aldi are also selling off Suet blocks for 99c at the moment

swifts need our help!

Dobbies Garden World, in N Ireland, sell seed mixes for every garden bird including those that dont eat seeds!!

They also sell nest boxes for little owls and greater spotted woodpeckers!!

mgwhelan

swifts need our help! wrote: »

Dobbies Garden World, in N Ireland, sell seed mixes for every garden bird including those that dont eat seeds!!

They also sell nest boxes for little owls and greater spotted woodpeckers!!

little owl boxes

whyulittle

Tub of 50 Fat Balls in Petmania, €11.99. An extra 10 free, and 15% off this weekend for World Animal Week.

Tub of 50 Fat Balls in Woodies, €24. :eek:

Being more expensive is one thing, but that's ridiculous!

ernie999

Kayla Alive Ape wrote: »

Nothing, in the right proportions, but too much is used as a filler in place of the finer seeds popular with smaller birds. Many garden birds cannot crack wheat seeds.

true but its not only that the smaller birds cant crack them ,its only Pidgeons and members of that family i.e doves etc that can actually digest them, so the rest dont bother with the cheap seed mixes

whyulittle

Some feeders and feed in Aldi on the 27th.

ernie999

good stuff i'll have to check it out! The Corn Store in Bluebell Dublin 12 and they have one on the Northside I believe, sell canary seed 25 kilo bag for 25euro, very good price and this will attract all types of seed eating birds!!

Kess73

ernie999 wrote: »

good stuff i'll have to check it out! The Corn Store in Bluebell Dublin 12 and they have one on the Northside I believe, sell canary seed 25 kilo bag for 25euro, very good price and this will attract all types of seed eating birds!!

Is that actual canary seed ( as in from Canary grass) or a bag of mixed seed being sold as canary food?


If the former then that is a good price for straight canary seed in Ireland.

ernie999

Kess73 wrote: »

Is that actual canary seed ( as in from Canary grass) or a bag of mixed seed being sold as canary food?


If the former then that is a good price for straight canary seed in Ireland.

It is indeed canary grass! I'm not sure the exact proportions as I've run out and just feeding them peanuts at the mo, but if I remember rightly it's about 40% canary grass with some millet which they love as well and some linseed,also some ash in the form of seed which helps their digestion.

I have to admit it is a very good price ,i was buyin a kilo in the local pet store for 2euro which is still pretty good but if i buy it in bulk I'm gettin it half price,just have to take the pain of forking out 25 quid but I get over it in seconds

mr.wiggle

Just in case you dont already know, cheap birdseed in Aldi this week, last thursday specials. Always get a couple of bags. Use one now, kepp the other for the cold weather in december. Some newer types of feeders available also this year.

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/offers_week43Thursday11.htm?WT.z_src=main

LostCovey

mr.wiggle wrote: »

Just in case you dont already know, cheap birdseed in Aldi this week, last thursday specials. Always get a couple of bags. Use one now, kepp the other for the cold weather in december. Some newer types of feeders available also this year.

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/offers_week43Thursday11.htm?WT.z_src=main

Thanks for the heads-up.

Too bad their "predator-proof" feeders are magnets for crows, who can hang on the outer cage

ernie999

Anyone know where to get cheap peanuts in Dublin? I know there are other threads about birdfood etc but I havn't come across a recent one bout cheap nuts

I got a kilo from Lidl yesterday for 3euro which is the cheapest I've found!!
But you've never enough nuts the birds absolutely love them!! they are shunning the canary seed to mill the nuts out of it,that said its mostly Greenfinches a couple of Linnets (no sign of them last year) a few Chaffinches and one Goldfinch,I found the latter two really like the seed last winter also the Redpolls (they loved the fatballs too) No sign of Redpolls yet

Thanks in advance!!

E39MSport

Thats not a bad price. CJ would match it but you'd have to buy 40 kilos and they'deliver it for free.

Rainbowsend

Last winter I got a 20kg sack in Petstop for 39.99 lasted me all winter and just used the last of them yesterday (mind you I stopped feeding for July,August and September) but it was still good value.

Half-cocked

Peanuts have gone up in price everywhere in the last year or so. I got a 25kg sack for €48 in the petshop in Sallynoggin a few months back. Buy in bulk to save money. You'll be surprized how long a big sack will last.

Kess73

Half-cocked wrote: »

Peanuts have gone up in price everywhere in the last year or so. I got a 25kg sack for €48 in the petshop in Sallynoggin a few months back. Buy in bulk to save money. You'll be surprized how long a big sack will last.

Yeah was told in a pet shop that there was a shortage in the usual countries that supply it, and that countries like Argentina who used to only supply a tiny amount of the world's peanuts were now charging more thanks to demand.

ernie999

Half-cocked wrote: »

Peanuts have gone up in price everywhere in the last year or so. I got a 25kg sack for €48 in the petshop in Sallynoggin a few months back. Buy in bulk to save money. You'll be surprized how long a big sack will last.

Thanks I'll check that out, could you tell me the name of the place please?
That's a very good price and I'm sure if they were kept in a cool place out of the light they would stay fresh for ages!

Half-cocked

ernie999 wrote: »

Thanks I'll check that out, could you tell me the name of the place please?
That's a very good price and I'm sure if they were kept in a cool place out of the light they would stay fresh for ages!

Its a small petshop in Sallynoggin called Pet World. It's close to Powercity. Leaving Dun Laoire, take the first right after Powercity and its on the right about 100 metres down the street.

doctor evil

With peanuts be careful of the fungal toxin, aflatoxin.

http://www.fungi4schools.org/Reprints/Mycologist_articles/Isaac_answers/V08pp135-136birdfood.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin#Animals

Mothman

I usually get peanuts from BirdwatchIreland. although I don't see 25kg listed at moment.
May not be cheapest, but I buy in the knowledge that any profit they make goes towards good cause.

They did have an issue with getting stock last year and I got a bag from Ecopet while I was getting dog food. Quality was fine.

I go through about 3 25kg bags over winter.

Worztron

I spilled some yesterday and put it out in the garden. Was it safe for the birds?

sineadom

Kess73 wrote: »

That is pretty expensive. There is a pet shop in Limerick city (Paws N Claws which is in Foxes Bow) that sells 25kg bags of wild bird seed for €17.50. Just thought I would mention it for any Limerick/Clare/Tipp folk.

Kess do you know if Paws n Claws sell the 25kg bags all year round?? Been looking for somewhere to get a decent size bag. Thanks!