Feeding sparrows millet because it has a good energy ratio
Nov 2nd, 2007 by Birdy Trish
There are many excellent bird food mixes available from garden centres, general shops and pet shops. There are also ways to feed garden birds from kitchen scraps.
There is another way that I am trying at the moment. I’m trying SINGLE SEED FEED. Just putting one seed into a bird feeder.
I read somewhere (can’t remember where) that feed to energy ratio is very important to birds. This means the time from when the bird ate the food to when it can turn the food it has eaten into energy. Millet seed has one of the best food to energy ratio of any seed (or so I’ve been told).
This feed to energy time is very important now that the days are shortening. Our feathered friends have a much shorter time to get food during the winter months. (We humans are lucky we have 24/7 shopping, freezers and fridges to help us - birds not so lucky)
After I’d found out about millet I decided to buy some white millet on its own. Then the problem was
- I needed a feeder that would take the small white millet seeds.
- I asked advice from Soar Mill Seeds who told me about the Model PK feeder. I bought one. (It’s a good joh my old man doesn’t read this blog). It’s a strange bird feeder in that it only has seed openings at the bottom.
- This feeder works! The millet is a favourite with the sparrows.
I have only seen tree sparrows at the feeder. But they gather round the seed openings like there’s no tomorrow. They gather on the fence, lining up to get to the feeder. It looks like it’s party time!
Tree sparrows like millet as well
Tags: Bird Food, bird-feeder, feed-to-energy-ratio, millet