Where To Buy Bird Seed So That It Is At Its Best

When deciding where to buy bird seed, you will need to look at the type and number of birds you are keeping. Let’s look at some of the options in this article.

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Where To Buy Bird Seed

where to buy bird seedIf you have a single pet budgerigar, the easiest thing to do is to buy a packet of seed mix from the local pet store.

On the other hand, if you have a large collection of birds, it may be more convenient to find a mail-order supplier who will arrange for delivery direct to your door.

Most pet stores can offer mixtures to suit different types of birds, but they may not be able to offer you things like teasel or perilla.

These types of seeds will have to be ordered through a more specialized bird seed supplier.

Try looking through the ads in the various bird keeping publications to get ideas and compare prices.

If you are buying bird seed from a pet store, make sure that it is bagged or in a packet rather than loose, especially if birds are also kept in the same store. The reason for this is that the viruses responsible for French Moult and Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease can be spread easily via feather dust and could contaminate nearby seed supplies.

There is also a risk of rodents. Any seed which is soiled with their urine or their droppings is a potential health hazard to all birds so it must be discarded.

If you buy a lot of seed at a time, it may help to store it in metal bins which prevent rodents from gaining access to it. However try not to buy seed that has been in metal bins, as you have no idea how fresh it is, as sometimes new seed it tipped over the old seed rather than the bin being properly emptied in between.

The advantage of buying from one of the main seed supplies is that they are likely to have a higher stock turnover than a pet store and their supplies are normally relatively fresh.

Bird seed does not deteriorate rapidly, provided it is kept in a dry place. You could also store it in the fridge if you have a lot of it. Storing it in a fridge prevents weevils and worms from hatching out. This will also decrease the likelihood of contamination by fodder mites. Fodder mites are barely visible to the naked eye, but they impart a characteristically sweet odor to the seed. Try sniffing a handful to check. It is unknown whether fodder mites cause any harm to the birds who eat them, but they will take away from the nutritional value of the seed.

Try to keep rotating stocks that you do have so no more than four months’ worth of supply is on hand at any stage. 

Most seeds purchased both in pet shops or online in sealed packets is clean and contain little or no obvious traces of dust of harvesting debris, thanks to computer-controlled cleaning processes, but if you are offered dirty seed by a supplier, make sure you don’t buy it.

If you have larger parrots, make sure that you don’t feed them a diet that is mainly dried seed as this is nutritionally unbalanced, lacking in certain vital vitamins and minerals. Make sure you supplement with pellets, as well as fresh fruit and veggies.

Buying Bird Seed Online

It is so convenient to order your bird seed online because it can be delivered to your doorstep and you don’t even have to get into your car. Often ordering online also saves you, as online providers don’t have to take extra things like paying rent into consideration with their prices.

Pets Warehouse is a great place to start as they have Everything for your Pet or pets that you will ever need. Bird supplies are one of their specialties so make sure to compare your prices.

Amazon also has a pet division, and here are some examples of what you can order from them below.

Simply click on the picture to find out more about the product, or on the links above to find out more about how to order from over 25,000 out of 45,000 pet supplies eligible for free shipping from Pets Warehouse.

 

 

And of course, you can also choose to buy in bulk like the white millet seen here.

Please comment below on your thoughts on where to buy bird seed and what your experiences have been with pet stores supplying your needs.

 

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