How to Make Bird Seed Blends

Whether you wish to save money on food for your pet bird or on your outdoor wild bird feeder, homemade birdseed blends are a simple and effective way to trim your budget. However, like people, birds have different preferences for food. While most birds will happily eat black-oil sunflower seeds, some will only eat nectar, fruit, cracked corn or suet. By determining what food your pet bird can eat or by researching the types of birds that frequent your yard, you can create a birdseed blend that will please a variety of palates.

Things You'll Need

  • Black oil sunflower seeds
  • White proso millet
  • Nyjer (thistle) seed
  • Sunflower hearts (optional)
  • Raisins or other dried fruit (optional)
  • Mealworms (optional)
  • Cracked corn (optional)
  • Whole peanuts (optional)
Show More

Instructions

  1. Wild Birds

    • 1

      Observe the types of birds in your area for a few days to determine what kinds you will need to feed. If the only birds you see are cardinals, chickadees and finches, you only need to provide black-oil sunflower seeds, as all of those breeds enjoy that type of seed. If you see a wider variety of birds, you will need to vary your bird seed blend accordingly.

    • 2

      Determine the humidity levels in your area. Hulled seeds, such as sunflower hearts, are more vulnerable to mold than seeds with intact shells. If you live in a humid area, avoid putting hulled shells into your blends even if you often see birds who eat sunflower hearts in your yard.

    • 3

      Blend together equal parts black-oil sunflower seeds, white proso millet and nyjer (thistle) seed. Add sunflower hearts if you live in a dry area. These are the four most commonly eaten seeds and will feed most of the birds that visit your yard. If the birds in your area favor another type of feed, such as cracked corn, whole peanuts, mealworms or dried fruit, include those in your mix as well. If you aren't sure, add dried fruit and mealworms to be safe, as some birds can only eat fruit and insects rather than seeds.

    • 4

      Observe which seeds disappear from your feeder quickly and which go uneaten, and adjust your blend accordingly. If sunflower hearts vanish within a few hours but nyjer seeds sit in your feeder for days, add more sunflower hearts and fewer nyjer seeds to your blend.

    Pet Birds

    • 5

      Research the type of food your bird eats. Not all birds have beaks strong enough to break the hulls of seeds, and some breeds of birds need fruit or suet in addition to seeds to maintain a balanced diet.

    • 6

      Purchase organic ingredients to make your bird seed blend. Pesticides can harm your bird. Buy small amounts at first so you have an opportunity to test what your bird does and does not like.

    • 7

      Determine whether your bird needs a specific proportion of the different types of seed or a specific proportion of seeds to fruits and insect matter. If your research does not give specific proportions, blend the parts equally.

    • 8

      Add vitamin supplements or high-quality commercial birdseed to the blend, particularly if you are uncertain of whether your blend will be sufficiently nutritious.

    • 9

      Vary your birdseed blends. Birds enjoy a varied diet as much as humans do, and incorporating a variety of seeds and fruits will give your bird different vitamins and allow it to have a balanced diet.