FINCHforum

Hello!
Today I received my 5lbs California millet.. They are absolutely massive. I used to get y millet from petsmart so those of you who know California millet must know what a scare I got from these ginormous, monstrous millets!
So I wanted to ask, where does everyone get their millet? What company has the freshest and if online where from?

I am fascinated by the lot I got lol they are like my cats tail when she's buzzing around like a lunatic skipping sideways for no reason - all fluffy.

I like the California Millet - and also Nemeth Farms Golden Harvest (They also sell Golden Sunset, which is not anywhere near as good).

Buying at Bird Fairs or Shows is the best way if you have these events near you. I am fortunate to have a local bird store that carries good food items including both these millet brands. Otherwise, you are left to order online and pay shipping. It can get expensive!

I can order it and seed from a supplier that delivers at drop off points, different counties on different days.

Shows of course, are the best place to get millet sprays in bulk. You see what you get, and best price per pound.

If I run out (all aviaries have at least 2 at all times, one hanging, one on the floor), I get them from Amazon, with free shipping, and 2-day delivery.

About $107 for 25lb box of California Golden. Big, fresh and apparently delicious!

A local feed store has a bin of pure millet seeds at a very reasonable price. I recall something like $1.50 or $2/lb. I buy my finch mix there at $.85/lb.

As to millet sprays, I grow them in the garden. Scatter the seeds and scratch them in. Water and watch 'em grow. I cut the stalks while still in the semi-ripe stage with leaves and all and suspend the stalks in the cage. My Gouldians dive into the seed heads and also nibble on the leaves. They also like to swing on the stems.

thanks everyone!

i do have a bird show once a month about 1 hour away from me on sat/sundays I have not yet been to! I hope to catch the next one to see what it is like well I have the 5lbs bag for only 2 finches LOL I think I should be good for a couple of months! I leave tomorrow to come back friday afternoon so i was hoping they would come today and it came first thing in the morning.. when I usually get mail in the afternoon! (i too got mine from amazon for 23$ free shipping!)

the mail lady said "OH you have no idea!!! I wanted to deliver these asap!" I said, "oh were they heavy? (though they are only 5lbs)" she said "NO no, thats not it! it must be seeds or SOMETHING because I have SEEDS ALL OVER the place in my truck!" lol she was laughing it was funny i apologized ".. they are seeds "

@Martie I was going to get Nemeth but the california ones were just a fracton cheaper and since I never ordered mllet i just opted for the cheaper (though really iwas only a very few dollars my husband is so annoyed about me spending so much $ on my 2 little finches.. so every dollar cheaper counts!)

My finches when I put them in were going crazy:
" What is THIS.. WHAT IS IT!!! WHAAAT IS THIS BIG HUGE THING HANGING! IM SCARED!!! ErrrmmMMMahGaaaaa what IS THIS!"

paul-inAZ I should grow some!!! are they monster plants since the sprays are SO HUGE?

In Australia, we get our Millet from petstores, or you can buy it in a smaller packet from a company called 'Trill'. They also sell honey sticks, seed bells, cuttlefish and similar.

ANYWHERE I happen to be when I'm running low on it. I do find it interesting however that millet sprays can look the same, but apparently taste differently to the birds. I've had some that the birds devour in a day - and some that will sit practically untouched until I remove it. Bob

P.S. I do tend to buy more of it when a pet shop or other source has bigger ones at a decent price. And about the dumbest thing I've seen are the "millet bites". Charging about five times the price because the millet sprays are cut up into little pieces. Give me a break!

Chirpy:
There are a huge number of kinds of millets. They are basically grasses. From what I've read they can grow anywhere from knee high to 10 feet tall.

The kind I grow [no idea what variety it is] puts up stalks with grassy long skinny leaves and are around 2 feet tall. That size could also be a function of our REALLY hot dry Arizona weather and our lousy desert soil. The seed heads are not huge, at best about 4 or 5 inches long.
I simply rub the seeds out of commercial millet sprays.

It wouldn't hurt to try planting a tablespoon or two of seeds from the sprays you are buying. My birds love the seed heads as they pass from the green stage but before they get yellowish and ripe. If I wait for them to ripen the outside birds snag all the seeds.

I buy Brown's mini millet, which my birds are pretty good with. It only costs $2 at my store for a pack of about 20 of them. My OCWBs never had millet before I offered them this, but they were eating it minutes after I put it in the cage, which means it must be pretty good.

i bought some from the recent bird fair and my birdies love it!! i've been tempted to order from amazon but was not sure about the quality. i will have to try the planting route. maybe that would attract some birds to our backyard and the birdfeeders. i just have blackbirds and mockingbirds mostly and turkey vultures... yes, turkey vultures.

I know what you mean. I also was surprised by the huge millet sprays. I don't actually like to put them in the cage. They look awful, and last so long that they get scruffy looking before being used up. I'm going to go back to the smaller ones from Petco, until I can harvest some from the garden!

Dayhiker:
No question it gets smaller birds to visit. I get sparrows and wild finches -not good at bird ID so can't tell you what they are- that spend considerable time trying to hop up to get seeds. They do this once the seed heads get to the yellowish, almost ripe stage.
I usually clip mine off before that to hang in my cages.

Hang a nyger seed sock to attract small birds.

I have a large pond and get all sorts of birds from humming birds to doves to ducks to herons visiting for drinks. Mostly good to see. The damned great blue herons clean out my fish so are not welcome.

paul-inAZ- Paul, nyger seeds- check. will search for them. Lucky you for having a large pond. the only pond i get is the lake that forms from too much rain (over the past couple weeks in GA).

and yes i will plant some millet in my vegetable garden- well maybe some pots first...

thanks!