FINCHforum

Hi All,

Is anyone else having problems finding bulk Spray Millet in their Pet Shops????

These last few weeks, there appears to be a shortage of Spray Millet around the Calgary area, and I'm wondering if there are shortages of it elsewhere as well (?).

I always buy it in bulk through my Pet Shop, about 30 to 50 sprigs of it at a time.
Lately however, it's been on back order for what seems like forever. They have even tried going through another supplier, but they have nothing as well. Other Pet Shops appear to be having the same problem, or they have some broken bits and pieces left in their bins, which are not even worth wasting your money on.

I actually resorted today, to buying a small pre-packaged bag of it (12 little sprigs for $10.00, which is Highway robbery). Not even sure if my kids will eat this stuff.

Does anybody know what's going on?

lovezebs
I buy my spray millet from a local feed store. I buy two cases at a time that are labeled "California Spray Millet' grown by "Golden Farm Products" in Winters, CA. The sprays are huge and full of seed. There is a website on the box, www.californiaspraymillet.com on the 5 lb. box. You might try searching on the internet for it. The sprays are so much larger than what I find in the pet shops. So good luck...maybe you can find these on the internet.

Jen

Thank you very much, I will definitely look into it .

lovezebs

I buy spray millet (#1 grade) in a 5 lb box from www.exoticwings.com; it costs $25 (and is still currently listed at that price).

I'm not noticing a shortage of spray millet in my area (southern Ontario) however, I've noticed that the cost has almost doubled at the dollar store within the last year (used to be $1/100g, now $1.25 for 75g).

Nerine

Thanks, I will check that out right now.

Nerine

Hi,

I just checked through Exotic Wings.
Looked like a good deal, until I checked out the shipping cost.

A 5 lbs box of spray millet costs $25.00
The shipping to Calgary, costs $18.14

So the cost of the shipping, is almost as much as the box of millet itself

lovezebs
Shipping cost on the internet is sometimes outrageous...My 5 lb. box of spray millet is $20 at the feed store. It's about a 45 minute drive which is nothing compared to that shipping cost! When I buy, I get two cases and keep one refrigerated. I also get my finch seed from there at about $1 a lb. I usually get 25 lb. bags and keep it refrigerated also and it stays very fresh. I think 50 lb. bags are even cheaper but that is too heavy for this ole' gal to handle. The family that owns the feed store also have birds so I lucked out when I found this place.

Hope you can find a source for your millet.

Jen

Hi Jenny,

The shipping cost mentioned above, is the cheapest available (through Canada Post, which means snail mail).

However, you just gave me an idea, which I hadn't considered..... a Feed Store!
I'll check that out today, and just maybe get lucky

Woo hooooo!

I found some Spray Millet in a tiny Pet Shop, on the other side of the city.

My son and I took a ride down there on Saturday, and there they were, a whole small bucketfull of wonderful plump golden sprays.

I started trying to poke them into the small plastic bags which they had for that purpose, when my son said, "Mom, why dont you just take the whole bucket, seeing as we've come all this way, and you can't find them anywhere else."

No sooner said than done.
Grabbing the bucket, I hauled it to the front and plunked it on the counter.
The girl, turned to me with a smile, then seeing the bucket her smile faltered.

"You want to buy all of it?"
"Oh yes, please."

The girl looked a bit uncomfortable, "Well, we have a bunch of people waiting for it...and we promised them.... Let me talk to my manager..."

Manager comes up from the back with a smile....then the smile goes south.

"You want to buy ALL OF IT?"
I was begining to feel a little uncomfortable at this point, I mean there couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 lbs in the bucket. "Yes, please?"

"But you see, we haven't had any for a while, and we have all sorts of people waiting...." Her voice faded away and she stood there wringing her hands. "We promised them...."

"Well, surely you have more in the back, right?"

"No, we only order one box at a time...."

"One box?"

"Yes, a 5lb box...."

Well folks, I came away with more than half of their precious stash, and at least my feathered kids will have some nice millet for a little bit of time.

You should have seen their eyes light up when they saw the treasure in the bag, there was singing and dancing in the streets

What I don't understand, is why you would order one small 5lb box, if you have a bunch of people waiting for it (?)

lovezebs

As the manager of a small retail store, I can say that ordering stock can be a lot less cut and dry than one would imagine. Depending on circumstances, you may have limits as laid out by your provider. Also, ordering freight or parcel post can lock in your order sizes. (Not to mention most small stores are struggling just to get by, as a rule.) It can be a real pain in the neck!

That being said, prioritizing the best sellers and things you have customers waiting on is certainly good business practice. (And keeping a portion of the shipment in the back for customers you've promised stock to doesn't hurt either.)

Glad you checked out a feed store! I get my sprays from a local feed store that charges half the price of the big stores. Always get apparently fresh, big sprays from 'em!

If worse comes to worse, have that small store write your name down to call you when the next shipment comes in so you can beat the other customers!

THE SPRAY MILLET IS IN!!!!

HALLELUJA AND PRAISE BE!!!

Visiting the Pet Shop today, my eyes lit up, as there they were, boxes and boxes of the fat golden sprays, there for the picking.

My birdlings were all excited when they laid their beady greedy little eyes on the treasure bag as I walked into the bird room with it clutched in my hand.

As soon as I hung the millet up, they went to work on it like kids with a bag of candy .

lovezebs

YEAH!!! Glad you found some, and have happy birdies!!

Nerine

Yes, very happy birdies. I hung up several strands in every flight and in no time the looked like Christmas decoratons, all covered with birds, lol.

I buy my Spray Millet from ladygouldianfinch.com, which is a full, large bag of California spray millet. The stuff in the pet stores is terrible and I won't buy it. I offer Spray Millet to my finches once per week only.

JerseyGuy

Thanks,

Seeing as I'm in Canada, the shipping from anywhere in the States, costs an arm and a leg. Plus many places, won't even ship to Canada.

The stuff I buy at my Pet Shop, comes in bulk, and it is every bird's dream. Large, bushy, golden sprays, approximately 20 inches or longer. I pick whichever ones I like from the bins and bring it home to drooling birds