Aussie Finch Forum

I have had a local finch breeder source a bag of Siberian Millet for me to plant under irrigation.
Just wanting some feed back as to its suitability and use as a bird seed.
Thanking you

Lemnosian

The best finch seed of its genus. In the same group as Jap and Shirohie millets. Siberian is outstanding finch food. Gouldian Finches in particular love it. It is a slower and lower yielding crop compared to Jap & Shirohie, but you will have very little trouble selling it. Higher per kilo value than Jap or shirohie too.

Agree with Tiaris, used to buy it from a grower years ago whilst holidaying in Qld. It is liked more than shirohie infact my birds wouldn't eat shirohie that has been substituted for grey or Jap millet in the past. Craig

I have planted the bag of Siberian millet too late. Despite irrigating it numerous times....mother nature has intervened and the crop has not come out in seed heads...On the plus side.... I now have a healthy crop of sub clover overgrowing the millet crop....It will now make great hay for stock.

I have taken an educated punt and again planted several varieties of millet including Siberian under flood irrigation
Lets hope February 2021 heats up as most of November/December was too cold to plant early millet crops
I can supplement moisture, by can't influence mother nature to turn up the heat
Maybe some of these vocal armchair warriors need to focus their vast hot air skills to ....can i say.... warm the month of February

Happy to swap you a few degrees - as lately 36 is cool round here.
Good luck with the project.

finchbreeder wrote: ↑02 Feb 2021, 22:26 Happy to swap you a few degrees - as lately 36 is cool round here.
Good luck with the project.

lol, I am the same. You can have our 38C temperatures and I will take 28C instead.

If the millet doesn't produce seed heads now, leave it until it does.

All seed can be grown in pots and don't need that much water.

the progress so far
50 days since sowing
5 flood irrigations
2 mother nature assists
1 spray to eliminate weeds
1 dose of liquid fertiliser
halfway i hope

Why are you spraying to eliminate weeds and what did you spray it with?

If you used a herbicide, the plant won't be safe for birds. Stuff like Glyphosate (Roundup) leaves a carcinogenic residue behind that lasts for at least 6 months after it has been sprayed.

If the crop is not sprayed NO crop just weeds.
I would presume any residue would be long gone by harvest time.
The growers are planting to make a living not to be friends to bird keepers.
I stand to be corrected but I use this growers seed and it is fed to some very rare and expensive species
I have no concerns at all