Aussie Finch Forum

Its getting harder and harder to buy 40 kg bags of seed these days.Dont mind the throwing around the 25kg bags,Just dont like the price tag per kilo that comes with them, compared to the 40 kg bags.

Anyhow here is some prices i had to pay local.the red panicum is the only seed i could get in a 40kg bag.

plain canary $1.72 kg
jap millet $1.28 kg
french millet $1.15 kg
red panicum $1.07 kg
yellow panicum $1.20 kg
imp niger $4.80 kg
Aus niger $9.00 kg
linseed $1.89 kg
canola $1.40 kg
Haifa clover $9.00 kg
safflower $1.68 kg

ordered from Australian wildlife supplies QLD
panorama millet $3.10 kg
siberian millet $6.00 kg
plus postage

From a farmer in QLD
silk sorghum $1.00 kg
plus postage

And from W.A just to help out the economy for our members there
black lettuce $7.50 kg
plus postage

If anyone knows a good supplier of the ones above interstate or a wholesaller of seed a contact would be apreciated.

Have noticed seed has gone through the roof here too . Last visit to produce store I only needed a top up of small parrot mix $22 for 8 kilos = $2.75 a kilo for ordinary small parrot mix .
Additional seeds like Niger and other high oils are even more expensive . Whole millet sprays cost me $17 for a not so big bag that used to be $10 and even bulk shell grit was off the planet price wise.
Seems here the drought finished however the prices did not go down to what they were pre drought ...Greedy people.

i am very thankfull that the seed now only comes in 20kg bags as with haven juvinile arthritis its easier on my back and shoulder(earbs paulsy) than the 40kg. i can pretty much pick the 20kg bags up wit 1 hand and throw it around like nuffen. but have noticedthe seed prices have gone up a little bit but not too much to worry about well i dont think anyways

If it's not a silly question What does everyone store their seed in once you get to the stage of buying different varieties and making up your own mixes? at the moment I'm still just buying the best premixed finch seed I can but after reading everyone's advice sounds like I need to start adding other seeds as well. Bearing in mind I'm only feeding 8 finches so don't want bulk supplies going stale.

Any big plastic container with an airtight lid , I find them mostly in discount stores ie Reject shop.This keeps it fresh and vermin proof.

I buy 20 kg of finch mix that I keep in a black plastic rubbish bin. The other seed like small parrot I keep in a 20l plastic bucket I got from my local stock feed. Any thing that can screw down or seal good enough to stop the invasion from mice the better water proof also is a major plus... Gomer lives out the back of woop woop so he needs to buy in bulk , the basic finch mixes that you can buy from your local bird dealer or pet supply should be suffice but they also sell the extras in smaller 1 kg amounts if you really need it. At the end of the day it boils down to what you keep as some finches prefer different seeds so you add what you may need....pete

i keep mine in a big blue drum that has a clamping type lid system thats airtite picked it up from the local swap meet for $15 i think nd it roughly holds a good 80kg of seed good enough supply for me for about 3 months roughly

I keep my basic seed mix (20kg bag) in a green rubbish bin with the metal handles to clip the lid down tight. I also have a mix of canary and pannicum in a 20 litre storage box. The black seed mix (niger, rape and linseed) I have in a commercial size screw top plastic container that once had mayo in it.

I have one 200 litre plastic drum as my main storage drum.and a heap of those 60 litre blue plastic drums for the rest of the seed and other stuff.I have bought three lots of seventy drums over the years @ $4 each.now they are selling them for $20 each.Lucky i have kept for myself around twenty drums.

Produce store used to give those old plastic drums away free , yes now $20 and up