Hi Tweets,

Paul writes:

>For comparison, I just paid
>$15.99 Cdn ($1l.67 US) per 50 lb bag of each type. That was an
>advertised sale.... normal cost is $16.79. The source is a farmers
>CO-OP which always has better quality seed (particularly in mixed seed)
>at much better prices than ANY of the big chain stores.

Those are good prices, particularly if the quality's good. I remember that
places which sold in much bulk generally had lower prices. Ummmm, they don't
sell 80mm Kowa telescopes, by any chance? Just asking. '-)

>Since I don't eat them, it is difficult to
>otherwise judge quality.

And it's a good idea not to eat them; they're graded as animal- but not
human-edible.

>considering nutrition, cost, and waste, whether we should be feeding oil
>seed instead of striped, and the relative merits of each type. Given
>the characteristics of oil, all birds should have an easier time
>handling it; but you use more because they eat more. But is switching
>to just oil the "right thing to do" from the viewpoint of providing the
>best possible feed to birds? I dunno.

The birds will tell you with their appetites and numbers visiting your
feeder(s). From the bird's point of view, the most energy-efficient way is
to set out pre-hulled oil sunflower seed, but non-hulled seed is perfectly
okay. It would be your call.

(snip reference to toxicity)

>Yes. If something is toxic enough to kill grass and plants, is it also
>harmful to other forms of life (which may also be a form of birdfood).
>It also appears to mean people who are mulching and composting sunflower
>hulls shouldn't
(snip)

Good points: any Tweetsters have some ideas for alternate disposal methods
of used birdseed? Burning would seem to be obvious, but there may be
toxicity reasons not to. Treat with lime?

>(snip)large chain stores while perhaps comparable in
>their own peer group, are in my book suspect in the quality of almost
>ALL their seed products compared to sources that are specific seed
>suppliers... i.e farm supply stores, dedicated seed stores.

Usually buying birdseed in a chain or supermarket is an expensive way to buy
mostly millet. The other two sources you name are far preferable. Cheapest
is not always best, radical concept.

>recognize getting them to release a factual breakdown of content could
>be challenging, but WHY SHOULD CONSUMERS FIGHT FOR THIS INFORMATION...

Maybe if you ask them nicely? They're not always ogres. Often, they're
disarmingly nice: it's like hitting a door that's already open. In fact, if
you can convince them that providing higher quality is to their competitive
advantage, they might give you a quite sympathetic hearing. On the other
hand, the play may be the same where a large supermarket puts all the corner
groceries out of business as they can't match the economies of scale.

>WHY ISN'T IT REQUIRED TO BE DISPLAYED!

Because there's no labelling law in Canada as there is in the US.
Journalists and health professionals here have long pointed out the cozy
alliance between the federal and provincial governments and industry which
up to now has resulted in no labelling laws. They're coming through on it
eventually, though: they've made the belated discovery that it's good for
business to tell people what's in their munchies and beer.

>I simply meant that perhaps we should exercise more care in what we are
>purchasing (snip)

Hey, and they say consumer scrutiny is dead. People buy shoddily-screened
cheap seed at premium prices because they don't know better and they're
suckered by the marketing hype, but it's clear their intentions are good.
I'd suggest the established birdfeeding stores (Wild Birds Unlimited and
Wild Bird Center were the two big ones when I was in the biz) would be the
best sources of this kind of information. If they won't tell you at the
local level, move to the next level; once around and up.

(snip)
BIRDING IS BIG BUSINESS. WHERE THERE IS BIG MONEY, BUSINESS WILL
>RESPOND IF THEIR CASH COW IS THREATENED.

But it's important not to demonise them, Paul. Birding may be big business,
but it's so far run by mostly pretty nice people, and not all corporations
are necessarily out to squeeze the peasants. As well, most birders and
birdfeeders would be surprised at how much economic power they actually
have, as you point out, if they'd ever get around to using it. After all,
many corporations have to be competitive (and it's a real brawl for pennies
sometimes), responding to our needs, not dictating them. I'm still waiting
to hear of the first birding/birdfeeding megastore--they're coming, maybe
not soon: the economics of the two businesses dictate it.

>One constant among
>birders is that THEY CARE. They WANT to do the right thing.

Most of the time. '-)

Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
mprice at mindlink.net