Greetings All: Date: 27 Nov 97

Some weeks ago I became interested in learning as much as possible about
sunflower seed (SFS) used in the feeding of birds. You may recall an
RFI I posted to this list. My questions were related to:

- is oil or striped SFS more nutritious for birds and why?
- should I feed striped, oil, or both... and when?
- what is the net yield of SFS seed per 50 lb bag?
- what is the waste factor per 50 lb bag of SFS?
- which seed delivers the best "deal" for the birder buying it?
- are the allelopathic affects from toxins that leach from decomposing
SFS seeds harmful. How does that work?
- do released toxins enter the food chain of wildlife?
- what are the affects of SFS hulls in mulching and composting?
- what processes are applied in producing SFS?
- what feeders are best suited to this and other seed.
- what is the history of SFS?

My research is complete and I would be happy to share it with those
interested. Yes, it's free! My motivation was to learn the facts about
the most widely used birdfood on the planet. Some of the answers were
interesting. Did you know that a 50 lb bag of striped SFS contains
approximately 179,000 seeds and a bag of black oil contains over 600,000
seeds? Did you know 50% of striped SFS is waste hulls, and black oil
SFS contains only 40% waste? Or that black oil has 2% more protein than
striped SFS and 10% more oil?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The research is contained in a lengthy post that follows, identified
with the subject line:
Sunflower Report [Long]
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This is not a paper on the subject. It is a collation of information by
topic, with URL or other source reference indicating where additional or
related data may be found. It is fairly long. If the post is not of
interest to you, please DELETE it.

Most folks should find something of interest or value, some food for
thought (no pun intended), MANY useful tips on bird feeding, the TRUE
seed preferences of birds, the facts about seed we use, the facts about
allelopathy, and the care and effective deployment of feeders.

Happy birding to all, and to those south of me, Happy Thanksgiving.

_________________________________________________________________
Paul G. Parlee Powassan, Ontario Canada <pgparlee at onlink.net>
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."
-- Plutarch