Wagner's 57075 Safflower Seed, 5Pound Bag

wild birds came down in flocks when I put it out. They loved it, and I very much enjoyed the show. Cheap entertainment! So far I have not seen any flowers grow from lost seeds, but with all bird seeds (from experience) now I hang the feeder over the corner of the garden where I plant wild flowers. It is a lovely plant, I hope some do grow!

Birds love safflower because they're little butterballs (of plant fat)! The seeds came dust free and with no signs of weevil infestation, though I always chuck my seed into the freezer for 3 days to kill anything in them in case there is a small infestation of pests. Overall, great quality seed. I personally use these as treats for my pet dove - And of course, the wild doves go crazy for these too, as well as cardinals. These keep for about 1-2 years before they get a little rancid, if you dont plan on using these right away, refrigerate them. I would recommend you mix these with other seeds because of their high fat content outside the winter season.

My mourning doves wake me up when the sun rises with their wonderful sound, for their daily feeding of this safflower seed. They LOVE it! I feed this with cracked corn from the same company, and pumpkin seeds. My ground birds are very happy!

Amazon asks me to rate Wagner's Wild Bird Food on freshness and flavor, but I haven't tasted it and the birds do not voice much of an opinion. Safflower seed has been hard to find anywhere in early 2022, so I was happy to find it here. The price is right, the packaging is good, and the seed has no concerning appearances or smells. The birds here seem to take it just fine. (They were accustomed to Kaytee, but they voiced no complaints about changes in terroir, nose, palate or mouthfeel. It's a good vintage, but I wouldn't lay it down for more than a year.) Squirrels continue to show no interest. Here's the thing about squirrels and other unwanted visitors: your first line of defense is the shape and placement of your feeder. Forget about paying a premium for fancy mechanical devices; I've never found one that squirrels couldn't outsmart. Nevertheless, there is no point in making it easy for them. Don't give them anything that is easy to climb, jump to or hang from. Secondly, avoid seed mixes. Birds' natural behavior is to flick away any seeds that do not meet their particular culinary preferences. This sends excessive amounts of seed to the ground, where it will attract a few ground-feeding birds like mourning doves but also a lot of mammalian varmints that you would probably not welcome. I might occasionally add some nyjer seed to the tray, which does not seem to encourage flicking but does seem to appeal to wrens – an enjoyable and useful species. In the winter I place suet in a separate nearby feeder, which attracts woodpeckers of all sorts, bluebirds(!), thrashers and a few others. When grackles return in the spring, they will quickly decimate the suet, so I trade out that feeder for a hummingbird feeder. Two feeders at a time – that's it. (I've got mulberry trees and juniper trees that attract flocks of cedar waxwings a couple of times a year – a delight!) Third, safflower seed, in contrast to almost every other seed I have tried, does seem to be significantly less interesting to squirrels. I've read that it has a sour taste that mammals do not like but birds do not notice. Cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, finches and whoever is in the neighborhood seem to like it just fine. Fourth, back to the physical feeder. I have found that a design with a narrow (½”) lip on the seed tray, blocked elsewhere by the seed reservoir, keeps larger perching birds (e.g., blackbirds, grackles, starlings, robins, blue jays, etc.) off the feeder. I have also found that adding an ounce or two of fresh seed to the tray each day, placing only a few small rocks in the seed reservoir for stability in the wind, is a useful strategy. Of course the seed sometimes runs out during the day. Intermittent reinforcement has been shown to be the strongest incentive for birds to keeping coming back to see if seed has been added.

I have a very picky little parrot who will eat only sunflower and safflower seed. Sunflower seed is easily obtained but safflower is very difficult for me to find so I appreciate having the ability to order it online. It is a good wholesome product.