AB12 stewardship bird feed mix

[Gettin by]

0.5 ton of AB12 compliant winter supplementary bird feed required.

We have trit, oats, and barley in store.
Theoretically requiring the additional 30% compliment of white/ Red millet, linseed, OSR, canary seed, nyger seed and sunflower.

Haven’t found the exact rules to work within yet but hopefully the forum will direct me to the sensible solution!
Thanks.

 

[spin cycle]

did you have any luck....considering this option for my next possible stewardship application but supplies of seed seem to expensive to make it viable

 

[Great In Grass]

The seed is not that expensive all you need is a quantity of AB9 and add 70% cereals to the mix (homegrown or bought in) this can be a mix of wheat, barley, oats, triticale

 

[spin cycle]

how much roughly is ab9?

 

[Great In Grass]

how much roughly is ab9?

Funny, I thought you were going to ask me that.

Out of 8 different AB9 mixes we have the 2-year Wild Bird Cover mix has been the most popular and if memory serves me correctly it was around £2.50-£2.60/kg delivered, with a seed rate between 40-50kg/ha.

 

[spin cycle]

Funny, I thought you were going to ask me that.

Out of 8 different AB9 mixes we have the 2-year Wild Bird Cover mix has been the most popular and if memory serves me correctly it was around £2.50-£2.60/kg delivered, with a seed rate between 40-50kg/ha.

ah ...this isn't for sowing....we're after something to add to cereals to directly feed to the birds

 

[Great In Grass]

ah ...this isn't for sowing....we're after something to add to cereals to directly feed to the birds

I'm probably wrong but I thought you sowed AB9 and used AB12 as supplementary feed I dought you will find a seed house offering AB12 (I know of no-one).

 

[spin cycle]

so for 1t of ab12 you need 700kg of cereal plus two lots of 150kg of small seed....osr could be one.......now the cereal component would cost 12p/kg so £84....the osr 30p/kg so £45.....the problem is the third...millet or some other....cheapest i can find is circa £1-25kg ,,,,so that component would cost circa £200......making a total for the mix £330/t give/take......now NE pay £640/t for that and for it to fed out to wild birds during the winter....BUT at £330/t it's not really a very attractive offer.....the solution is a cheaper third component

 

[Gettin by]

This years solution is to mix a bought in blend of 70% red and white millet,( white millet seems cheaper so not specifying the split might aid my compliance), 10%oats, 10%linseed, 5%sunflower hearts and 5%canary seed.
This with my home saved grain should be compliant.
Purchase trail of inputs from reputable supplier will help. Cost will be £550 ish per ton for bought in components and if home saved grain is £120/ton we are looking at £250 per ton for the feed.
Not going to make you rich but still viable and in terms of bank rolling the enterprise until this mythical payment day we stand a chance!
The numbers of birds in the feed plots is staggering. I often wonder where they were previously?

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

This years solution is to mix a bought in blend of 70% red and white millet,( white millet seems cheaper so not specifying the split might aid my compliance), 10%oats, 10%linseed, 5%sunflower hearts and 5%canary seed.
This with my home saved grain should be compliant.
Purchase trail of inputs from reputable supplier will help. Cost will be £550 ish per ton for bought in components and if home saved grain is £120/ton we are looking at £250 per ton for the feed.
Not going to make you rich but still viable and in terms of bank rolling the enterprise until this mythical payment day we stand a chance!
The numbers of birds in the feed plots is staggering. I often wonder where they were previously?

Where did you source the millet etc from if you don't mind me asking, as I need a mix for the same job, and am trying to find a cheap source?

 

[Gettin by]

Sourced a blend to mix with my cereals from Chris Bright.
Best contact will be Ben on 01722744494.
Think they buy it in and sell on as do most but quick, efficient and will provide the necessary trail for paperwork purposes etc.

 

[tullah]

I've been told that the winter supplementary bird feed can be straight wheat off the heap and no need to purchase costly mixes. The addition of other seeds to the wheat is only advisory. So that's all they're getting.
No need for diary dates and notes. Just print off a few years of calendar and circle off every Monday between between end November and early May with a map showing feed areas with a hefty quantity used to cover yourself. Paperwork done and feel free to feed as and when you want. Some of this madness helps to make up for all this Red Tractor tickboxing. Once in the groove, a couple of hours spent filing and tickboxing makes for a very profitable evening.

 

[Hindsight]

I've been told that the winter supplementary bird feed can be straight wheat off the heap and no need to purchase costly mixes. The addition of other seeds to the wheat is only advisory. So that's all they're getting.
No need for diary dates and notes. Just print off a few years of calendar and circle off every Monday between between end November and early May with a map showing feed areas with a hefty quantity used to cover yourself. Paperwork done and feel free to feed as and when you want. Some of this madness helps to make up for all this Red Tractor tickboxing. Once in the groove, a couple of hours spent filing and tickboxing makes for a very profitable evening.

Hi, I am intrigued by your comment and explanation. Are you sure using wheat alone complies with the AB12 prescription? Really good if so. I just had a look at the AB12 webpage on Defra.gov and my attention was drawn to the Prohibited sections, which I paste below. Am just working out how solely using wheat complies with the third and fourth bullet points?

Prohibited activities​

To achieve the aims and deliver the environmental benefits, do not carry out any of the following activities:

• use hoppers to supply more than 10% of the total amount of feed provided during the specified feeding period
• use tailings (small seeds and chaff removed from the harvested crop) as supplementary feed
• use a mix which contains more than 70% cereals
• use any one species to supply more than 50% of the non-cereal seed component by weight

On your annual claim you will be asked to declare that you have not carried out any prohibited activities.

 

[B'o'B]

Hi, I am intrigued by your comment and explanation. Are you sure using wheat alone complies with the AB12 prescription? Really good if so. I just had a look at the AB12 webpage on Defra.gov and my attention was drawn to the Prohibited sections, which I paste below. Am just working out how solely using wheat complies with the third and fourth bullet points?

Prohibited activities​

To achieve the aims and deliver the environmental benefits, do not carry out any of the following activities:

• use hoppers to supply more than 10% of the total amount of feed provided during the specified feeding period
• use tailings (small seeds and chaff removed from the harvested crop) as supplementary feed
• use a mix which contains more than 70% cereals
• use any one species to supply more than 50% of the non-cereal seed component by weight

On your annual claim you will be asked to declare that you have not carried out any prohibited activities.

My agreement document also specifically requires me to.....

"Keep a feeding diary which includes details of mixture used (weight of components and cost), dates of feeding, method of feeding (hopper or spreading), amount of feed, and the location of feeding areas."

@tullah I would say whoever you were speaking to doesn't really know what they are talking about.

I can possibly see were the "open" interpretation of the mix comes in as my agreement says

"Spread the supplementary feed mixture specified in your agreement at an average of 25 kg on the ground at least once a week from 1 December until 30 April, at each of two separate feeding locations.

However, at no point in the actual agreement does it go on to specify a feed mixture so I guess if you really wanted to push your luck you could argue that point, but as @Hindsight points out, to claim you have to sign to say you haven't used over 70% cereals so I think chances of arguing the above successfully would be extremely slim and very costly both in time and money.

 

[tullah]

Thanks to both of you for pointing this out.

 

[oskerb]

Hi, I am intrigued by your comment and explanation. Are you sure using wheat alone complies with the AB12 prescription? Really good if so. I just had a look at the AB12 webpage on Defra.gov and my attention was drawn to the Prohibited sections, which I paste below. Am just working out how solely using wheat complies with the third and fourth bullet points?

Prohibited activities​

To achieve the aims and deliver the environmental benefits, do not carry out any of the following activities:

• use hoppers to supply more than 10% of the total amount of feed provided during the specified feeding period
• use tailings (small seeds and chaff removed from the harvested crop) as supplementary feed
• use a mix which contains more than 70% cereals hand feed sun conure baby nice information
• use any one species to supply more than 50% of the non-cereal seed component by weight

On your annual claim you will be asked to declare that you have not carried out any prohibited activities.

Can anyone recommend a wild bird food mix that garden birds eat up, leaving no waste?

I’ve tried various mixes over the years but there always seems to be one or more ingredients that get left - causing mess or sprouting weeds.

I’ve recently opted for mixing my own using sunflower hearts, peanuts (whole and kibbled), suet pellets, fat balls and dried insects - all from Wilko.

Just lately though, the sunflower hearts aren’t all being eaten up.

Recommendations gratefully received please

 

[Gettin by]

Not a good year for sourcing sunflower hearts due to Ukrainian- or Russia to be more accurate. Over the last few years I tried an off the shelf mix and then resorted to buying straights in 15-20kg bags of various oil seeds to mix in with my home saved grains.
Niger seed us appreciated by the finches while OSR, white millet, flax and sunflower hearts satisfy the others. The larger the grain the larger the birds and other wildlife so peanuts seem to bring in deer, rooks, and other black and white foragers.
i personally keep peanuts inclusion to a minimum in my situation.

 

[steveR]

Not a good year for sourcing sunflower hearts due to Ukrainian- or Russia to be more accurate. Over the last few years I tried an off the shelf mix and then resorted to buying straights in 15-20kg bags of various oil seeds to mix in with my home saved grains.
Niger seed us appreciated by the finches while OSR, white millet, flax and sunflower hearts satisfy the others. The larger the grain the larger the birds and other wildlife so peanuts seem to bring in deer, rooks, and other black and white foragers.
i personally keep peanuts inclusion to a minimum in my situation.

I think the fact that Peanuts are used as bait for Badgers, tells you all you need to know about putting them out....

 

[Joe Fisher]

Has anyone got any photos of the machine/ hopper they use to distribute the bird seed mix?

Hoping to build one for soon, just looking for ideas, thinking an old stocks hopper just with a close/open shoot.

 

[Vader]

Has anyone got any photos of the machine/ hopper they use to distribute the bird seed mix?

Hoping to build one for soon, just looking for ideas, thinking an old stocks hopper just with a close/open shoot.

I just use an old fert spreader that just used for that job.
1 side set to throw sideways, other straight behind.
So use whatever side suits where spreading.