Niger Seed

PREMIUM QUALITY BIRD FOOD

£14.00

In stock

SKU

FREE Delivery

115 Reviews from

3Kg
£14.00
6kg
£23.00
13Kg
£35.00
20Kg
£48.00

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Niger seed (also known as thistle seed or nyjer seed) is a tiny, oil-rich seed that has special oil releasing properties. It is best fed alongside other popular bird foods, like sunflower hearts and seed mixes. While several wild bird species eat niger seed, it is a favourite with members of the finch family and is favoured by Goldfinches, Siskins and Redpolls. Due to their small size, niger seeds for birds are best fed in a specially-made niger seed feeder. These have smaller ports than other kinds of bird feeders, meaning the tiny seeds can be held in place while garden birds eat them. Buy niger seed in 3kg, 6kg, 13kg and 20kg bags. 40kg is delivered as 2 x 20kg

3kg & 6kg now available in paper packaging

Niger Feeder

Orders received by 3pm Monday to Friday will be dispatched via DHL on a no signature delivery service; simply advise us where to leave your bags. We don't deliver on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Some orders less than 1kg in weight will come by Royal Mail.

Orders for Live Mealworms are sent directly from our supplier via Royal Mail. They are dispatched the same day if orders are received by 12pm Mon-Thurs; no orders are dispatched on a Friday. Please allow four working days for orders to arrive.

If you have not received your order within seven working days please contact us on 01775 630208.

We now deliver to all of mainland UK with no extra delivery charge. Please note that some postcode areas that are classed as Scottish Islands and Highlands may take 2-3 working days to arrive. For deliveries outside of these areas a £10 charge will be applied. Postcode areas affected include HS, IV41 – IV49, IV51, IV55 and IV56, KA27 and KA28, KW15 to KW17, PA20, PA41 to PA49, PA60 to PA78, PH42 to PH44, ZE, Isle of Man

We are unable to deliver to the Republic of Ireland or the Channel Islands.

Christina mattocks

100%

So impressed with this company. Excellent quality, the birds are very happy. Delivery is great too. Order one day early and it is despatched either the same day or the next. The courier company keep you updated regularly!
18/04/2024
Richard Ayres

100%

Quick & efficient service, & our wildlife are very happy.
17/04/2024
Gordon Shaw

100%

Excellent service as always
16/04/2024
Mrs margaret Whitfield

100%

The Niger Seed from Vine House Farm is much enjoyed by the goldfinches in my garden. The birds queue up to go on the feeder. The quality is so good and it is very fresh. You can tell that from its glossy appearance. I find that I am buying bigger and bigger bags to keep up with demand .
13/04/2024
Brian Robertson

100%

I have goldfinches, siskins and redpolls queuing up every day to eat the niger seed.
01/03/2024
Hugh Insley

100%

Delivered on time by a friendly DHL driver who was willing to lift it into the garage for me.
29/02/2024
Anonymous

100%

this company is great. always deliver quickly after ordering and the quality of the seed and the packaging is first class. also its a good feeling to support a farm that cares for biodiversity while our present govenrment seems not to care.
07/02/2024
Mrs anne Smith

100%

It's very popular with the goldfinches
26/01/2024
Ian Hempshall

100%

Good quality seed well packaged. Our goldfinches are loving it.
22/12/2023
Ian Hempshall

100%

Good quality seed well packaged. Our goldfinches are loving it.
22/12/2023
John Headon

100%

Good quality, if expensive (as it is everywhere now) - we are having to cut down significantly on how much we use.
22/11/2023
Michael Pier

100%

excellent product
19/10/2023
Dennis Smith

100%

the goldfinches love it and they’re always in and out of the garden
06/10/2023
Dennis Smith

100%

the goldfinches love it and they’re always in and out of the garden
06/10/2023
Mr douglas Moffat

100%

Good product bird flock to the feeders
03/10/2023
Jack Startin

100%

Good product, speedily delivered (at no extra cost), & as a British (Lincolnshire) product its low transport miles. Have bought from before & will do again.
12/09/2023
Jack Startin

100%

Good product, speedily delivered (at no extra cost), & as a British (Lincolnshire) product its low transport miles. Have bought from before & will do again.
12/09/2023
Mrs margaret Brewster

100%

This is gobbled up by the Wood Pigeons and Sparrows from the feeders.
07/09/2023
Joan Butler

100%

Very satisfied with the delivery of Niger seed.
05/09/2023
Mrs susan Santos

100%

Very good quick and helpful.
15/08/2023
Mr michael hodges

100%

Good quality seed at a relatively decent price. (This stuff is expensive wherever you buy it!).
31/07/2023
Hugh Insley

100%

Vine House we’re their usual slick and efficient service with the sack of Niger on our doorstep in Inverness 48 hours after clicking confirm on the computer. Free delivery is important to us up here where the irritation of ‘free delivery, except for the Highlands and Islands’ is a constant irritation.
22/07/2023
Margaret Wheller

100%

Although these seeds are now expensive the goldfinches flock to them ravenously! I do not begrudge them and their little ones! Great stuff.
13/06/2023
Margaret Wheller

100%

Although these seeds are now expensive the goldfinches flock to them ravenously! I do not begrudge them and their little ones! Great stuff.
13/06/2023
Jackie andrade

100%

Excellent by quality and service. Great to know my money is supporting work for wildlife both on the farm and off
05/06/2023
Mrs margaret Brewster

100%

The birds, especially the wood pigeons love it and gobble it up.
29/05/2023
Terry Palmer

100%

A great product, the goldfinches and siskins love it.
08/04/2023
Judith Warner

100%

Super fast food! Delivery next day. Birds much relieved.
22/03/2023
Anonymous

100%

Good quality, promptly and smoothly delivered
09/03/2023
Pamela Stansfield

100%

A quality product. The birds love it and eat the lot! I have tried cheaper brands, but a lot gets left in the container and goes mouldy. It doesn't happen with this one! Slightly more money, but worth it PLUS a donation goes to Cornwall Wildlife with every order, so win-win.
04/03/2023
Andy Worth

100%

Good quality Nigella seed, well packed and arrived on time.
20/02/2023
Barbara Chinnery

100%

Good quality seed and prompt delivery, as usual.
14/02/2023
Stephanie Adcock

100%

Delivered promptly and the seed is of high quality. No chaff, husks or any other bits of waste mixed in. Perfect.
14/02/2023
Susan Stainton

100%

Speedy and efficient service.
13/02/2023
Anonymous

100%

Gold finches love this seed. Delivered in convenient packs - not too large.
08/02/2023
Anonymous

100%

Gold finches love this seed. Delivered in convenient packs - not too large.
08/02/2023
Mrs wendy Huggins

100%

Finches go mad for it!
23/01/2023
Mr rick Dennis

100%

Delivered as promised, packaged in 2 x 3kg bags which helps to keep the unused seed dry . As to quality I can say that the Siskins and Goldfinches give it 5*.
23/01/2023
Mr rick Dennis

100%

Delivered as promised, packaged in 2 x 3kg bags which helps to keep the unused seed dry . As to quality I can say that the Siskins and Goldfinches give it 5*.
23/01/2023
Mrs carole Hardwick

100%

Favourite of siskins, finches and sparrows. A great quality feed which soon goes!
28/12/2022
John Northfield

80%

Like all their products is is good quality if a little pricey.
25/12/2022
Anonymous

100%

I use this in a niger seeder for the goldfinches who go for it in a big way. Also add it to the premium high energy mix seed. Good product
21/12/2022
Anonymous

100%

I use this in a niger seeder for the goldfinches who go for it in a big way. Also add it to the premium high energy mix seed. Good product
21/12/2022
Guest

100%

Very good product gold finches love it
01/11/2022
Helen Keenan

100%

Very speedy arrival of Niger seeds. Thank you, the goldfinches are happy and make my day feeding just outside my window in South London.
29/10/2022
Yvonne Mcvie

100%

Our finches love them
25/10/2022
Guest

100%

Service and delivery were good quick and easy will buy again and there’s not many places you can get live meal worms
24/10/2022
Yvonne Mcvie

100%

Our goldfinches and Siskins love this.
15/08/2022
Harold Paul

100%

The goldfinches and siskins love the Nyger seed.
04/08/2022
Mr philip Poole

100%

These seeds are beloved of goldfinches in this neck of the woods… Worcester, no hint of starlings or magpies! They are especially welcome with my dear old mum in a local care home. She thinks they must have escaped from an aviary and l have done nowt to disabuse her of this concept. The seeds are very small and light so are best placed in the feeders on non windy days. The farm get these deliveries out asap and l am always impressed.
01/08/2022

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More Information Frequently Asked Questions

Niger seed (also referred to as nyger seed and thistle seed) is a tiny, black seed that is grown in parts of Africa, particularly Ethiopia. It comes from the Guizotia Abyssinica flower and has oil releasing properties.

It is known to be a favourite of finches, particularly Goldfinches, due to the shape and structure of their beaks. These have evolved to extract seeds from the heads of thistles and teasels. The pointed bill of Goldfinches are able to not only hold niger seeds -- which are a similar size to thistle seeds, but they can also fit inside the tiny hole of niger seed feeder ports.

Niger seed is a highly nutritious type of wild bird seed, containing proteins, oils and soluble sugars. This means it is a great year-round wild bird food, providing vital nutrients and energy to Goldfinches and other members of the finch family.

Niger seeds are particularly rich in oil and have a high nutritious content, which is why members of the finch family, such as Goldfinches love it. The oil in niger seeds helps to provide high, fast-release calories to birds, which helps birds to store fat and continue to survive during colder climes.

If you are an avid bird watcher and you want to attract finches -- especially Goldfinches -- to your garden, including niger seeds in your bird food selection can also be very beneficial. Another benefit of niger seeds for birds is that they are easy to feed, providing you use the proper feeder.

You can buy specially-designed niger or nyjer feeders which are an ideal way to feed niger seeds to garden birds. They are made to hold niger seeds -- which are very small -- in place while making them easily accessible to birds.

To avoid mess from falling seeds, opt for a niger feeder that includes a seed tray at the bottom. This will catch falling seeds and stop them from falling on the ground. This also provides birds with another opportunity to eat the seeds, rather than just from the feeding port. In this case, it is important that the tray is cleaned regularly, and all discarded husks are removed every day during this process. This prevents the husks from rotting -- which niger seed husks are prone to do quickly. Without the regular removal of these husks, salmonella poisoning becomes a risk.

When feeding niger seeds, ensure they stay dry. A weather guard can help to prevent rain from getting into the feeder, and can also be useful when feeding other types of seed, like sunflower seeds, millet, oats and crushed peanuts.

If you are putting niger seed out for birds and you are finding that the seeds are not being eaten, there could be several reasons for this. The first could be that the seeds are too old. When niger seeds are fresh, they should be black. This means many of the vital nutrients usually present in niger seeds for birds will be missing; if seeds are no longer black they may be dried out, which means they contain less oil. Birds eat seeds for these oils and will be less inclined to feed on them if they are missing from them.

Another factor could be that your birdseed is wet. This is an issue for birds for several reasons. The first is that seeds can clump together when they become damp, which can block feeder ports and stop birds from being able to access them. Secondly, although this may not stop birds from feeding on the seeds themselves, wet seeds can be dangerous. This is because the dampness encourages certain bacteria to grow which, if left, can lead to salmonella poisoning. To ensure your seeds are staying dry, purchase a bird feeder with a weather guard, or buy a separate weather guard to attach to your existing feeder. If seeds are fed in open areas, be sure to replace them once they are wet/frosty.

Another reason birds avoid niger seeds is because of the placement of the bird feeder itself, rather than what is inside it. Goldfinches naturally feed in open areas and will readily come to a niger seed feeder in the middle of a lawn or garden space.Another put-off for many timid birds is feeders that are too close to human activity. For instance, a feeder in a wide-open area near a main road, busy patios, or entrances to your home can prevent birds from wanting to eat from it. Instead, place feeders in areas with some coverage, such as under branches, or near bushes and as far away as possible from areas with a lot of movement or noise.

If you want to feed a range of wild birds, you should include a range of sources in your selection of bird food. As well as niger seeds, you can also feed birds other straight foods, seed mixes, suet, live food, and peanuts.

Our most popular bird food products include:

-Sunflower hearts (these are black sunflower seeds with the outer husk removed)

-Suet pellets

-Suet fat balls

-Mixed bird seeds

-Live mealworms

Niger seeds are particularly popular with members of the finch family, including Goldfinches, Siskins and Redpolls.

The following birds will eat niger seeds:

-Goldfinches

-Siskins

-Redpolls

Other species will only feed on niger seed if they are fed from a bird table, feeding tray or from the ground, as they cannot extract niger from the tiny ports of a niger seed feeder. These include:

-Greenfinches

-Chaffinches

-Bullfinches

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