“That ain’t exactly chicken feed!”
Well, actually, it is. I bought a bag of chicken feed expressly to feed my doves, sparrows, snowbirds and other ground feeders. Those birds, among others, feed almost exclusively on the ground and rarely fly up to a feeder but rather peck away at any food scattered on the ground. I have 5 raised feeders but feel sorry for the little ground feeders who get nothing but spillage. I have been tossing a cupful or two of seeds on the ground just for them, but then I considered chicken feed, or chicken scratch as it is also called.
I bought a 10-pound bag of Manna Pro 7-Grain Ultimate Chicken Scratch containing 7 types of grain – corn, wheat, barley, oats, sunflower seeds, millet and milo. It was $15.49, which is less expensive than traditional bird seed like sunflower hearts and premium blends. The squirrels, of course, will eat some of the feed, but there will be plenty of choice grains left for the birds.
The old saying, “chicken feed” refers to a paltry sum, like “I am working for chicken feed.” But it also means that my sparrows, snowbirds and doves will no longer be treated like second class citizens. They will be able to dine in style on the ground.
