Why is Bird Food So Expensive at The Moment?

The price of most bird foods has gone up by a good 200% in the past year. We explore why and what you can do about it.

Why have prices increased?

The main reason for prices increasing is the war in Ukraine. From one side of things, a good chunk of the worlds grain comes from Ukraine farmers, which has had worldwide effects on pricing. From the other side, russia is a large supplier of oil which impacts fuel prices. The end result is less available food, which pushes up prices and the cost of transporting that food has increased too, further increasing prices.

How can I continue to support my local wildlife?

The best thing to do is switch to cheaper bird foods and shop around to get the best deals. Use our bird food price trackers to make sure you're geting the best deals, or you could switch to other cheaper bird foods. For example bird seed mixes often represent better value for money, but you might find that there's more waste. Sunflower Hearts are always going to be a favourite and the most versatile food to feed, but you could supplement it with other foods. Perhaps bulk it out with a seed mix, or even suet pellets.

You could also try buying your bird food from other places such as supermarkets or garden centres. Whilst the pack sizes are often smaller, there are some good deals to be had (due to the fact they don't have to account for the cost of delivery)

Finally, companies like Garden Wildlife Direct offer a reward points scheme. The scheme is generally excellent, but be aware that you can't stack offers so you cannot use them alongside a discount code. They do however frequently offer discounts, so you could keep an eye out for those when they spring up. We recommend buying on the offers until you have enough points to get a freebie.

If you are struggling to keep up with feeding the birds then we'd encourage you to stop until you can afford to support them again. They won't starve and you can always feed them scraps from your table for a while. Your wellbeing is more important.