Wagner’s Deluxe Treat Wild Bird Food is one of the most purchased and highly-reviewed bird seeds on Amazon. It’s cheap and has an extraordinary high 4.7/5 star rating on the website at the time of this article. However, after buying the seed and seeing it myself, I’m making a bold claim that this bird seed isn’t worth your money and that you should consider alternatives.
Who am I? And why should you listen? I’ve been a bird feeding enthusiast for years and have tried/reviewed dozens of bird seeds for this blog. Much of what I’ll say in this article is from my experience. However, my views on filler ingredients in this story are also backed from top-birding sources such as Wild Birds Unlimited, the Minnesota DNR, and a piece in the Washington Post.
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This Bird Seed Has a Ton of Filler Ingredients
My biggest issue is the amount of fillers present in this bird seed, primarily red milo and cracked corn. I have more detail on why red milo stinks in bird seed highlighted in this post here. But, in a nutshell, the vast majority of birds won’t eat it, or kick it out of your feeder on the ground. It’s a common ingredient companies put into bird seed to fill up the bag without much substance. I’ve also found that songbirds don’t love cracked corn. It usually ends up tossed aside at my feeders, collecting mold on the ground.
I poured about a cup of the bird seed out on a paper towel so you can see for yourself. Red milo and cracked corn make up a good chunk of this blend of bird seed. About 30-40%!
Another thing I don’t like is that this bird seed is dry and dusty. It isn’t fresh at all! This is trickier when you order a bird seed from Amazon, but a quality-seed should still have some sheen and slippery-ness to it.
Here’s a view of the ingredients list on the back of the bag.
Why is it so Highly Rated on Amazon? Should You Stop Using it?
I think this bird seed appeals to people and has positive reviews because it’s dirt cheap (less than $10 for a four pound bag at the time of this article). It will also get the job done of drawing in several different bird species. Even if it has a ton of filler ingredients, a lot of different birds will enjoy eating black oil sunflower, safflower seed, and white millet.
If you already use this seed and it’s working well, by all means continue doing so. But, I’d encourage you to keep an eye out below your feeder. Is there a collection of the less-favorable milo and cracked corn collecting below? If so, you should consider a more quality-option. Otherwise, you’re throwing money away.
Quality bird seed doesn’t have to be expensive either. I’ve recently found two bird seeds around the same pricing for a bag that appeal to a ton of different species, have quality seed, and few filler ingredients. Here are my reviews below.
If you’re in a store, it’s always helpful to read the ingredient list of bird seed and avoid products with red milo or cracked corn. This will help you buy seeds with better, quality ingredients.
If you’ve used this bird seed, let me know in the comments section below what you think of it. If you have questions or comments, I always welcome those: debaundan@gmail.com
Thanks for reading. Happy bird feeding!