Is Milo an Ingredient Found in Birdseed?

Identification

• Milo, also known as sorghum, is an orb-shaped grain eaten worldwide by humans, livestock and birds. Milo thrives where the climate is hot and dry. This reddish-colored grain grows on 2- to 4-foot stalks much like cornstalks and harvested in the fall with a combine or threshed to separate the grain from the plants. The grain is set out to dry, reaching 13 percent moisture before it is ready for storage in clear, plastic containers.

As Filler Seed

• Lower quality, commercial birdseed often contains high amounts of milo. The grain is large, taking up most of the bulk in some birdseed bags. Fillers such as milo offer very little in the way of nutritional value or taste. Despite its commonality as a filler, many birds seem to avoid it at all costs, often leaving it uneaten at the bottom of the feeder. Milo does have its place but it is not in the bird feeder.

Ground Feeders and Milo

• Although milo is not a favorite in the birdseed feeder, Western ground-feeders do enjoy the taste of the grain. Unfortunately, Eastern ground-feeders do not share the same sentiments. If you live west of North or South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas ground-feeding birds in your region of the U.S. such as thrashers, Gambel's quails, Steller's jays and cowbirds appreciate milo scattered on the ground or along the lower trays of the bird feederm but not inside the feeder itself.

Warnings

• Milo that remains in the bottom of the feeder long after the birds have picked through the seed and eaten what they like usually ends up going to waste. Milo that sits for extended periods becomes a sanctuary for bacteria, contaminating any fresh seed poured over top. Removing any leftover milo from the bottom of the feeder and washing it down with a solution of 10 parts warm water to one part bleach prevents birds from ingesting bacteria and becoming sick.