# Niger/Nyjer Seed.



## Fraction

Does anybody feed their mice niger seed? Apparently harvest mice can eat and enjoy eating it, but I'm curious to know if anyone has ever fed it to their fancy mice.

I'm always looking for more things to add to my meeces' food.


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## Rhasputin

It's also called thistle seeds, they're great for mice.


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## moustress

Expensive, unless you an idiosyncratic gardener like me who lets a few thistles grow in her garden. The meeces love the seeds and incorporate the down in their nests. It takes a lot of thistle plants, though to make it worthwhile planting them on purpose, which is probably why they are so expensive at the stores.


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## Rhasputin

They're not too bad at Wild birds unlimited. About 20lbs for $15, and sometimes you can catch a good sale on it. 
But otherwise, very pricey, it's intended for attracting finches.


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## Fraction

They're actually really cheap at the pet shop I get my linseed from. Maybe a UK-US difference? I'll definitely grab a bag when I'm next there.


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## m137b

I tried them once, the bag was actually for the bird feeders but tried giving some to the mice. Mine ignored it completely, wouldn't eat any of it, I even mixed some in a wet mix for the brood does and the seeds got picked out and left behind.


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## s6m6blade

I tried Niger seed about a year ago but my old girl turned her nose up at it.


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## moustress

I curently have a batch of birdseed with white and red millet and nyger thistle. As far as I can tell my meeces are enjoying it. When I fed my orphans some freshly plucked bull thistle a few months ago, they loved it. Even meeces that seem to turn their noses up at thistle seeds probably eat it eventually. My mousies always consumes the familiar things that they really like before something new unless that is something really, really appealing. I would guess that seeds of any kind will lose over something fresh or starchy.


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