Why give feed to your yard birds? Your great grandparents never did. That was beauty of having yard birds. Free eggs and meat without input. Mine have an acre+ to forage. Plus they get all of our table scraps (at least what the dogs won't eat). They are fat and happy. Except for dead of winter (when there are no insects to be found), I don't provide any feed. Lower cost. Less unknowns in their diet. And, as an added bonus, my house stays insect free without heavy pesticides.