Bird seed is an important staple in the diet of pet birds and wild birds alike. There are many different types of bird seed available on the market today, catering to different species and their unique dietary needs. But have you ever wondered where all that bird seed comes from and who the major manufacturers are?
The Bird Seed Industry
The bird seed industry is actually quite large, generating over $4 billion in sales annually in the United States alone. The market is dominated by a handful of major manufacturers who control the bulk of production and distribution. These companies operate enormous manufacturing facilities where raw materials like millet, cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and other grains are cleaned, blended, and packaged into commercial bird food products.
The top bird seed brands in the U.S. include names like Kaytee, Lafeber’s, ZuPreem, Hartz Mountain, Vitakraft, and others. Most of the leading bird food companies are actually owned by large conglomerate corporations like Spectrum Brands or Central Garden & Pet Company. They leverage their distribution networks and economies of scale to produce huge volumes of seed for national retail chains, independent pet stores, and online distributors.
Bird Seed Production Process
Producing the vast quantities of bird seed required to meet demand is a highly mechanized process. Here is a general overview of how commercial bird seeds are manufactured:
- Sourcing – Bird seed manufacturers source raw materials like millet, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, peanuts, etc. from bulk commodity suppliers. This may be domestically grown grain or imported from other countries.
- Cleaning – The raw grains and seeds are subjected to multiple cleaning steps to remove debris, dust, fines, etc. This includes screening, aspiration, dehulling, and other processes.
- Blending – The clean seeds are blended together in large industrial mixing machines in specific ratios according to recipes for each type of bird seed blend.
- Drying – Most bird seed mixes are dried to a uniform moisture level of around 10% using low temperature drying equipment.
- Packaging – The finished bird seed is packaged into bags or containers ranging from small 1 lb bags up to 40 lb boxes for bulk purchase.
- Labeling – Packages are labeled with net weight, ingredients, nutritional information, etc. prior to shipping.
- Distribution – Large distributors transport the packaged bird seeds to retail points of purchase across the country.
This entire supply chain is highly automated, leveraging factory automation technology to achieve high throughput with minimal human intervention. State-of-the-art manufacturing plants can produce thousands of tons of bird seed per day.
Major Bird Seed Brands
Here is an overview of some of the leading bird seed manufacturers in the North American market:
Kaytee
– Founded in 1934 in Chilton, Wisconsin
– Acquired by Central Garden & Pet in 1997
– Offers extensive line of wild bird feeds and blends
– Also manufactures pet bird food, small animal food, and bird housing/accessories
– Operates a 200,000 sq ft bird seed plant in Chilton, WI
Pennington Seed
– Part of Central Garden & Pet portfolio
– Major producer of wild bird seed and mixes
– Also produces grass seed for lawns
– Manufacturing plants located in Madison, GA and Arden, NC
Lafeber’s
– Family-owned company founded in Cornell, IL in 1965
– Specializes in gourmet pet bird diets and seed mixes
– Acquired in 2018 by WellPet – a division of Berwind Corporation
– Manufactures over 400 bird food products and ships globally
ZuPreem
– Originated as part of Premium Nutritional Products in Shawnee, KS
– Brand acquired by Spectrum Brands in 2014
– Produces premium bird diets, seed mixes, and pellet foods
– Manufacturing facilities in Illinois and Kansas
Vitakraft Sun Seed
– Vitakraft is based in Germany but has U.S. operations
– Sun Seed brand produces seed and pelleted bird diets
– Owns manufacturing plants in both North Carolina and California
Other Notable Companies
Some other major bird food producers include:
- Lyric – Acquired by Central Garden & Pet in 2016
- Volkman Seed – Family-owned company in Long Island, NY
- Wagner’s – Producer of wild bird feed and pet products
- Morning Song – Bird food brand owned by Reed’s Inc.
- Brown’s – Wild bird seed line under Spectrum Brands
Geographic Distribution
While there are bird seed blending and packaging plants scattered all across North America, some regions boast higher concentrations of production facilities:
Midwestern U.S.
Many leading bird food brands originated in the Midwestern U.S. which remains a hub for bird seed manufacturing. Key facilities are located in:
- Illinois – Lafeber Company, Kaytee, ZuPreem plants
- Wisconsin – Major Kaytee operation in Chilton
- Iowa – Production facilities for Kaytee, Pennington, other brands
- Indiana – Kroger private label bird seed plant
- Kansas – Processing plants for Cargill, ZuPreem
Southeastern U.S.
Major grain producing areas in the southeast also host some large bird seed production complexes:
- Georgia – Pennington Seed plant in Madison, GA
- North Carolina – Sun Seed operation in Kinston, NC
- South Carolina – Wild bird seed facilities in Spartanburg
Western U.S.
The west coast states have a number of facilities as well:
- California – Sun Seed plant in Bowling Green, CA
- Oregon – Bird seed operations near Portland metro area
- Utah – Several manufacturers have blending plants
Additionally, major distribution hubs like Texas, Ohio, and central Canada also have bird food production capacity.
Bird Seed Industry Trends
The bird seed manufacturing sector continues to experience steady growth, driven by:
- Increasing hobbyist interest in backyard bird feeding and watching
- Greater consumer focus on wild bird conservation
- Demand for higher quality/premium specialty bird food
- Higher production efficiency lowering costs for consumers
As interest in backyard birding grows as a hobby, manufacturers are responding with new specialty seed blends and premium mixes fortified with nutrients like omega-3s. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for premium products that attract more exotic birds. Backyard bird feeding has also benefited from trends like more consumers gardening and landscaping during the pandemic.
Future Outlook
The wild bird seed manufacturing sector looks positioned for continued prosperity. With hobbyist participation increasing and major manufacturers investing in new product development and production efficiency, the future looks bright.
Bird food companies are likely to continue acquisition and consolidation to gain scale and efficiency. Larger players will get bigger. Independent regional producers may struggle to compete and be absorbed into bigger brands. But overall bird seed output will keep climbing to satisfy America’s obsession with feeding backyard birds.
Conclusion
Although the backyard bird feeding industry may seem like a small niche, it is actually big business in North America. The bird seed manufacturing sector generates billions in sales each year and continues to grow. A handful of major producers with advanced production technology and distribution dominate the market. Key players like Kaytee, Pennington, Lafeber’s, and ZuPreem drive most of the output.
Regional hubs with grain production and logistics infrastructure tend to be centers for bird food manufacturing like the Midwest, Southeast, and West Coast. Consolidation will likely continue as large conglomerates acquire smaller brands. But the future remains bright for bird seed as hobbyists drive demand for premium products and increased production capacity keeps costs low. So next time you fill your bird feeder, think about the complex industry that helped bring that seed from farm to feathered friend.