AB9 - Wild Bird Food Seed Mixtures
Wild bird seed mixtures create bird friendly plants that provide important food resources for birds throughout the year. All of our wild bird seed mixtures comply with Countryside Stewardship AB9 - Winter Bird Food.
Buy online, apply for a trade account (we review all applications within one working day) or get in touch to place an order through your buying group. You can also request a catalogue to view our full range.
Boston Seeds are proud to supply the EnviroSeeds range for biodiversity and sustainable farming.
Use this mixture for CAHL2 (2024/2025) and AHL2 (2023) Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and AB9 Countryside Stewardship (Winter Bird Food), to provide important food resources for farmland birds, during autumn and winter.
- Farmland birds eat the seeds from October and beneficial insects including bees and butterflies use the flowers during the summer
- Sow in spring or early summer for optimum establishment - suitable for later sowings and re-sowing of failed crops, where permitted
- Re-sow in each year of your agreement
- Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): CAHL2 AHL2
- Suitable for Countryside Stewardship (CSS): AB9
- Contains: 35% Buckwheat, 30% Linseed, 15% White Mustard, 10% Oil Radish, 5% Brown Mustard, 5% Phacelia
- Sowing rate: 8-10kg/ha (added to c.40kg cereals) or 15-20kg/ha (as a standalone mix). Pack size: 20kg
Boston Seeds are proud to supply the EnviroSeeds range for biodiversity and sustainable farming.
Use this 2 year mixture for CAHL2 (2024/2025) and AHL2 (2023) Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and AB9 Countryside Stewardship (Winter Bird Food), providing grain-bearing plants for farmland birds, especially Grey Partridges, through autumn and winter for two seasons. Excellent feed and cover for game birds throughout the shooting season.
- Farmland birds eat the seeds from October and beneficial insects including bees and butterflies use the flowers during the summer
- Sow in spring or early summer for optimum establishment
- Re-sow every two years of your agreement
- Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): CAHL2 AHL2
- Suitable for Countryside Stewardship (CSS): AB9
- Contains: 50% Spring Barley, 30% Spring Triticale, 7% White Millet, 5% Linseed, 5% Fodder Radish, 3% Kale
- Sowing rate: 40-50kg/ha. Pack size: 20kg
Boston Seeds are proud to supply the EnviroSeeds range for biodiversity and sustainable farming.
Use this 1 year mixture for CAHL2 (2024/2025) and AHL2 (2023) Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and AB9 Countryside Stewardship (Winter Bird Food) to provide food and shelter for farmland birds, especially Finches and Corn Buntings, during autumn and winter.
- Farmland birds eat the seeds from October and beneficial insects including bees and butterflies use the flowers during the summer
- Sow in spring or early summer for optimum establishment
- Re-sow in each year of your agreement
- Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): CAHL2 AHL2
- Suitable for Countryside Stewardship (CSS): AB9
- Contains: 50% Spring Barley, 30% Spring Triticale, 7% Sunflower, 5% Red Millet, 5% White Millet, 3% Quinoa
- Sowing rate: 50kg/ha. Pack size: 20kg
Boston Seeds are proud to supply the EnviroSeeds range for biodiversity and sustainable farming.
Use this mixture for AHL2 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and AB9 Countryside Stewardship (Winter Bird Food), to provide important food resources for farmland birds, especially Tree Sparrows, during autumn and winter.
- Farmland birds eat the seeds from October and beneficial insects including bees and butterflies use the flowers during the summer
- Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): AHL2
- Suitable for Countryside Stewardship (CSS): AB9
- Spring sown - one year mixture
- Contains: 50% Spring Wheat, 30% Spring Barley, 7% Fodder Radish, 5% Linseed, 5% White Millet, 3% Quinoa
- Sow minimum 50kg per hectare. Pack size: 20kg
This item is currently unavailable
Supporting Wild Birds at Boston Seeds
We take our responsibility towards wildlife and conservation to heart, which is why we work with Farm Wildlife. Farm Wildlife is an umbrella of 11 separate wildlife charities and conservation organisations that have dedicated themselves to wildlife-friendly farming.
We have bird friendly seed mixtures designed to cater to specific farmland birds dietary needs, especially during autumn and winter when food sources can become scarcer. For example, our CSS10/FCB wild bird mix provides a nutrient-rich option specifically catered to Finches and Corn Bunting.
Most of our mixtures are sown in spring for a one-year mixture, but our CSS10/GP mixture, which is especially nutritious for Grey Partridges, is available in one and two-year mixtures. These mixtures don’t just help benefit wild birds either as during the summer, when flowering, insects can use the flowers as a food source.
You can check out our full Countryside Stewardship range, including Nectar Flower Mixtures and Beetle Banks. All of the products in this range are designed to support our wildlife and encourage biodiversity - from supporting wildlife habitat restoration to minimising water pollution caused by agriculture.
We also have wildflower seeds which can help encourage biodiversity in smaller greenery projects.
AB9 - Wild Bird Food Seed Mixtures FAQs
How to provide natural food for birds?
The best way to provide natural food for birds is to grow plants that produce seeds, flowers, berries and insects. Providing a natural food source for birds is a great way to bring wildlife to space and support wildlife. Wild bird seed mixtures are great for large spaces, such as farm land or countryside sites, as they help provide food for birds year long, especially during the months when food is limited. Our Wild Bird Seed Mixtures AB9 seed mixtures are created for this purpose.
What are the best plants for birds in the UK?
The best plants for birds in the UK are the ones that provide a food source, insects, shelter and nesting cover throughout the whole year.
For large wildlife areas, our Wild Bird Seed Mixtures AB9 are designed to establish seed-bearing crops that provide winter food for farmland birds, including options tailored for species such as tree sparrows, partridges and finches. Good bird-friendly plants and crops include millet, cereals such as wheat, barley and triticale, fodder radish, quinoa, linseed, kale, sunflowers, teasel and hawthorn. The RSPB also recommends using a variety of plants because different birds rely on different food sources.
When should I plant bird friendly plants?
For AB9 wild bird seed mixtures, the main sowing window is spring to early summer. For our wild bird seed mixtures we recommend planting during early spring so they are established between the months of March and June. Planting during this window allows the plants to grow through spring and summer, set seed in autumn and still provide food for wild birds in winter.
What are the benefits of supporting wild birds?
Supporting wild birds has a range of benefits, especially for farms and countryside sites. Birds help create a healthier, more balanced environment and often feed on insects that can naturally help reduce the need for pesticides on crops.
For landowners and farmers, sowing wild bird seed helps meet countryside stewardship requirements while making underused areas more wildlife-friendly.
Buy With Confidence
We’re dedicated to making the highest quality, professional outdoor products available to everyone to truly make the most of their outdoor spaces - lawns, gardens, landscapes, equine, sports and agriculture. Trusted by over 200,000 happy customers with a reputation for professional quality, world-class service and outstanding value for everyone, since 2002.
We take quality seriously, supplying products you can trust. Our grass seed is DEFRA-certified for purity and germination, utilising the highest quality cultivars recommended by the Sports Turf Research Institute. Wildflower products are of known UK provenance and flower bulbs are sourced directly from the finest growers in the UK and the Netherlands.
With hundreds of items available for next day delivery, we take pride in getting your order to you quickly and efficiently. Our team of dedicated experts and friendly advisors are here for you when you need them. That’s why you can call us and get straight through to an advisor from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, or email us for a rapid response.