Neighbors March 2011 | Page 16

(Continued from Page 15) BENEFITS GALORE Bird owners often use millet spray as a reward for good behavior or when the bird masters a new trick. Low in fat, it supplements the diet of birds that refuse other foods or who have reduced food intake due to illness. If soaked in warm water, millet spray is an excellent weaning food for immature parrots and helps encourage young birds to eat independently. About one inch diameter, millet spray varies from six to 18 inches long and consists of a long, thin stalk from which small tufts of seeds extend. Each tuft has 25-50 millet seeds. A full millet spray, which may contain thousands of seeds, is normally clipped to a bird's cage to eat at their own leisure. TO MARKET, TO MARKET Millet Supply LLC sells a whopping 1,000, 000 bags of millet sprays every year, right out of Plainfield, WI, not direct to the public but rather to bird feed manufacturers. Their biggest client is Kaytee, located in Chilton, WI, followed by Hartz Mountain and 10-12 other manufacturers. Kaytee, manufacturer of pet and wild bird food products and accessories describes Millet Supply LLC’s natural spray millet as “a very popular, stimulating and entertaining food treat for fledglings, juveniles and full grown birds alike.” (Continued on Page 17) Top: “Peanut” wagons used for millet seed harvesting. Middle: These combines are specially modified to handle millet sprays. Bottom: Gary Woyak, a Millet Supply LLC’s owner and WI potato farmer, points out millet sprays in a mound of unprocessed millet. Page 20 Neighbors-March 2011