Why are our peanuts so expensive? There is a very good reason for that.
Not all peanuts are the same.
We specifically choose to sell top of the line human grade peanuts in the shell (and out of the shell) to avoid things like aflotoxin, vomitoxin and salmonella that can be part of animal grade legumes, nuts and grains. We choose these peanuts to be good to the birds out there. They've got it tough enough without being offered second rate and sometimes dangerous peanut options.
Human grade peanuts go through much more stringent quality controls than animal grade peanuts would go through which adds to the cost. And a drought in Texas decimated the peanut market last year, driving up demand and price for the year that follows. And sometimes a little longer as the market plays catch up for demand.
The sad part is for me - I had forgotten some of this important info even as I became more and more frustrated with people not buying our peanuts and even going so far as walking out and telling they were going to the competitor for cheaper peanuts!
Then I realized today (lightbulb moment!) - the customers who left don't know this information as much as I'd forgotten it. And I put my head on my desk after some clarity emails with our distributor and the light dawned. The others prices are cheaper because they are selling inferior product. Duh. It's been a crazy few years keeping up with all things covid, and even now that's settling, life feels busier and this info - which I knew - fell out of my brain. So I apologize for not keeping you all up to speed on this very important piece of information.
If you're seeing lower prices on bird grade peanuts out in the market it should serve as a red flag for not only quality but for the potential of doing more harm than good in a hobby that demands the conscientious choice of foods that serve our feathered friends - some of the smallest creatures on the planet that bring us the most joy, daily, in our own backyards. They have zero choice or defence to the foods that we introduce to them. That's why here at The Birdhouse we pride ourselves in using top quality seed and peanuts from conscientious distributors that have our backs as well as the birds we serve.
Not to mention that myself and my employees personally handle the seed in our retail location - which is attached to my home and 3 very enthusiastic Golden Retrievers who LOVE peanuts. Fergus would happily stick his whole head into a bucket of them if he could (all 3 would really!) and he's allergic to them - instant hotspots. Sigh. So it's all the more important to make sure that what we bring in for the birds won't harm them, our pets, or us!
So if you feel a little sticker shock at our peanut prices please know it's because we are offering you the best and safest to put in your feeders. We will always err on the side of caution and go with the value of "Do No Harm" here at The Birdhouse Nature Store Inc. Find our peanuts here.
Thank you Katrina! We agree!
Your peanuts are the best and the birds know it as well!