Feed dust in bottom of feeders, What do you guys do with it?

[coveyrun]

I feed Purina and after every filling of feeders the bottom inch or so seems to be just dust, should I throw it or will the birds eat it. What do you do?

[quailacres]

There is some risk in leaving the dust as is may contain mold spores that could be inhaled causing infections in the respiratory tract (such as aspergillosis) and it is also possible for mycotoxins to proliferate in feed dust left in the way you describe.

[Don McGowan]

I run mine thru a strainer,  and reuse the big stuff in the dust you would be surprised how much feed you throw away. cut my feed useage a lot

[power]

delet

[Superbird]

Sometimes I let the feeders get low. When they have to, they will eat a lot of these fines.

[Fivehollers]

I use the dust for the babies. I grind up their feed for the first week or so and I use the "dust" in the bottom of the larger birds also. I will strain it and I won't feed it to them if the larger birds have pooped in the feeder, which they do sometimes. I don't know about the mold spores or anything like that because the feed does not stay around long enough to get moldy.