Alice - I got my cage seed feeder from Walmart. It was under $30. I removed the tube feeder in the middle and replaced it with a small plastic dish (I burned a hole through the center of the dessert dish and slid the dish down the feeder pole to rest on the bottom of the cage). The reason I removed the tube feeder in the middle is because the seed was spilling out. The feeder ports were not constructed correctly (IMHO) and the seed literally poured out of those 6 ports onto the ground. Poor design flaw. I fill it up each day. The small birds love it, though I have seen a lot of larger birds eating at that feeder too. Amazing how those bigger birds can figure out a way to get to the seeds. Even the squirrels use it, but not often because it requires a bit of effort and the seeds are small millet seeds. Not worth all that effort expended. The bad thing is that it is a cheap feeder and is already rusting. I just got it this past Fall. I may try spray painting it to try to prolong the life of the feeder.
One of the things that I do NOT like about a lot of feeders is that if it rains, the seeds inside the tubes get moldy and often times sprout. Using this little dessert dish in the middle of mine has eliminated that entire issue. I even drilled little drain holes in the dish so water wouldn't collect in it. I could design a better feeder than most companies do. I have wasted so much money over the years trying one feeder after another. I need squirrel proof feeders (there is NO such thing!) and feeders that discourage the bigger birds. I have a hanging platform feeder for the bigger birds, but they always insist on coming to the cage finch seed feeder! Grrrr ... But this feeders serves it's purpose well for the smaller birds like the finches and buntings. Now I just need to spray paint it to keep it from rusting apart. What I wouldn't give to have a really good, useful, and long lasting feeder that keeps squirrels and bigger birds out. Oh well ....
