Why Peanut Free

Peanut-Free Birdseed: Why It Matters & How We Make It

It's personal.

With a peanut allergy in the family and backyard birds we wanted to feed, we went looking for birdseed that was safe for us to use — meaning it didn't contain peanuts, didn't have visible pieces of peanuts in it, and didn't carry the risk of cross-contact.

Knowing that allergen labelling on pet food, including birdseed, is voluntary, we didn't trust anything.

We looked, and looked, and looked. Nothing was safe.

None of this sat right with us. So we got to work to change this — for our family and for all the families, individuals, schools, parks, and community spaces who wanted to safely feed the birds.

You can learn more about our story and why we do what we do here

What is Peanut-Free Birdseed?

Peanut-free birdseed is birdseed produced without peanuts and without peanut cross-contact during sourcing, manufacturing, and packaging. It's designed for households, schools, and community environments where peanut exposure must be carefully avoided.

Because peanuts are widely used in conventional birdseed and in the facilities where it's manufactured, and because allergen labelling on pet food (including birdseed) is voluntary, certified peanut-free birdseed helps families and institutions make clearer, safer choices.

For Us, Peanut-Free Birdseed Means:

  • No peanuts are included as ingredients
  • Ingredients are sourced with peanut controls in place
  • Production follows protocols designed to prevent peanut cross-contact
  • The finished product is tested and verified peanut-free by a third party accredited lab.

Wallis Johns is, as far as we know, the first and only certified peanut-free wild birdseed brand — created specifically for people navigating peanut allergies and for peanut-free environments.

Why Peanut-Free Birdseed Matters

Feeding backyard birds should be simple. For many families, it is.

But for households, schools, and community spaces navigating peanut allergies, conventional birdseed can present an unexpected concern and safety risk - peanuts.

Peanut-free birdseed exists to make bird feeding accessible in environments where peanut exposure must be carefully managed or avoided.

Who Benefits From Peanut-Free Birdseed?

Peanut-free birdseed can be especially important for:

  • Homes where a family member has a peanut allergy
  • Homes where a close-by neighbour has a peanut allergy. It's common for squirrels to carry peanuts from one yard to another, this can present a real safety risk, especially for young kids. 
  • Schools and Montessori programs
  • Daycares and camps
  • Public parks and shared community spaces
  • Nature centres and educational programs

In these settings, minimizing accidental peanut exposure helps create safer, more inclusive environments and outdoor experiences.

If you're an educational institution or community organization, learn more about our Educational & Community Program.

Our Approach to Peanut-Free Verification

Every batch of our peanut-free birdseed is tested and verified peanut-free by a third-party accredited lab. 

But even before that, we work with carefully selected ingredients and facilities to ensure our birdseed meets defined peanut-free standards. Because for us, peanut-free isn't a label. It's the whole point.

Why Are Peanuts Common in Birdseed?

Peanuts are widely used in birdseed because they are:

  • High in fat and protein
  • Attractive to many bird species
  • Cost-effective and readily available

Because peanuts are so commonly used in both birdseed and pet food production, many facilities process peanut-containing and non-peanut products on shared equipment.

Unlike human food, allergen labelling requirements for pet food, including birdseed, is voluntary.

This means conventional birdseed often:

  • Contains peanuts as part of the ingredients
  • May contain peanuts due to cross-contact with other ingredients
  • Is produced in facilities that also process peanuts on shared equipment, also leading to cross-contact 

For many households, this isn't a concern. For allergy-aware environments, it is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are birds allergic to peanuts?

No. There is no evidence that backyard birds are allergic to peanuts.

This is a question we're asked a lot, and we're always happy when people take the time to ask.

Peanut-free birdseed is designed for people navigating peanut allergies and for use in peanut-free environments, not because birds are allergic, but because peanut-free environments require avoiding peanuts, including in unexpected places, like birdseed.

What is aflatoxin and why does it matter?

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxin produced by mold that can grow on peanuts and other crops. It poses health risks to birds and can contaminate feeders. While aflatoxin can occur in various seeds, peanuts are particularly susceptible.

Our peanut-free formulations eliminate this particular risk from peanuts entirely, ensuring safer feeding for your backyard visitors.

Is peanut-free birdseed necessary?

For many households, conventional birdseed works well.

But for families, schools, and public spaces managing peanut allergies, certified peanut-free birdseed is necessary and offers added reassurance and safety.

How is your birdseed certified peanut-free?

All of our products are verified peanut-free by a third-party accredited lab. We follow strict sourcing and production protocols to prevent cross-contact.

What birds can I attract with peanut-free birdseed?

Lots! We don't just make peanut-free birdseed, we make really, really great birdseed.

Our premium (no fillers, ever) peanut-free blends are loved by and attract all the seed-eating backyard birds, coast-to-coast, all year long, including chickadees, nuthatches, finches, cardinals, and many, many more. You can get to know a few of them here. 

Can I use your peanut-free birdseed in schools and daycares?

Yes. Our birdseed is specifically designed for peanut-free environments like schools, daycares, nature centres, and community spaces.

If you're managing other allergens at your facility, you can view our full allergen statement [here].

If you're an educational institution or community organization that wants to enjoy the birds, you might be interested in our Educational & Community Program.

Does peanut-free birdseed cost more?

In short, yes. Our birdseed has a higher cost due to our specialized sourcing and strict production protocols.

Also, our birdseed costs more because we use premium ingredients that birds truly love, no (cheap) fillers. Ever.

Did you know that many blends of wild birdseed contain up to 70% or more of filler seeds (like corn, wheat, milo and red millet), that's to say seeds that backyard birds aren't that fond of. Fillers make it seem like you're getting a lot of birdseed for not a lot of money, but most backyard birds aren't fond of filler seeds so the birds discard them which can lead to mold (very dangerous for birds) and/or attract rodents.

We decided very early on that we wanted nothing to do with fillers. So also for this reason our blends do cost more. We think it's worth it, and so do all the birds.

Welcome to your (peanut-free!) backyard full of birds. Here's a few of the common backyard birds that love our seed.

  • American Goldfinch

    These beautiful, acrobatic little songsters will brighten your yard any time of year, and they often bring (lots) of their friends with them. They tend to come and go for no obvious reason, but keep your feeders full, they'll be back.

  • House Finch

    Once the cheerful house finches discover your feeder, they're likely to bring a flock of friends with them next time. They have a delightful twittering song.

  • Black-capped Chickadee perched on a snowy branch — year-round backyard bird attracted by peanut-free sunflower seeds

    Chickadee

    Dear, sweet chickadee, how we love you so. There is nothing not to love about this reliably cheerful, friendly and inquisitive little bird. They'll make you grin with their swooping flight patterns and joyful chirps and squeaks.

  • Northern Cardinal (male)

    He's a shy, loyal fella. First you'll hear him - a glorious sound you'll afterwards never want to be without - then when you spot him, you'll know you've just been graced by something special.

  • Northern Cardinal (female)

    She's a beauty, spectacularly so. She and her mate (for life) prefer eating off the ground under the safety of a large tree, but they'll also venture to platform and tube feeders.

  • Indigo Bunting (male)

    What a treat if you spot this stunning, brilliant blue bird passing through your yard (during migration months). They'll sing for you from dusk till dawn.

  • Evening Grosbeak (male)

    They're not likely to visit your feeders every year, but they're worth the wait and they tend to travel in large flocks, so when you do see them it's a pretty stunning sight to behold.

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

    It's most likely that you'll only see her during migration months, but the songs her and her mate sing to each other as they take turns incubating their nest is the sweetest of outdoor operas.

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

    Even if you only see him when he's passing through during migration, it's worth it. Early twentieth-century naturalists reportedly said that their song is, “so entrancingly beautiful that words cannot describe it”.

  • White-breasted nuthatch

    We dare you to hear their song and not grin. They're a bit bigger than the red-breasted nuthatches, but just as energetic, quirky and delightful. You'll often see them at your feeders alongside chickadees and titmice (cuteness overload when that happens).

  • Red-breasted Nuthatch

    These tiny, quirky and friendly little birds are a joy to watch as they scurry down a tree trunk - top to bottom. They're quick, but seeing them at your feeder is a delight. It's not uncommon for them to eat seed right out of your hand.

  • Downy Woodpecker

    These adorable little acrobats (they're only a bit bigger then a nuthatch) often join flocks of chickadees and nuthatches. It's pure delight when you see all three of them at your feeder.

  • Song Sparrow

    This is the most familiar of the North American sparrows, their song filling a backyard will take you back to those care-free days as a kid playing in the backyard, and its accompanying soundtrack.

  • American Tree Sparrow

    These little cuties and their sweet song are regulars at feeders all winter long. Despite their name, they prefer to forage on the ground (and on seed heads in the winter) but also happily visit hopper and tube feeders.

  • House Sparrow

    These little songsters can overwhelm, but, we think, you just need to learn how to live with them, the reliable sounds and sight of them are worth it. Leaving seed heads on plants (especially native ones) should help keep the balance, and seed in your feeders.

  • Pine Siskin

    Is it a sparrow? A finch? A ? If a shimmer of yellow catches your eye and you're trying to figure out what you're looking at, it might just be a Pine Siskin. They're elusive little birds, there one month (or year) and not the next, enjoy them when you can

  • Mourning Dove

    We can't imagine being without the soothing, comforting sounds of these peaceful birds. They seem to reassure that everything will be ok, that it all works out in the end. No matter the day or the troubles, their song remains the same, thankfully.

  • Dark-eyed Junco

    These elegant little snow birds tend to make their first appearance close to the first snow fall. The beautiful silver and dark grey streaks they make as they fly about are a welcome and peaceful sight.

  • Tufted Titmouse

    These absolutely adorable wee birds are regulars at backyard bird feeders, especially in the winter.

  • Blue Jay

    The thing about having a peanut free yard is that it's a little less attractive to these handsome, but a little bossy, birds. Not so unattractive that one or two won't grace you with their beauty, but unattractive enough that they don't overstay their welcome.
Learn more about backyard birds here

Our birdseed isn't just peanut free birdseed, it's really, really great birdseed. It's loved by and attracts all the (seed-eating) backyard birds.

(To keep shipping costs reasonable, we offer our birdseed in multi-packs only. Our 2-pack is the smallest size available up to an 8-pack, saving up to 10% per unit compared to single units. Shipping is included in all of our prices.)

Stock up and save! Save up to 10% per unit when you purchase multiples.  

Subscribe and save! Make sure you never run out of birdseed and save a little extra while you're at it. Save an additional 10% when you add a subscription. 

Shipping is already included in all of our prices. We've included (standard) shipping, country wide in Canada and the US, in all of our prices.