A husk-free mix means less mess under the feeder, but that's only half the reason keepers reach for one — the seeds that make it up also tend to be higher-energy choices, which matters more in winter than in summer when birds need the extra calories to get through a cold night.

Johnston & Jeff build this from sunflower hearts, red dari, white dari, naked oats, millet, peanut granules, cut maize, suet pellets and canary seed, alongside what the maker describes as around 20 further naturally occurring wild seed types, plus aniseed and vegetable oil. It's both husk-free and wheat-free, and the suet pellets are the standout addition — a high-energy ingredient not found in most standard seed mixes.

• Husk-free and wheat-free
• Sunflower hearts, red dari, white dari, naked oats, millet, peanut granules, cut maize, suet pellets and canary seed
• Around 20 further wild seed types included
• Described as high energy and easily digestible
• 20KG sack

One thing worth knowing. No protein, fat or energy analysis is published on the card for this mix — "high energy" here is the maker's own description rather than a figure to compare against another feed. If you want a number to weigh it against a rival mix, this card doesn't have one.

Who it's for: keepers feeding wild garden birds through the colder months who want a husk-free, wheat-free mix with suet included for extra energy, rather than a standard summer seed blend.