Hi Mona, I looked up the sodium content of softened water, sunflower seed meats, corn kernals, and shelled peanuts.
The amount of sodium in softened water depends on the hardness (called "grains per gallon") of the original water, which determines how much salt has to be added to the water to "soften" it. That added sodium has to be added to the amount of sodium in the original water to get an exact figure. But in an example: If the water hardness is 18 grains, the recommended added salt to the softener would give about 35 mg of added sodium per 8 oz. glass of water. (See www.purewaterproducts.com<http://www.purewaterproducts.com> for more info). Hulled sunflower seeds, 1 cup (8 oz dry) has about 13 mg sodium. Hulled peanuts, 5 oz. has 454 mg of sodium, or 726 mg sodium in 8 oz./1 cup. Corn kernals, 4 oz. has 230 mg sodium, so 8 oz. corn has 460 mg sodium. So, I would say that the amount of sodium added to the water from your softener (depending on the grains of hardness in the original water) is a figure between the sunflower seed meats and the hulled peanuts, and is much nearer the lower amount of sodium in the sunflower seeds. Therefore, if it was my water situation, I would go ahead and use the softened water in the birdbath, since the amount of added sodium the birds would get from their tiny drinks would probably be well less than the amount of sodium they are getting from peanuts and near the amount they would get from sunflower seeds. I hope this is helpful. Donna Scott Donna L. Scott Retired Food Scientist 535 Lansing Station Road Lansing, NY 14882 d...@cornell.edu From: bounce-125369359-15001...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-125369359-15001...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Mona Bearor Sent: Monday, February 08, 2021 10:30 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Question on water quality for birdbaths I keep my birdbath clean and heated in the winter, however I have moved to where a water softener is required. I am wondering if this water is affecting the health of the birds. All our water goes through the softener - even the outside spigots - so if I should purchase water at the market should I buy distilled, spring water, or purified water? Thank you for your knowledge and thoughts on this subject, Ramona Bearor Staunton, VA -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
