Best Seeds for Birdhouse OSRS: Maximize Your Hunter Gains

If you’re an Old School RuneScape (OSRS) player looking to level up your Hunter skill efficiently, birdhouse runs are one of the best passive training methods available. Introduced with Fossil Island, birdhouse trapping lets you set up traps, fill them with seeds, and come back later to collect experience and loot. But with so many seed options, which are the best seeds for birdhouse OSRS? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the top seed choices, their costs, availability, and how to optimize your runs for maximum gains. Whether you’re an Ironman or a main account, this blog post has you covered!

Birdhouse runs are a unique Hunter training method that requires minimal effort but offers substantial rewards. You’ll need to craft birdhouses using logs and clockworks, place them in designated spots on Fossil Island, and fill them with seeds as bait. After about 50 minutes, you return to collect Hunter XP, feathers, and bird nests. The type of seed you use plays a role in your overall strategy, especially when balancing cost, efficiency, and availability.

How Birdhouse Trapping Works

To start, you’ll need at least 5 Hunter and 5 Crafting, plus completion of the Bone Voyage quest to access Fossil Island. Each run involves placing four birdhouses (regular, oak, willow, teak, maple, mahogany, yew, magic, or redwood) at specific locations: two in Verdant Valley, one in Mushroom Meadow, and one near the Tar Swamp. You fill each birdhouse with either 10 low-tier seeds or 5 high-tier seeds, then wait for birds to get trapped.

Why Seeds Matter

While the type of seed doesn’t affect the number of birds caught or nests received (as confirmed by Jagex), it does impact your inventory management and costs. Low-tier seeds require 10 per birdhouse, while high-tier seeds only need 5, making the latter more inventory-efficient for frequent runs. For Ironmen, sourcing seeds is also a key consideration.

Top Seed Choices for Birdhouse Runs

Let’s dive into the best seeds for birdhouse OSRS, focusing on cost, accessibility, and practicality. Below are the top picks based on current Grand Exchange (GE) prices and player preferences as of April 2025.

Barley Seeds: The Budget King

Cost: ~2-4 GP each (GE price fluctuates)
Requirement: 10 per birdhouse
Why it’s great: Barley seeds are dirt cheap and widely available. At 2-4 GP each, filling four birdhouses costs just 80-160 GP per run. They’re sold by Olivia in Draynor Market, making them easy to stockpile by world-hopping.

Hammerstone Seeds: The Ironman Favorite

Cost: ~2-3 GP each
Requirement: 10 per birdhouse
Why it’s great: Hammerstone seeds are another low-cost option, often slightly cheaper than barley. Ironmen love them because they drop frequently from Master Farmers and can be bought from Olivia. They’re perfect for players who want to minimize GP spending.

Wildblood Seeds: Efficiency Master

Cost: ~50-70 GP each
Requirement: 5 per birdhouse
Why it’s great: Wildblood seeds are a high-tier option, requiring only 5 per birdhouse. At 50-70 GP each, the cost per run is around 1,000-1,400 GP—higher than barley or hammerstone, but you’ll use half as many seeds. They’re ideal for players with a decent Farming level (from contracts) or those who hunt ogres and moss giants.

Other Viable Seeds

• Jute Seeds: (~5-7 GP each, 10 per birdhouse) A bit pricier than barley but still affordable and available from Draynor.
• Asgarnian Seeds: (~3-5 GP each, 10 per birdhouse) Another budget-friendly choice with similar accessibility.
• Ranarr Seeds: (~30,000+ GP each, 5 per birdhouse) Expensive and impractical unless you’re swimming in them from PvM.

Cost vs. Efficiency: Which Seed Wins?

Choosing the best seed depends on your goals—saving GP, reducing inventory clutter, or sourcing sustainably as an Ironman. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:

Seed	Cost per Seed (GP)	Seeds per Birdhouse	Cost per Run (4 Birdhouses)	Best For
Barley	2-4	10	80-160	Budget mains
Hammerstone	2-3	10	80-120	Ironmen, budget mains
Wildblood	50-70	5	1,000-1,400	Efficient runners, mid-tier accounts
Jute	5-7	10	200-280	Balanced cost option

Low-Tier vs. High-Tier Seeds

Low-tier seeds like barley and hammerstone are the go-to for most players due to their negligible cost. High-tier seeds like wildblood shine when you’re doing frequent runs and want to carry fewer seeds overall. However, the extra cost rarely justifies the convenience unless you’re already generating them passively (e.g., via Farming contracts).

Ironman Considerations

For Ironmen, Hammerstone seeds often edge out barley because they’re more common from Master Farmer pickpocketing (level 38 Thieving required). Spending 10-20 minutes thieving can net you hundreds of seeds, enough for dozens of runs. Alternatively, world-hopping at Draynor Market or the Farming Guild shop (45 Farming, 60% Hosidius favor) works if you hate Thieving.

How to Get Seeds for Birdhouse Runs

Sourcing seeds efficiently is key to keeping your birdhouse runs consistent. Here are the best methods:

Buying from Shops

Olivia in Draynor Market: Sells barley, hammerstone, jute, asgarnian, and yanillian seeds. World-hop to buy 20-40 of each type per world. At 2-7 GP each, you can stockpile thousands for under 10k GP.
Farming Guild Shop: Requires 45 Farming and 60% Hosidius favor. Offers similar seeds with higher stock, but it’s often crowded.

Pickpocketing Master Farmers

At 38 Thieving (or higher with Rogue’s outfit for double loot), Master Farmers in Draynor, Hosidius, or the Farming Guild drop hop seeds galore. Expect 50-100 seeds per hour, plus bonus herb seeds for Farming.

Farming Contracts and PvM

Medium and hard Farming contracts (Farming Guild) often reward wildblood seeds. PvM drops from ogres, moss giants, and trolls also provide wildblood seeds, though this is slower and less reliable.

Tips to Optimize Your Birdhouse Runs

Using the best seeds is only half the battle. Here are some pro tips to make your runs smoother and more profitable:

Gear and Inventory Setup

• Essential: 4 logs, 4 clockworks (first run only), hammer, chisel, 40 low-tier or 20 high-tier seeds, Digsite Pendant.
• Optional: Stamina potion (low Agility), strung rabbit foot (5% more ring/egg nests).

Fastest Route

1. Teleport to Fossil Island via Digsite Pendant.
2. Use the magic mushtree to Verdant Valley—set northern, then southern birdhouse.
3. Mushtree to Mushroom Meadow—set northern birdhouse.
4. Run south to Tar Swamp—set final birdhouse.
5. Return after 50 minutes to collect.

Boosting Rewards

Use higher-tier birdhouses (e.g., redwood at 90 Crafting/Hunter) for more XP and nests. A strung rabbit foot increases ring and egg nest drops by 5%, and Hunter potions can boost your level for better seed nest odds when placing traps.

Conclusion: What’s the Best Seed for You?

For most players, barley seeds are the best all-around choice due to their low cost and easy availability. Hammerstone seeds are a close second, especially for Ironmen who can thieve them. If efficiency trumps cost, wildblood seeds offer a premium option with fewer seeds needed per run. Ultimately, the “best” seed depends on your budget, playstyle, and account type.

Birdhouse runs are a fantastic way to train Hunter passively while earning nests for profit or Farming XP. Pair them with herb runs or other AFK activities to maximize your OSRS time. So, grab your seeds, craft those birdhouses, and start trapping—Fossil Island awaits!