Peanut butter treats for wild birds can be an easy and effective way to support them through winter. When selecting natural peanut butter without additives, the results should be superior.
Your peanut butter should only list peanuts as an ingredient, and be stirred regularly so that excess oil does not rise to the top and separate from it.
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Peanut butter
Peanut butter is made by grinding roasted peanuts into a paste, boasting high levels of protein and the amino acid linoleic acid, along with vitamin B3 and potassium content. If eaten responsibly, peanut butter can form part of a nutritious diet plan.
When purchasing peanut butter, look for varieties without added sugars, salts or hydrogenated oils. Natural peanut butter is ideal as it only contains peanuts and oil and does not need refrigeration – plus its sodium levels are lower than most brands of peanut butter!
Create an interesting peanut butter bird treat with your children by cutting shapes out of slices of bread using cookie cutters. Allow it to get stale so it won’t tear as easily, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on one side, and wild bird seeds (sunflower, thistle and safflower seeds) on the other. Thread twine or yarn through its hole and hang it from a tree!
Suet blocks
Suet blocks can be an effective way to attract woodpeckers and other birds during winter. You can either make them yourself at home, or purchase them from bird feeding stores. Suet blocks typically consist of beef suet or its equivalent such as rendered tallow, peanut flour, sunflower seeds and cracked corn for optimal bird attractant properties. They can then be fed from regular bird feeders, poles or suet block holders.
Suet is a high-energy food that attracts various winter wildlife. Additionally, it serves as an excellent source of protein. If you add peanuts or other ingredients such as fruit or nuts to the mix, keep in mind that they may attract squirrels and raccoons as well.
Attempt to use sunflower or lard oil, rather than vegetable oils which tend to spoil quickly and can spread disease. Also select a recipe with minimal salt or sugar content in order to prevent mold growth and bacteria growth.
Nut-based suet blends
Attracting birds who favor seeds, berries and insects to your feeder is made simpler with a nut-based suet blend containing both peanuts and sunflower meats – available in various shapes and sizes to meet your birdseed requirements. You could even mix in additional ingredients for more variety!
Suet feeders can be particularly useful during the colder months when wild food sources become limited, as suet is a high-energy source for birds that will help them keep warm during a hard winter. Suet is particularly effective at drawing woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice and chickadees; along with many others species not often seen at traditional seed feeders.
Make your own suet treats by preheating a pan and melting lard and peanut butter together, then mixing this mixture with wild bird seed, quick oats and yellow cornmeal. Press into molds for cooling before hanging feeders are filled with your bird-friendly creation. Alternatively, you could create treats using pine cones smeared with peanut butter before being coated in birdseed – both methods work equally well!
Bird feeders
As part of their winter nutrition regimen, birds need a steady supply of high-protein, low-carb treats like peanut butter to maintain energy levels during harsher weather. Chickadees, blue jays and nuthatches in particular seem drawn to it – providing it as tree decorations or in log feeder holes can attract the colorful feathered visitors!
To reduce stickiness and prevent feather problems, mix peanut butter with grit, melted beef fat or wheat germ before offering it to birds. Furthermore, regularly clean feeders in order to maintain bird health and reduce the growth of bacteria or mold.
Make the most of a rainy day project with your children by covering a pine cone or toilet paper tube in peanut butter, rolling it in birdseed, and hanging it outside for them to enjoy watching different types of birds visit for sustenance! Talk with them about all of the various birds they see while also encouraging learning activities such as colors, graphing, and counting!
