Many birders incorporate suet into their feeders during winter to attract chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, thrashers and woodpeckers. Unfortunately, commercial suet cakes and plugs typically contain low melting point fats such as vegetable oils, subcutaneous animal fats or mislabeled “lard.”
Lower quality fats tend to melt quickly in warmer weather. For optimal performance in heatwave conditions, look for no-melt blends of suet dough that are specifically tailored for holding up in heat waves.
Contents
It’s easy to make
Suet is an essential food source for birds during the cold months when extra energy is necessary to remain warm. In summertime it also makes an excellent supplement as breeding, nesting, and protecting young can put undue strain on backyard birds.
Suet can be made using beef fat, lard or natural peanut butter and mixed with various bird seeds or dried fruit to attract different species of birds – woodpeckers and jays are particularly fond of it!
To create suet, combine equal parts of lard or beef fat with various bird seed. Press this mixture into molds (such as cake pans, muffin tins or hand-pressed patties ) before placing it in the fridge until hardening occurs. When cool enough it can then be placed in bird feeders as a concentrated source of calories that save birds the effort of hunting insects or eating berries directly.
It’s easy to store
Suet is made from animal fat and provides birds with energy during cold weather. Woodpeckers, chickadees, flickers, nuthatches and jays tend to frequent it most, but other birds such as wrens, creepers, kinglets, cardinals and warblers also enjoy eating it! Be patient as word about your suet feeder may take time for birds to notice it – don’t give up too quickly if birds don’t come immediately!
Addition of various dry ingredients to your suet is another effective way of attracting various birds. Oats, corn meal and wheat germ are often popular options; however, you could add anything that attracts local wild birds; you could even incorporate dried fruit or nuts to increase its appeal.
Suet cake recipes typically feature peanuts, cranberries and currants; alternatively some include sunflower seeds, millet and oats for variety. It is important not to include ground up corn or grain as these provide low nutritional value for wild birds.
It’s easy to clean
Suet cakes provide high-octane energy that allows birds to power through spring and summer activities like building nests, protecting territories, excavating nest sites and incubating eggs – thus making suet popular among wild backyard birds.
Suet cakes don’t have to be costly either – homemade versions are simple to create and often cost less than store-bought versions. Furthermore, this allows you to customize your recipe with seeds, nuts and other components your local birds adore!
Make bird cake using lard or rendered beef suet from cattle, sheep and other animals found near their kidneys and loins), peanut butter, cornmeal flour and your desired add-ins. Simply combine everything and press into any mold you choose – cake pan or muffin tin! Finally, refrigerate your finished cake before offering it outside for the birds to enjoy!
It’s easy to attract
Suet can be an effective way to attract woodpeckers and other bird species that might otherwise pass up your feeder due to seeds alone. Nutty suet includes peanuts, pecans and other nuts which provide protein and calories needed by some birds’ diets; as well as being an energy source for warblers or songbirds who might otherwise be hard to lure with other foods.
Suet offers more easily digestible animal fat and calories, making it particularly relevant during fall and winter migration periods when migrating birds require additional fuel to stay warm.
Suet can be made in various ways. The ideal recipe contains high-quality ingredients like rendered beef kidney fat, nut butter or peanut butter and seed mixtures such as wheat, corn, oats and peppers. Avoid recipes containing sugary ingredients as these will not provide the nutrition that wild birds require for survival. You can purchase suet cakes containing these ingredients or you can create your own.
