Our home made “suet”
Suet is a much loved treat for insect eating birds. It provides them with the protein they need and helps insect eating birds such as woodpeckers through the winter when insects are scarce. Suet is actually the fat from around the kidney and can be served as is (although it will turn rancid) or rendered. You can also purchase it in pre-made blocks or plugs which will frequently be flavored and mixed with fruits, seeds and nuts.
You can also make your own suet substitute. Here is the basic recipe we use:
1 cup peanut butter (The cheaper the better. Cheaper peanut butters have higher oil contents.)
1 cup shortening or lard.
1 cup whole wheat flour.
1 cup whole oats
2 cups mixed fruits, nuts and seeds (approximate)
For the fruit mixture, I dice raisins, nuts, coconut, and frozen or dried apple pieces together with some mixed birdseed. Feel free to substitute what you have on hand.
Stir this all together until it is the consistency of a really stiff cookie dough. It should stick together, but not be doughy.
I generally only feed this to our birds in the colder months for fear of spoilage, but the birds seem to really like it. We have attracted: white-breasted nuthatches, red-breasted nuthatches, flickers, red-bellied woodpeckers, red-headed woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers and orioles with this mixture. Sparrows and grackles will eat it as well…and of course the squirrels devour it when they get the chance.
We usually offer this to the birds in our homemade suet feeder.
backyard birding, birdwatching, birding, suet
November 10th, 2007 at 8:56 am
I wish I could do this kind of stuff, but anytime I get birds the dogs chase them away.
November 12th, 2007 at 9:35 am
[...] is not a necessary purchase, however, if you want to offer suet to your birds. These also work for homemade suet substitutes like the recipe I shared last [...]
November 20th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Can I use bacon grease instead of or with lard?
November 20th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I have never tried that, but I believe it should work. I have mixed bacon grease in with the recipe and the birds seem to really like it!
November 23rd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
has poultry fat ever been used to make suet cakes for birds? i have read that any “animal” fat can be used, but poultry (chicken, turkey) fat is never mentioned. does this work or would it be considered cannibalism!? :^)
November 26th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
I’m going to try this with cub scouts…looks like a great winter project.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:45 am
we have used wheat
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
and rye