Homemade ♥ Bird Suet

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If you like to feed the birds and you buy bird suet, this is a fun, easy project to do with the kids (especially when your arm gets tired of stirring, you can have them help ) :)  I usually end up just using my hands to mix the suet because it gets really thick and hard to stir! This is where the kids like to get their hands dirty, by squishing their hands in it...

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

If you have used the store bought suet feeders you know they tend to melt in the summer, mine don't melt! 


Suet Feeder attract Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Chickadees, and Titmice. The Sparrows, at least the ones at my house are always trying to eat this suet! My husband made me a suet hanger(see below) to make it more difficult for some birds (that I don't want, Black Birds, Grackles etc) to hang on there, as they have to hang upside down to eat from this. Also it keeps it dry.
I had some  unusual  visitors to my suet cake the last couple of days, a Eastern Bluebirds Family! ♥♥ They usually don't eat suet, they like insects and berry's. I know somebody who is going to be making me some Bluebird Houses ;)

One of my suet feeders....Looks like I need to refill soon :)

UPDATE 4-2-12  Today I made my 3rd batch of this suet since my original post!!! Almost a month ago... 5-6 suet cakes! The bluebirds and the cardinals are going crazy for this lol They are going to eat me out of house and home :) My 2nd and 3rd batch I added some Grapenuts cereal (off brand) to the mix, it seems to be a hit!!!

Here is what you need:

1 Cup of Vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 1/2 Cup of Oat Meal
1/2 Cup of either Corn Meal, Grits, or Corn Meal
1/4 Cup of Flour
1/2 Cup of Raisins 
1 Cup of Bird Seed (any kind..wild bird, sunflower etc)
1 Tablespoon of Sugar

Mix this up if its still to sticky add more Oat Meal, or Corn Meal, or Bird Seed. If its to dry add a lil Peanut Butter or Shortening.
I usually don't use a measuring cup, so I'm pretty much just guessing on these measurements, so you'll just have to play with it little.

* If you have problems with squirrels add some Cayenne Pepper,it won't bother the birds but the squirrels don't like it! :p 

I usually use one of the store bought suet containers as the form, but it got thrown away recently :'( so I just use a square Tupperware container that's about the same size. This makes about 2 cakes, because I really mash it down in there :)  
If you have any left over, you can make a suet ball or two and put it in the mesh bag that oranges come in.

I store the second suet cake in the freezer, in a Ziplock baggie. They don't usually last very long once they find it....

Happy Bird watching :D

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