Suet feeder (make your own) came in email

[Donna]

A Suet Treat

Many believe that once the cold weather sets in, much of Ohio's wildlife either goes into hibernation or migrates to a warmer place until spring. But just because the hummingbirds and warblers are gone doesn’t mean it’s time to put the binoculars away! Did you know that Ohio is home to many birds and other animals that are active during the winter? These wildlife, including birds such as dark-eyed juncos and chickadees, need a source of food for the winter. This is where you come in. With the help of an adult you can make your own bird feeder and food to go in it!

 
Birds on suet feeder
Homemade Suet Log

Supplies you need:

hook

drill

Sticks
   1 wooden log about 1-to 1½-feet long and 3 to 4 inches in diameter


1 screw on hook


A drill and a 1¼-inch drill bit, and a smaller drill bit for the perches


Perches (can be sticks collected outside)

• Drill three or four holes (depending on the size of your log) in various sections of the log, about ½ to ¾ inches deep for the suet.
• Drill holes for the perches. Make sure you don’t drill through the log.
• Insert perches in the holes.
• Screw the hook at the top of the log for hanging.

 
Homemade Suet

You can attract some species of birds, such as woodpeckers and chickadees, by providing them with a source of food called suet. What is suet? Suet is a type of fat that is found in cattle and sheep. This fat is just what these birds need to stay warm in the winter. You can even mix in a variety of nuts or fruit like raisins as an added treat for the birds. Try making your own suet.

• You can buy suet from your local butcher or use lard as a substitute
• Chop or grind the raw suet into small pieces then put either in a crock pot on low or in a double boiler on the stove stirring it every so often.
• Once the suet has mostly melted, turn off the stove or crock pot and let the suet harden, (leave in the unmelted pieces).
• Then let it boil again. It is important to boil the suet twice, otherwise it will not mold properly. Once the suet has melted a second time, you can add in other ingredients.
• Pour suet into a mixing bowl and stir in a very large tablespoon of peanut butter. After the peanut butter is melted try one of the combinations to the right for your suet cake!
• For a thicker consistency and additional nutrition, add cornmeal, rolled oats and/or a mixture of wild bird seed.

When you are finished, fill the holes in your new suet feeder with your homemade suet. You can freeze the remaining suet in molds like cupcake holders. Hang the feeder and then sit back, relax, and watch the different kinds of birds visit your backyard. Keep a journal of all the birds that come to visit.

Fruit Suet Cake:    Nut Suet Cake:
Dried Cranberries
Dried Blueberries
Golden Raisins
Traditional Raisins
Chopped Dried Apples
   Peanuts
Pine Nuts
Chopped Walnuts
Pecans

Sorry, I buy pre-made suet but this looks like a fun project

[Dot_Forrester]

  I've used a log like that for many years and it has always been extremely popular.  Suet is a really nutritional bird food.  I don't put perches on my logs, though.  Woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice don't need a perch - they cling to the bark with no problem.  The directions given for making suet have you render it (that's why the cooking) but that's not really necessary either unless you plan to use molds to make a specific size suet cake.  Uncooked suet goes easily into the holes even though it can be a bit messy.  It freezes well, too.  Grocery store meat departments used to give suet away free for the asking, but now, unless I get lucky at a butcher's shop, I usually have to buy it at Wegmans.

Dot in PA

[valhalla]

A Suet Treat

Sorry, I buy pre-made suet but this looks like a fun project

That's because of that "cooking" thing!   

[Donna]

A Suet Treat

Sorry, I buy pre-made suet but this looks like a fun project

That's because of that "cooking" thing!   

Your absolutely correct Janet 

[Helen in MD]

You can also use the log for peanut butter, mixed with a little cornmeal or just plain. 
Or Kathy O's recipe from several years ago: 1 cup each of shortning, peanut butter, flour, rolled oats, corn meal and raisins, 2 cups bird seed.  Melt the shortning & peanut butter, stir in the other stuff and dump into 9 x 13 pan, cool, cut into size you need.  Can be frozen.

[Donna]

You can also use the log for peanut butter, mixed with a little cornmeal or just plain. 
Or Kathy O's recipe from several years ago: 1 cup each of shortning, peanut butter, flour, rolled oats, corn meal and raisins, 2 cups bird seed.  Melt the shortning & peanut butter, stir in the other stuff and dump into 9 x 13 pan, cool, cut into size you need.  Can be frozen.

Sounds yummy. The poor birds are so hungry during the cold Winter months. I can feed them during that time as my porch cats are dormant.

[Tokira]

1 cup each of shortning, peanut butter, flour, rolled oats, corn meal and raisins, 2 cups bird seed.  Melt the shortning & peanut butter, stir in the other stuff and dump into 9 x 13 pan, cool, cut into size you need.  Can be frozen.

I would hesitate to use shortening, until we know whether it has the same deleterious effect on birds' arteries as it has on ours.  Suet or lard would be safer 
Carol
WV

[Aafke]

This time I didn't made my own suet but I bought a piece and put it outside.
What do you thing that I saw the next day?
Well absolutely nothing!!!!!!!! All the suet was gone.
  I'm pretty sure that the Ring-necked parakeets came with lots and lots and eat the whole suet in a very short time!!!!
  greetings Aafke

[Donna]

This time I didn't made my own suet but I bought a piece and put it outside.
What do you thing that I saw the next day?
Well absolutely nothing!!!!!!!! All the suet was gone.
  I'm pretty sure that the Ring-necked parakeets came with lots and lots and eat the whole suet in a very short time!!!!
  greetings Aafke

Looks like they are enjoying your sunflower seeds also Aafke..Great pic of the Parrots. Suet doesn't last long...my brick is gone in 3 days, sometimes less. Hungry birds. Thanks

[valhalla]

My poor birds have to be starving and soaked!  It has been blowing hard since Wed (love those nor'easters)!  Had to bring our flags in.  I hate the wind!

[Donna]

My poor birds have to be starving and soaked!  It has been blowing hard since Wed (love those nor'easters)!  Had to bring our flags in.  I hate the wind!

You can thank Ida for that....hitting us today and tomorrow.

[valhalla]

My poor birds have to be starving and soaked!  It has been blowing hard since Wed (love those nor'easters)!  Had to bring our flags in.  I hate the wind!

You can thank Ida for that....hitting us today and tomorrow.

Actually Ida is only one part of 3 that are contributing to this mess - it is being described as one of those Perfect Storm things.  This is way nor'easters are so bad because they just lay over the shore and blow for days and days, whereas hurricanes blow in and out.  Cape May is seeing horrible damage and LBI is getting hammered (Ocean and Bay met at Loveladies in '63 during Belle).

[Bird Crazy]

I want to make one of these. I have the cage type and the bigger woodpeckers wont use it.

[Dot_Forrester]

I want to make one of these. I have the cage type and the bigger woodpeckers wont use it.

 Many feed stores like Agway sell a larger size cage that the bigger woodpeckers like the hairy and red-bellied will use.  Even so, that's not really big enough for a pileated woodpecker to get comfortable on.  If you make the suet log, make sure it's plenty long enough for a big woody.  Even if you're too urban for a pileated, other woodpeckers can share it instead of allowing only one at a time.

Dot in PA

[valhalla]

Good tip Dot on Agway.  I don't have one local, but I do have access to one via a friend.