Article
Feeding Birds in Your Backyard
To attract birds to your backyard, you'll need to have some food to entice them and keep them coming back. Feeding birds is easy!
Read More May 26, 2015 | Blain's Farm & Fleet3-Ingredient Homemade Bird Suet Recipe
Are you looking to make your backyard a little more bird-friendly with some homemade suet cakes? You’ve come to the right spot! Making your own bird suet is not only a fulfilling activity. But it also ensures that the birds in your neighborhood enjoy a healthy and safe snack.
Whether you’re new to bird feeding or are just looking to add something special to your feathered friends’ diet, Blain’s Farm & Fleet is here to help you whip up a batch of suet that will bring all the birds to your yard.
What Is Bird Suet?
Before we dive into the recipe, it’s important to understand what bird suet is and why it’s beneficial for birds. Suet is essentially a high-energy food source, made primarily from animal fat. It provides birds with the extra calories they need, especially during the cold, winter months.
It’s a vital supplement that supports a variety of bird species in maintaining their energy levels and overall health. And the best part? It’s super simple to make at home.
Choosing Safe Fats
When preparing bird suet, it’s crucial to use fats that are safe and healthy for birds to eat. Not all fats are created equal, and some can be harmful to our feathered friends. Make sure you pick the right ingredients to keep them coming back safely.
The two fats we recommend using are unsalted lard and pure beef fat (tallow). Both are a great base for suet. And they provide the necessary calories for birds without being harmful.
Bird Suet Ingredients
Now onto the fun part—making the suet. With only three ingredients, this is a super easy recipe!
- 1 cup unsalted lard or pure beef fat
- 2 cups wild bird seed mix
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanut butter
Wild Bird Seed
Blain’s Farm & Fleet Wild Bird Food, Attracts Colorful Birds
Price: $7.99 – $18.99
Blain’s Farm & Fleet Midwest Blend Bird Seed, Special Mix, Adored by Midwest Birds
Price: $7.99 – $24.99
Was $10.99
–
$24.99
Blain’s Farm & Fleet No Waste Nut & Fruit Bird Seed, 15 lb, Shell-less Formula
Price: $21.99
Was $26.49
Blain’s Farm & Fleet 16 lb Special Blend Birdseed, Rich in Peanuts, Raisins, Sunflower Kernels
Price: $21.99
Was $25.99
Blain’s Farm & Fleet Cardinal Songbird Bird Seed, Attracts Songbirds
Price: $6.00 – $31.99
Was $7.99
–
$31.99
Bird Suet Recipe
- Melt the Fat: Start by melting the unsalted lard or beef fat in a saucepan over low heat. Keep the temperature low to avoid any burns or overheating.
- Mix in the Peanut Butter: Once melted, add the unsalted peanut butter to the saucepan, stirring until you have a smooth mixture.
- Add the Bird Seed: Gradually mix in the wild bird food mix, ensuring you coat all the seeds with the fat-peanut butter mixture.
- Cool It Down: Remove from heat. Pour the mixture into a mold, muffin pan, or other container lined with parchment paper, smoothing it out evenly. Let it cool down and solidify, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, if you’re short on time.
- Serve It Up: Cut the suet into the appropriate sizes for your bird feeder. You can use cookie cutters to make the cakes into different shapes, if you’d like. And watch as your backyard becomes a hub of bird activity. You can store any unused portions in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
Suet Feeders
For more how-tos like this one, check out our other Wild Birds & Bird Watching articles.
