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Easy DIY Suet

Bird Feeder

If you're on the lookout for fun ways to connect with nature, here's an activity that will keep you and the birds in your backyard happy.

Ingredients

  • 1 Re-loadable suet feeder

  • 1 1/2 cups shortening (Crisco Oil is recommended since it is less likely to melt in summer weather)

  • 3/4 cups peanut butter

  • 3 1/2 cups wild bird seed- (Black oil sunflower seeds appeal to many birds)

  • 1 cup quick oats

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal

  • 1 or more ice cube trays

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To make this a low waste project:

  • Choose products that come in recyclable packaging material (paper, glass jars etc.).

  • If you don’t have spare ice cube trays at home, you can simply use any other container to mix in and store the suet, which you can then cut into cubes once frozen and load into the feeder.

Keep in mind during preparation that while solid suet is nutritious, melted suet can be dangerous to birds. If melted suet smears on the feathers of a bird, it can cause it to lose its natural isolation and waterproofing, making it vulnerable to poor weather conditions and temperature changes. Leaving only a small quantity of suet in the feeder at a time is a good way to avoid melted leftovers.

 

Steps

1. Mix the dry ingredients- birdseed, oats and cornmeal together in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, melt together the shortening and peanut butter. Stir until completely combined.

3. Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.

4. Spoon the mixture into the ice cube tray and smooth the top.

5. Freeze for about one to two hours.

6. Place the tray in your suet feeder and leave outside. Make sure to leave it in a well-shaded spot to avoid melting.

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Check out the full blog post from Savandhi here.

 

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