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Post by tuchp on Jun 22, 2007 10:21:16 GMT -8
Hello, I was wondering how many of you take the time to make your own woodpecker suet - and how does it compare with the purchased commercial cakes? We go through sooooo much suet here, I was considering making my own to be a little more cost effective. I have found a good sounding no melt recipe - has anyone had good luck attracting woodpeckers with homemade suet ? We have downy & pileated woodpecker's as well as Northern flickers all coming for suet daily. Thank-you for any input on this!
The other challenge is trying to keep the starlings out of it. They have figured out how eat from the log feeder so this morning we installed a long fence post with the suet holes drilled farther apart. Hopefully, this will prevent starlings from perching at one hole while eating from another. If we can cut down on the amount that starlings eat that would be a big help! - Pat
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Post by fouram on Jun 22, 2007 10:44:47 GMT -8
Hi, Pat--somewhere else on the site--there is a recipe that Kathy gave,--I believe it was either early spring, or perhaps late winter when this was posted. As for the starlings--yes here too, in town, I have had to pull the suet feeder --as the starlings found the cage and went through a fresh cake in less than 3 days! Unfortunately, they have aslo put the run on most of the other birds, especially as they aslo found the tube feeder with sunflower chips, which they aslo cleaned up almost 1 LB of the chips before I caught them--and pulled that down as well--I guess I am in "limbo" as far as feeding right now--Funny I never had this problem when I was at the other place--less than 3 blocks away--If anyone has any ideas on this one--I would certainly be interested in hearing some views---Al
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Post by fouram on Jun 22, 2007 10:49:17 GMT -8
Hi, again, Pat--I found the post--and will try to re-post it here--Al -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It occurred to me this morning when I was taking down a block of store bought suet and replacing it with my own concoction that some of you might be interested in making your own 'suet'. I've found that when it gets this cold the birds don't go after the store bought stuff like you would think they should. I think it gets too hard, they seem to really have to work at it. On the other hand.....they just love what I make up. You will need an old muffin tin which you should spray liberally with a cooking spray. This isn't an 'exact' recipe....so here goes: render down or melt some plain suet if you can get it, otherwise 1/2 lb of LARD (found in the cooking oil section in grocery stores) in a large mixing bowl put about a cup of PEANUT BUTTER, pour in the melted suet or lard and stir until the peanut butter is liquid. add: 1/2 to 1 cup of CORNMEAL, handful or two of PEANUTS, and enough mixed bird seed to make it thick but with still a bit of the liquid lard/peanut butter showing. ladle into the muffin cups, cool, once it's cool put in the freezer. Once they are frozen you can tap the muffin tin upside down to release the suet pucks. Store in a zip top bag in the freezer until needed. you can add stuff like SUNFLOWER MEATS, CRACKED CORN, DRIED FRUIT etc. if you are feeling really generous, even some GRIT if you have it. A couple or three 'pucks' fit nicely in a suet cage or put a couple in some plastic netting (I'm using the netting that came with a bird seed bell). As I write this a Flicker is on the suet cage out back and a couple of Chickadees are on the one in the front yard. Kathy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Web www.bcbirding.proboards3.com Click Here To Make This Board Ad-Free This Board Hosted For FREE By ProBoards Get Your Own Free Message Board! |
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Post by tuchp on Jun 22, 2007 18:48:14 GMT -8
thank-you Al - for the reply and the extra effort to search for and re-post Kathy's homemade suet recipe. Very much appreciated! The recipe that I found is very similar, with the addition of some oatmeal. I am going to give it a whirl and will report on how well it works. Cheers, Pat
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Post by cwjury on Jun 24, 2007 18:33:06 GMT -8
Hi- I have made home suet as well as seen many commercial operations- First the best suet is to buy kidney suet from your local butcher. Kidney Suet is very high in protein/ energy for the birds. Most store bought- low price is not made from kidney suet- it is made from talo- which is all fat from animals. That is why it will melt so easily in warm weather. The only nutrition from it is the added ingrediants. To make your own, you want to take the kidney suet and melt it down and then harden it up two or three times- this will make it stand up to warm weather. Then you can add peanut butter and sunflower chips/ peanut pcs. (Usually cornmeal and oatmeal is used as binder- which is needed with lard or talo. But they are fillers, offering the birds no nutrition) This will give you the most nutritious suet to feed the birds. As far as store bought suets- you get what you pay for- The more expensive suet cakes are made from kidney (Kidney suet is alot more expensive and more labour intense to produce- where as talo is like vegtable oil and can be pushed through nozzles. When I use commercialy made suet I always use peanut butter cakes for most of the year and nevermelt peanut in real hot weather. As far as starling go- this time of year I put up a starling proof suet cage- which works reasonable well- and most birds figure it out. Although I still have a regular tailhook feeder out for the flicker and pileated wp. Yes i do go through the suet on this feeder quickly because of starlings- but I don't want to lose my large wp.
Cliff Jury
Backyard Birding Stores
Abbotsford and Chilliwack
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Post by tuchp on Jun 25, 2007 12:28:16 GMT -8
Thank-you so much Cliff for the informative reply. I'll seek out the kidney suet. My homemade batch with the cornmeal and rolled oats is being eaten well - but not devoured as the recipe implied. Now that you have made me aware that it lacks nutritional benefits it seems pointless to make it for them. Much appreciated info! -Pat
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