| Author |
Barnyard Buddies:  Does anyone make their own suet cakes for birds?  |
|
|
KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 24 2008 : 5:55:48 PM
|
I'm looking for a good all around recipe for my birds...we have cardinals, eastern towees, wrens, nuthatches, titmouses, chickadees and woodpeckers right now and it's very cold. I'd like to give them something to keep em going this winter!!!!
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
|
|
chicken necker
True Blue Farmgirl
509 Posts
Sherry
Eastern Shore
Maryland
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2008 : 8:55:16 PM
|
Well, I don't make suet cakes, but I save all my bacon grease and mix it with a blend birdfood then put it out for the birds. When the grease is still liquid but not hot, I just pour in the bird seed.
I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by. ~anon |
 |
|
|
Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 03:44:10 AM
|
| I keep one of those microwave meal black dishes in the frige and pour grease in it. I alternate seed with grease and sometimes blop the last jar remnants of peanut butter in it too. So when the container is full, it goes into an old mesh sack that used to have oranges and hangs on a tree for the birds. |
|
|
|
frannie
True Blue Farmgirl
2246 Posts
fran
bonham
texas
USA
2246 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 08:06:10 AM
|
i do, but it is nothing elaborate. i just save up the "fat" from cooking and make it into balls and roll it in a bird seed from the store and put it out on the window shelves in my kitchen that dh put out there for feeding the birds. when i dont keep it stocked with food the birds usually gang up on the window and let me know i am falling down on my duty. also keep a little bird whistle nearby so the grandkids can talk to the birds when they want to, keeps em busy for a little while
love
fran
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/) |
|
|
|
CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 08:15:58 AM
|
jonni . .i have a wonderful 'bird food' recipe book SOMEWHERE .. if i can find it .. i'll send you some recipes from it. i mostly just use peanut butter .. or i'll buy a can of lard and like texas frannie .. i roll it in birdseed (as i do the peanut butter). at christmastime .. i usually will gather children and we roll 'pinecones' in peanut butter and birdseed and hang them from bright ribbons on a 'christmas tree'. (did this with my grandes this year). xo
when we lived in maryland .. the SQUIRRELS mostly got to them before the birds had a chance. for some reason, there are very few squirrels here where we live.
True Friends * Frannie
HEAR MY STORIES
come, visit my:
"GATHERING ROOM" ..
http://freedomvalleyfarm.blogspot.com
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. up for adoption:
http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
|
|
|
|
abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 12:49:29 PM
|
We get suet from the butcher/packing house, melt it down to liquid in the crock pot. Next pour into "molds, any old thing will do. Add seeds, cool, unmold & hang outdoors. The birds love it!
I'm a one girl revolution. |
|
|
|
KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 3:24:59 PM
|
Cool! I'm hesitant to part with my bacon grease cause we use it :), so I will pick up some beef suet or lard and load it up with seed and some dried fruit. The squirrels do like it also, but last week I had so many swallows I couldn't believe it! That suet was gone in about a 1/2 hour, both feeders. It was then that I began thinking of making my own :)
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
|
|
|
Luzy
True Blue Farmgirl
922 Posts
Luanne
Pueblo
Colorado
USA
922 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2008 : 4:56:21 PM
|
I just read a neat idea in a bird magazine, but haven't tried it yet. It said to put some bird seed and fat drippings mixed together into a half gallon milk or orange juice carton (paper). As you get the desired amount, then slice the container like bread and it should fit into a suet cage. I have one started in an orange juice carton, but guess I'll have to get some beef fat or something to add to it.
--
May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.
http://luzy.etsy.com- My etsy store! |
|
|
|
electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 06:34:29 AM
|
I mix bacon grease in with peanut butter and cornmeal. The birds love it. I got this recipe from my mother in law. She made a batch once and left the bowl on her kitchen table. Her oldest (adult) son was soon spotted smearing it on crackers and told his mom it was great stuff...I put out black oil sunflower seeds too. The only drawback to feeding the birds is that the squirrels go mad and steal sll the goodies. I had just filled the suet cake holders on one of my feeders the other day and I looked out my kitchen window a little later to spy a squirrel wrestling with an entire suet cake. He only managed to get one big hunk out of it.
the squirrels spill so much seed that the wild turkeys show up and get a treat too. Birds are such amazing creatures....Karin |
|
|
|
bboopster
True Blue Farmgirl
1140 Posts
Betty Jo
West Bend
Wisconsin
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 07:29:54 AM
|
I was watching a segment of Martha Steward a few weeks ago and they where talking about Suet, Birds and Squirrels. A man from the Audubon Society said that the squirrels are after the bird seed. If you use straight fat with out seed the birds will still eat and the squirrels will leave it alone. I haven't tried it yet mostly because its to funny watching 6'5" DH chasing our 3 squirrels off the feeders. Sometimes they even have a stand off. Wildlife watching is really a lot of fun at our place. We did how ever change out our suet feeder to the small metal cage ones that the squirrels can not get big chunks out of. Here is there web site and I'm sure Martha also has it on hers too.  http://www.audubon.org/
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
|
|
|
goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 07:32:40 AM
|
I've always had trouble with those beady-eyed squirrels and it just irritates the bejeezus outta me to look out and see them scarfing up the goodies!!
I'm going to try the suet cakes with peanut butter as I don't cook enuf to get the lard/drippin's.
Winona :-)
When you lose, don't lose the lesson!!
|
|
|
|
bboopster
True Blue Farmgirl
1140 Posts
Betty Jo
West Bend
Wisconsin
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 07:48:08 AM
|
We've named our 3 squirrels brothers Curly, Larry and Moe. They live in our owl box and have been there for years. They will not give it up. I also most wet myself the first year we tried to clean the box in the fall. Dh was on the ladder and he knocked on the box only to hear growling. When he opened up the bottom out fell a squirrel right on him. Down they both can. No one was hurt but they both were stunned. After I stopped squealing I laughed until I cried. In January my last bushel of apples froze and we thow them into the woods. The brothers have picked them all up for us and placed them in many of our tree. So when looking out our front window we see these red apples in the crooks of our trees. They can be a nuisance but cheap entertainment too.
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
|
|
|
Mnhorsemom
Farmgirl in Training
44 Posts
Kathy
Battle Lake
minnesota
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2008 : 1:35:47 PM
|
I keep several feeders out. 2 with BOSS, 1 thistle and 1 with a cracked corn/seed mix and 2 suet cages. At any given time I will have the birds, 6-8 squirrels including several black squirrels and several big fox squirrels. I also in the last few weeks have had rafters of wild turkeys in the yard and under my feeders. I am also lucky enough to get the piliated woodpeckers at my suet. Also have a lot of bunnies. One day I watched a squirrel that would sneak up behind a rabbit and I swear the squirrel was goosing the rabbit in the butt, cause the the squirrel would run in poke the rabbit and the rabbit would leap about 3 feet straight into the air. I laughed til I almost wet my pants  I love being able to watch the wildlife.
Farm House Formulas Battle Lake, MN |
|
|
| |
Barnyard Buddies: Does anyone make their own suet cakes for birds? |
|
Does anyone make their own suet cakes for birds?
