I really enjoy feeding the birds but have no money for suet cakes. Instead, I take 2 pieces of wheat bread, spread with peanut butter on both sides and a little in the middle to hold the bread together, and put it in the suet holder. The birds love it, and it is fairly cheap. They see us coming with the bread and wait for us to put it in the suet holder. It's gone in just a few minutes! They especially love it now that they are raising babies.
By Rosa
Here's a great kid's craft idea to help them celebrate Earth Day, which is April 22.
This is a page about making homemade suet. You can attract many birds by putting out suet cakes. You can easily make suet cakes at home and vary them to your local bird species.
I have a squirrel and bird feeder, you can't put in loose bird and squirrel food, it has to be in cake form. The cakes cost $4.00 and they don't last very long.
I would like a recipe for homemade bird and squirrel food. Thanks.
By donna johnson from IL
Treats for the Birds:
(As for Squirrels they will eat larger seeds and nuts of any type.)
This is a general mixture referred to as suet.
Dry Ingredients:
birdseed 1 C.
quick-cooking oats (not instant) - 2 C.
plus 1 C. of ONE of the following:
= cream of wheat (not instant)
= cornmeal
= flour
Yummy Additions:
As much of any of the following items to equal 1 Cup:
cranberries, dried
black sunflower seeds
berries (any type, dried)
raisins
cherries
Directions:
1) If your dry cranberries, raisins or other yummies seem a bit large, chop them, coarsely.
2) In a large microwave safe bowl place all your moist ingredients
3) Warm in the microwave till the vegetable shortening or lard is just soft enough so you can stir it with a wooden spoon.
4) Stir in the dry ingredients.
5) Add the cup of yummies! If you dont like getting your hands sticky, stop here and just use your spoon to spread the suet directly on branches
6) Or place a small bowl of flour nearby. (about 1 cups worth) and using your hands squish and squeeze the whole mess adding a bit of flour occasionally if it seems too sticky; yet it will be slippery. Once it will keep its shape a little, roll it into balls about the size of golf balls, place them in the freezer to firm up.
7) To present your treats to your feathered friends press the balls in forks of trees and bushes. Or on spikes of chain link fences. Any place they will stay put.
You can also just put out all the yummies in a bird feeder without anything else. The squirrels will snatch these long before the birds do though!
I would like to know how to make squirrel feeder cakes.
By Phil Scali from Somers, NY
Try the Google search engine.
A simple recipe for these cakes is:
You'll need a package of lard or suet, a pack of squirrel food or bird food mix (depending upon the animal you're making the cake for), a pan for melting the lard, a container that can be used to pour fat into to set (make sure this item will fit in the feeder), and a wooden spoon.
Process: In saucepan, melt the suet or lard, on a medium to low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly but not solidify. Pour in a large quantity of the food, stirring to insure that everything is coated with the fat. Pour into your mold to make the cakes and allow to cool and solidify. Once solid, it's ready to put out for your squirrels or birds. * I actually put some wax paper down in the mold before adding the suet mixture, so that I can easily remove the cake from the mold when I'm ready to, but that's just a personal preference.
