Make Your Own Suet Recipe

Making your own suet is a rewarding experience.  I've been making it for years, and the biggest challenge is keeping the feeder filled.  You'll find that the birds - many kinds - absolutely love it.

It will attract a variety of woodpeckers and cute nuthatches for sure, but other birds may surprise you by grabbing their share.

Not many people make their own suet and once the birds in your area get a taste for this unique treat they will expect it to be there, day after day, when they arrive hungry.  It might be a good idea to make a few batches ahead of time, at the beginning of Fall, to be ready for the cold days ahead. 

I also keep some store bought suet handy for the times I may run out of my own.  At least then I will have something similar to offer the birds while they wait for me to make more of the good stuff.

• Feeders made of the recycled material hold up very well.
• The cheap, wire cage feeders don't last and they are not easy to fill.
• Read the feeder reviews on Amazon before you buy.  One cage type, with the suet on the inner area, has reviews that say it killed or injured their birds by trapping them inside!
• Don't buy combo feeders that have suet holders on the sides.  Contrary to pictures you may see, birds like the woodpecker, like to eat in peace, far from other birds.
• The tail prop and upside down feeders are best, in my opinion.

A basic recipe for feeding suet-loving birds starts with fat of some kind. This is a good excuse to eat bacon - if you need one.

Bacon grease and meat drippings can be stored in cans in the refrigerator until you are ready to mix a batch of suet.  Chunks of beef fat can be purchased from the meat market or grocery store. (It's cheap.)

Adding flour, bread or bread crumbs, crushed crackers and other dry ingredients will make the fat go further by making a larger batch.  (Freeze old bread, donuts and muffins for this.)

Adding peanuts and / or raisins is an extra, optional bonus.  The recipe here is a basic one that can be altered according to the ingredients you have on hand.

I never add bird seed of any kind to my suet, it is not necessary.  Save the seed for the seed feeders.

If you simply don't have the time or inclination to cook up a suet cake blend, the store bought suet, or fat, can be used alone.  I have found that birds don't like it as well as the cooked / mixed stuff, but at least it's fat for them.

• Use a sharp knife and cut the fat into finely chopped pieces and mix with peanuts to form a ball or log.
• Scatter small pieces in a tray feeder.
• Chop the large chunk into smaller pieces and hang in a mesh bag.

Homemade suet vanishes fast.  Birds truly love it.  If you find it difficult to keep the feeder stocked, substitute good, store bought brands in between.

I look for suet that is not full of useless seeds.  Peanut varieties attract birds well as many wild birds love nuts.