No Melt Suet Cakes For Birds

We're big bird watchers at my house. I have year round birdseed feeders in both the front and back of my house and am constantly filling them up.

And then in the winter I add suet cakes to the feeding areas to give the birds a little extra boost of energy.

A couple years ago I made heart shaped DIY Suet Bird Cakes for my friends for Valentine's Day. We're close like that.

The #1 question I get with that post is if it melts easily. And yes it sort of does when the temperatures get a little warmer.

That one is really a dead-of-winter, Midwestern cold kind of recipe.

So this year I decided to write this post about a more no-melt variety, that can take your from fall through spring.

What Is Suet?

Suet is a mixture of fat, birdseeds and other fruit or nuts birds enjoy. The fat in the suet is high in calories and needed by the birds to generate extra body heat and energy to get through the winter months.

I generally only feed birds suet cakes in the winter when their natural food choices are greatly reduced, but they will eat them year round. Generally, the birds who enjoy suet are the insect eating ones, so in the summer they have more than enough insects to choose from.

I don't want them to become too dependent on me and my suet making abilities and then I move away and they're all "where's the lady with my year-round free food I don't have to work for?".

How To Make Bird Suet

Although you can buy pre-made suet cakes at the store, I like to make my own.

Homemade suet is easy enough to make, can save you money if you make them in bulk and allows you to create the variety of suet you want (peanut, berry, etc).

Plus it doesn't take much time at all to whip up a fresh batch.

For making a no-melt suet, which stands up better in warmer weather and sunny days, you need to use a lard or vegetable fat that is sold and stored at room temperature - Armour's Lard or Crisco, not a bottle of vegetable oil.

Ingredients:

This recipe makes 1 large suet cake or 2 small ones

• 1 cup Birdseed
• ½ cup Dried Fruit (Cherries, Cranberries, Blueberries, etc)
• ½ cup Peanuts (non-salted only)
• 1 cup Oats
• 1 cup Melted Lard/Manteca (Armour)
• Mixing Bowl
• Spoon
• Molds

Instructions:

Put the birdseed, dried fruit, peanuts and oats in a mixing bowl. Stir.

Melt the lard in a glass bowl or mixing cup in the microwave.

Pour lard over the birdseed mixture and stir until mixed well.

Spoon the wet birdseed mixture into your mold and push firmly down into the mold.

Cover and put in the refrigerator to speed up the setting time.

Put your suet cakes in suet holders for the birds to enjoy.

How To Store Suet Cakes

Homemade suet cakes should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 3 months. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Can I Substitute Crisco for Lard?

Yes you can. I know a lot of people prefer not to use meat based products in their home. Or let's be honest, already have a can or two of Crisco in the cupboard and don't want to drive to the store. So Crisco can be substituted for lard in the recipe

Lard is pork based and Crisco is vegetable based, that's the main difference. Most people use lard because the birds who love suet also eat bugs and worms and stuff like that, so it's good for them to eat a beef or pork based suet cake.

BUT Crisco does work and birds still eat it, so I don't think they really have any idea when eating it that it's not really meat based.

Crisco is a little bit softer than lard to begin with (like when you're scooping it out of the container), so you might have to increase the oats a little bit to make the cakes firm up. I'd mix it up and if it seems too moist, then add another ¼ - ½ cup of oats to the recipe.

Printable Suet Cake Recipe

What Birds Eat Suet?

• Cardinals
• Robins
• Bluebirds
• Mockingbirds
• Orioles
• Blue Jays
• Woodpeckers
• Wrens
• Chickadees
• Nuthatches
• Titmice

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How To Make Squirrel Proof Suet

In my Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe, which is geared toward keeping squirrels out of the garden and from eating pumpkins and the such, I show you how to make a bird-friendly spray that deters squirrels.

It also works well on bird seed and suet.

Just spray the suet cake with a bit of the squirrel repellent. The squirrels and chipmunks will not like the taste, but the birds could care less (technically I don't think they can taste it) and it is safe for them to eat.

Alternately, you can stir in a couple drops of hot sauce into the melted lard when creating your homemade suet.

Or if you want to go all nuclear on the squirrels, you can try one of the double caged suet feeders. It will keep the squirrels out, but be aware it will also limit some of the larger birds from getting to the suet (woodpeckers, blue jays and anyone with a big head).

You can also try a squirrel baffle. Honestly, baffles don't work around my house. The squirrels are just too smart and have taken too many gymnastic classes!

So far, spraying the suet cakes with a bit of the homemade squirrel repellent I mentioned above has done the trick.

How To Hang A Suet Feeder

• Hang at least 4-5 feet off the ground.
• Hang in shade if possible.
• A pole with a squirrel baffle works well or a tree limb.
• DO NOT hang a suet feeder too close to a traditional seed feeder. All the activity of birds flying in and out and sitting around the traditional bird feeder will spook the birds who just want to leisurely eat from the suet feeder. Suet attracts different types of birds with different feeding preferences.
• DO NOT hang a suet feeder too close to the trunk of a tree or you will be giving easy access to the pesky squirrels.

Help, Why Won't Birds Eat My Suet?

There's two main reason why birds might not be flocking to your suet feeder.

If the feeding area is brand new, as in you don't have any other bird feeders in your yard, it can take a little bit of time for the birds to find it. But after one bird finds it they'll tell their friends and those friends will tell their friends and pretty soon you'll be in business.

Also, if it's hung in a busy area with lots of human foot traffic (by your front door, too close to the driveway, etc.),  where the dogs play or where natural predators live, it will deter the birds. Pick a distraction free zone for the birds to be able to eat in peace.

Are you feeding the birds this winter? What's your favorite flavor of suet?

Other Post You May Enjoy:

DIY Suet Bird Cakes (the original post)

Rustic Log Bird Feeder DIY (hanging log version)

Best Homemade Hummingbird Nectar