How to Make Suet Cakes for Birds

By eHow Pets Editor

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Suet
Frying pan
Treats: oatmeal, raisins, or peanut butter
Bird seed
Disposable container
Baking pan such as pie, bread, cupcake or muffin
Suet cage
Nylon mesh onion bag
Twine, rope or chain

Step 1:
Go to your local butcher shop or meat counter and ask for suet to make cakes for the birds. This is the trimmed fat off the meat. The butcher throws the fat away so ask if it is free! Sometimes the butcher will grind it up for you.
Step 2:
Pick up extra treats to make a delightful attraction. The birds love oatmeal, raisins, cornflower or peanut butter with their cakes. Add some bird seeds, too!
Step 3:
Chop about a pound of the suet into small pieces. Do this only if the butcher didn't. Some people grind the fat using a grinder.
Step 4:
Grab a small frying pan and spread the suet around.
Step 5:
Turn your oven to low or medium heat. You want to melt the suet.
Step 6:
Remove the pan off the burner and mix in the treats. With a pound of suet add the bird treats. Use what you have. For example, add a cup of oatmeal and cup of peanut butter. Pour in a ¼ cup of raisins or birdseed. Mix them all or just use one ingredient.
Step 7:
Take a container and pour the mixture in it. Use a disposable container like a plastic butter bowl or line a bread pan with plastic or foil. Cupcake and muffin pans are also good.
Step 8:
Allow the mixture to cool. It turns solid.
Step 9:
Cut to the size of your suet cage and place the cake inside it. Or make use of alternative cake holders: onion bags, pine cones, mesh netting. Push the suet cakes into the openings of the cones.
Step 10:
Hang the container outside on a tree branch. Use twine, robe or chain. Make sure it is tied securely. Choose a location to watch the birds feeding from your window. Make sure it is high enough away from your neighbor's kitty.

Tips & Warnings

Remember to freeze the leftover raw fat.
Suet goes bad if the temperatures rise to 70 degrees. If a sudden warm spell comes watch for melting suet. Take it down and clean the cage. When the temperatures go down replace with fresh cakes.

More Puppy Pages

How to Render Suet

Suet is a dense fat found in beef. It is an energy source for many varieties of birds - especially woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees and nuthatches.

During the cold months of winter when the thermometer drops below freezing most days, wild birds enjoy having a tasty treat of homemade suet. Since it mostly fat, it helps give them extra calories during the leaner months. Read on to learn how to make...

During the winter months, it is more difficult for the birds to find food. If you have made it a habit to feed the birds, there is a fun and decorative way for you to provide for your feathered friends. This may also be a way to get you and your family...

Making bird suet is a great thing to do for the wild birds in winter when they need the energy. It requires just a few basic ingredients and you can make a big batch in under two hours. The following recipe can be modified in many ways. Basically you...

Birds need more energy during the cold winter months than seed alone can provide. Making seed cakes is an inexpensive way of helping the backyard birds stay healthy and warm--and they'll come back for more!