I save up beef fat drained off from cooking hamburger meat and store that in my fridge till the winter. I use that to make wintertime bird seed cakes. All I need to pay for with those seed cakes is the bird seed.
This is definitely on my list of things to try. I had to quit feeding the birds one year due to a rodent problem with loose seed. This will help to avoid that situation again. Thank you.
The blocks have improved our rodent numbers. We hardly trapped any mice last summer, but still had a very snakey year, and relocated seven rattlers from within feet of the house. The video below documents two of them: ua-cam.com/video/Q6FCNwAntp8/v-deo.htmlsi=btWqDJkKsiGgUFeQ
Thanks! I'll likely give that a shot, heavy on the peanuts. Nut Hatches and Woodpeckers keep my cakes busy. I'm ok with seed, mostly black oil sunflower in my feeders. Squirrels are my only pest but my chickens have become annoyed with them and chase them away most of the time. Squirrels are persistent devils but so are a bunch of stubborn hens. lol
I started making my own, used honey though as I had a bunch of crystallised honey to use. And after the bird seed cakes set I put them in the dehydrator and now they’re shelf stable and they’re fantastic.
This recipe handles the summer heat of San Antonio, TX with no problems. The birds love them, and we keep squirrels out by dosing the seed mix with cayenne pepper powder (we use about 10 tsp applied to the dry seed mix, but YMMV).
This is the first summer monsoon season that my blocks have been tested under. I have two blocks, one of which is protected by overhanging oak trees and a squirrel baffle inches above it, and the other which is directly exposed to sun and drenching downpours. I am pleased to report both hold up well. Thanks for your contribution regarding the ground cayenne pepper. I use squirrel baffles, one of which is directly above the block and the other which blocks the squirrels from climbing a hanger. Both work, but they are not perfect solutions. For example, a raccoon used the hanging baffle to its advantage in flipping the cage up into reachable range.
Thanks for this recipe. I’m going to try it! I also appreciate the info you posted to another comment about the use of molasses. Funny how folks will question the molasses but not gelatin 😂. Given your research I wonder if you might tell me if I could make seed cakes out of hulled no-mess seeds? I have a rodent problem which I’ve discovered is in part because the hulls left on the ground attract them (mice, rats, voles). I don’t relish the extra expense of the hulled seeds but I’d like to try limiting the rodents. Great video - you’re so neat!
@@craniumrex4614 Thanks for your interest and kind words. Given that gelatin contains protein and amino acids and is taken as a supplement, I hope that folks will do some research before expressing concerns. So far, there have been none. I haven't tried no mess seed mixes, but cannot imagine why they would not bind the same. Please come back and comment with your experience working with these hulled seeds. Reducing rodent populations while still attracting birds was a major factor in my using blocks vs loose seed. Rattlesnakes are not uncommon adjacent to my home, and I prefer to minimize their presence also. Regardless, vipers will always be part of my life in Sonoita. This summer alone, I relocated six (five d'backs and one black-tailed) from within yards of my house. Two male western diamondbacks put on a great show for me a week ago and I couldn't resist creating a video. I encourage you to watch this short video for a sample of the dominance behaviors that I enjoyed for about ninety minutes: ua-cam.com/video/Q6FCNwAntp8/v-deo.html
@@RobertBDAI I will check out the video - thank you! Coming from Canada the most dangerous creatures I contend with are black bears (but only because I’m far enough from any water not to have to deal with Canada geese, aptly named “Cobra chickens” lol. ). I’ve also had to fend off angry momma raccoons but certainly nothing venomous! I can’t imagine having to deal with rattlesnakes- I get a sense of your love of nature given you relocate them. I wouldn’t mind the rodents but for the potential damage they can do - squirrels are the WORST although mice and rats can sure eat insulation and chew wires. Looking forward to the video! Will try this recipe on hulled seed and report back. Just need some molasses which I will pick up after work one day this week. Update soon!
Thanks for this recipe, just made a second batch with my daughter. Our NZ native Silver Eyes have loved these garden additions (as have the Green Finches) and we have been enjoying watching them!
I had to revisit this video to say THANK YOU for this perfect recipe! It's literally PERFECT in every way, all the way down to that sweet ass price on that big bag of wild bird seeds from Walmart!💙 THANKS AGAIN!👍🏽👍🏼👍🏾👍🏿👍
Excellent recipe. Thank you very much for taking the time to put it together and explain it. This is my second batch, the little feather friends love it. The blocks withstand wind,rain and heat here in GA, but they are soft enough for them to munch on. Thank you sir.
I appreciate the feedback. I recently cranked out ten blocks myself for my partner to put out while I was away. To avoid mold in storage, I dry the blocks for a few hours in the sun after they harden in the fridge. I then keep them in the fridge in ziplocks or in a bin with the ziplocks opened.
Excellent suggestion. I use exactly the same ingredients and measurements, the only thing I do differently is that I put the blocks in the freezer after they setup. Thanks again for your time and the excellent recipe .
Wow, that's an idea for a whole new video, but for now I'll try to convey my method with words: 1) remove everything from the counters, 2) cut the bottom out of a large cheap, flimsy plastic bowl for a spatter guard, 3) sprinkle some Barkeeper's Friend and a little water on the tile, 4) place the spatter bowl inverted onto the sprinkled counter, 5) using a drill brush (Amazon) in a cordless drill, scrub the tiles until you can't stand it anymore, 6) clean up the BK's Friend with a wet towel, 7) dry the counters, 8) apply 2 coats of SurfaceGard Maximum Strength Sealer per bottle directions. It's pretty easy to apply. The SurfaceGard is $80 for a half gallon but well worth it and it may be a lifetime supply for you. I bought it at Home Depot, but other vendors sell it such as Amazon. The spatter guard can be made from a cheap, flimsy plastic serving bowl that you can cut with a hefty scissor, hacksaw, Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel, etc. Don't get a rigid bowl. A flimsy one is easier to cut and will flex around obstacles a bit. Mine is 11" in diameter at the the rim and I cut it to 4" high. The diameter where I cut the bottom off is 8". That gives me plenty of room to work the drill through it, and the inverted bowl just gets pushed around by the drill and brush. I found my bowl on the side of a highway by my home. I clean the enamel sink in the same manner, and then rather than the sealant, I apply a product called Gel Gloss to the enamel. That is applied like car wax. Rub it into the enamel a bit, let it dry to a haze, then buff it off. I agree that the 4" ceramic tiles are challenging in a kitchen. One thing I've learned is that it is always a bad idea to set aluminum cookware directly on the tiles. The stains are very difficult to remove. I appreciate the kind comments, but my next kitchen will definitely not have ceramic tile on the horizontal counter surfaces. Thanks for watching the video! Please like and subscribe if you don't mind. I've been meaning to clean the bathroom tiles with this method and will create a video when I do. Watch for it on my channel, but please be patient for its release. Robert
Thank you for the recipe! I am putting up some suet cages for the birds who are too shy for my window feeder, but the cost of commercial seed cakes is insane. I have a lot of Karo syrup so might experiment with that vs molasses.
Fantastic and excellent recipe for suet cakes. Instructions very easy to follow, very easy to make cost effective, don't disintegrate with wind or rain and my little bird friends loving them . Thank you for taking the time to get the right ingredients and measurements.
Hello, this is Sally and I knew you were in Arizona when you said “pack-rats. Then a few minutes later you said “here in Az”. I’m in Picture Rocks area. ❤️Az
Great video and info. Have you tried making cakes with peanut butter? I've wanted to put out bird cakes, but the cost was prohibitive, and there's a ton of squirrels in the neighborhood thanks to an abundance of walnut trees. There's also a feral cat colony next door I wasn't sure of how to keep them away. Now I know how to both feed the birds and keep the seed and them safe. Thanks!
Thanks for the comments! I have not used peanut butter, but if I did I would ensure that it was all natural without added salt, sugar, or oils, and would use limited amounts to avoid causing oily feathers which can severely compromise a bird's ability to thermoregulate.
To feed wild mince, I made a mix using a small amount of wet flour as the binder akin to that glue that drug addicts use to put up their posters in big cities. It worked well and I cooked the whole thing in the oven on warm.
Thanks for your comment! What is a mince? If it is a typo and you meant "mice", supporting their populations is just not a good idea where I live due to damage to our vehicles and an increase in rattlesnakes. We have relocated three rattlers from next to our home in the last three months.
Thanks for the video. I'm researching out of desperation. I tried 3 KayTee blocks and bells, and all three times they were gone by morning. Squirrels. I can't find any made with hot pepper to repel them, so thought I should make my own. Basically your recipe, with a few teaspoons of Scotch Bonnets. that should modify their behavior without doing real damage. Can you tell me how well your blocks hold up to the rain? Do they dissolve quickly, or hold up pretty well?
Rock squirrels and Arizona gray squirrels were quite a challenge for me as well. The squirrel baffles referrenced in the video mostly solved the problem, but I did have a raccoon that was using the baffle itself to leverage the block into reach. I solved that by loosening up any attachment points such that the cage that holds the cake could easily swivel. I have two blocks, one of which is protected by oak trees and an overhanging squirrel baffle, and the other of which is completely exposed to sun and rain. I am pleased to share that both seem only minimally affected by the elements, if at all.
I live in a colder climate and I think it is important for my bird friends to have fat in their diet to get through the winter. How would you add fat to this recipe?
Good question! My blocks have seen temperatures in the upper 80's last fall and did fine. This summer, they will be exposed to a few 100 degree days. I could heat them to test, but I think I'll wait and see instead.
As explained in my video description, blocks made without molasses would remain moist whether in the refrigerator or the sun, and would break apart when removed from the mold or when pecked by large birds. The addition of 7g of molasses per 908g of seed (0.8% by weight) resulted in firm, dry blocks that matched the consistency of commercial blocks. Molasses has been extensively nutritionally researched and used as an additive to chicken feed for a century or more. I have linked one recent peer-reviewed study published in the Veterinary and Animal Science journal below. The authors fed molasses at a rate of 1% of the total diet. Wild birds have access to far more food sources than just the blocks I provide, bringing the ratio of molasses to other nutrients down from the 0.8% that is contained in my blocks. I have also linked a study that concluded that wild birds at sites with feeders were generally in better overall health than birds at sites without feeders, although birds at sites with feeders had a greater prevalence of disease. Molasses was not a consideration in that study. While I don't have sources to back this claim, I suspect that feeding blocks results in less disease transmission than loose seed. I can state with certainty that blocks greatly reduce consumption by nontarget species, such as rodents, deer, and javelina. Wild bird nutrition is certainly less studied than agricultural nutrition. If you locate credible sources using peer-reviewed scientific methods that address the nutritional effects of molasses on wild birds, please share them. Thanks for your input, and for watching my video. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8966208/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4778448/
@ReadingTheStormOut I appreciate your question and remain open to credible information that contradicts what I wrote. A couple of days ago, another obvious example of feeding sugar to avian species came to mind - hummingbird feeders. The Audubon Society specifies 1/4 cup refined white sugar to each cup of water and discourages the use of honey, which can promote dangerous fungal growth.
@@RobertBDAI Yes; thank-you! I've just learned of this and filled one of my feeders with it instead of the red nectar stuff and the birds seem to like it much better. I'm always happy to save some $$$, but my first priority is to make sure I don't do any harm.
@RobertBDAI thick beef suet mixed with a tone of bird seed with lots of sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts rolled into a ball how ever big you want to make it. Then put into a tube of mesh tied at the bottom and you just hang it . Pretty simple works great I've kept bird's alive with this all winter
That is a plastic measuring spoon and I intentionally left it the bowl to dissolve the molasses that was clinging to it. Given the increased attention to risks caused by micro plastics, I am now more cautious and avoid heating plastics that are in contact with consumables.
I am aware of the concerns that have recently become a popular topic. Look in any kitchen and you will find dozens of plastic utensils, many of which are designed and used to stir boiling liquids. The spoon that was in that microwave is not heated by the oven, and the water was not heated to boiling. I appreciate the concern, but that spoon went through nothing extraordinary. I am slowly adapting to change a lifetime of habits that until very recently were considered common practice.
The bag I described is $10.88 for 20 lbs of seed. I only made two bocks in the video, but each bag makes 9-10 blocks. That is a little over a buck a block just for the seed. The $1.55 total per block also includes the cost per block for molasses and gelatin.
Is that Tractor Supply you reference? Their 2.2 lb blocks are consistent with the range I discussed. I suspect you are referring to suet cakes for about a dollar each. That is a typical low end price. They weigh about 12oz each.
Where are you coming up with these retail prices? It's normally ~$1.15 per cake. If you hit the sales it can be 79c per cake. Why bother with all the diy nonsense.
PLEASE!!!! Don't feed birds or any other wild animal. It attracts rats and mice and other animals that carry fleas and disease. Just ask anyone who knows.
There is no suet in this recipe. The average weight of a commercial suet cake is 11 oz. These seed blocks are 2.2 lbs or more. It is a completely different product.
I save up beef fat drained off from cooking hamburger meat and store that in my fridge till the winter. I use that to make wintertime bird seed cakes. All I need to pay for with those seed cakes is the bird seed.
This is definitely on my list of things to try. I had to quit feeding the birds one year due to a rodent problem with loose seed. This will help to avoid that situation again. Thank you.
The blocks have improved our rodent numbers. We hardly trapped any mice last summer, but still had a very snakey year, and relocated seven rattlers from within feet of the house. The video below documents two of them:
ua-cam.com/video/Q6FCNwAntp8/v-deo.htmlsi=btWqDJkKsiGgUFeQ
Use hot pepper suet
Thanks! I'll likely give that a shot, heavy on the peanuts. Nut Hatches and Woodpeckers keep my cakes busy. I'm ok with seed, mostly black oil sunflower in my feeders. Squirrels are my only pest but my chickens have become annoyed with them and chase them away most of the time. Squirrels are persistent devils but so are a bunch of stubborn hens. lol
Your comments made me smile. Let us know how your homemade cakes work out.
I started making my own, used honey though as I had a bunch of crystallised honey to use. And after the bird seed cakes set I put them in the dehydrator and now they’re shelf stable and they’re fantastic.
I really appreciate the dehydrator tip. I've been using one for years but this application did not occur to me.
This is a fantastic DIY money saver and better for the birds!! Very happy to have found this! A big thank you!
Thank you, Janie!
This is a fantastic idea... and so is your ceramic tile counter tops 🙂 Thanks for making the video
Thank you! Please share your experiences with making bird blocks if you get a chance.
This recipe handles the summer heat of San Antonio, TX with no problems.
The birds love them, and we keep squirrels out by dosing the seed mix with cayenne pepper powder (we use about 10 tsp applied to the dry seed mix, but YMMV).
This is the first summer monsoon season that my blocks have been tested under. I have two blocks, one of which is protected by overhanging oak trees and a squirrel baffle inches above it, and the other which is directly exposed to sun and drenching downpours. I am pleased to report both hold up well.
Thanks for your contribution regarding the ground cayenne pepper. I use squirrel baffles, one of which is directly above the block and the other which blocks the squirrels from climbing a hanger. Both work, but they are not perfect solutions. For example, a raccoon used the hanging baffle to its advantage in flipping the cage up into reachable range.
Thanks for this recipe. I’m going to try it!
I also appreciate the info you posted to another comment about the use of molasses. Funny how folks will question the molasses but not gelatin 😂.
Given your research I wonder if you might tell me if I could make seed cakes out of hulled no-mess seeds? I have a rodent problem which I’ve discovered is in part because the hulls left on the ground attract them (mice, rats, voles). I don’t relish the extra expense of the hulled seeds but I’d like to try limiting the rodents.
Great video - you’re so neat!
@@craniumrex4614 Thanks for your interest and kind words.
Given that gelatin contains protein and amino acids and is taken as a supplement, I hope that folks will do some research before expressing concerns. So far, there have been none.
I haven't tried no mess seed mixes, but cannot imagine why they would not bind the same. Please come back and comment with your experience working with these hulled seeds.
Reducing rodent populations while still attracting birds was a major factor in my using blocks vs loose seed. Rattlesnakes are not uncommon adjacent to my home, and I prefer to minimize their presence also. Regardless, vipers will always be part of my life in Sonoita. This summer alone, I relocated six (five d'backs and one black-tailed) from within yards of my house. Two male western diamondbacks put on a great show for me a week ago and I couldn't resist creating a video. I encourage you to watch this short video for a sample of the dominance behaviors that I enjoyed for about ninety minutes:
ua-cam.com/video/Q6FCNwAntp8/v-deo.html
@@RobertBDAI I will check out the video - thank you! Coming from Canada the most dangerous creatures I contend with are black bears (but only because I’m far enough from any water not to have to deal with Canada geese, aptly named “Cobra chickens” lol. ). I’ve also had to fend off angry momma raccoons but certainly nothing venomous!
I can’t imagine having to deal with rattlesnakes- I get a sense of your love of nature given you relocate them. I wouldn’t mind the rodents but for the potential damage they can do - squirrels are the WORST although mice and rats can sure eat insulation and chew wires. Looking forward to the video!
Will try this recipe on hulled seed and report back. Just need some molasses which I will pick up after work one day this week. Update soon!
Thank You for this video! Very helpful!
Thank you for the kind words!
This is a great easy formula. Thanks 😊
You’re welcome!
Very informative video. Thank you so much! I will try this recipe. 💚
You're welcome! Please let us know how it works for you.
Glad to see how well your recovery is coming along. All the best.
I'm not sure what I am recovering from but thanks!
Simply outstanding!👍🏾👍🏿👍🏼👍🏽👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Super helpful, thanks for sharing!!!
So glad!
Wow great video easy to understand and watch.
Please let me know if you try the recipe.
Thanks. This is simple enough even I can make them. Peace.
I wish I had started years ago. I hope it works for you as well.
Thanks for this recipe, just made a second batch with my daughter. Our NZ native Silver Eyes have loved these garden additions (as have the Green Finches) and we have been enjoying watching them!
I appreciate your comments! I had to research the Silvereye - it's a cute little thing!
I use seeds with coconut oil.
I had to revisit this video to say THANK YOU for this perfect recipe! It's literally PERFECT in every way, all the way down to that sweet ass price on that big bag of wild bird seeds from Walmart!💙 THANKS AGAIN!👍🏽👍🏼👍🏾👍🏿👍
I appreciate the kind words!
This looks great! I'mm gonna make them for sure. Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure!
Excellent recipe. Thank you very much for taking the time to put it together and explain it. This is my second batch, the little feather friends love it. The blocks withstand wind,rain and heat here in GA, but they are soft enough for them to munch on. Thank you sir.
I appreciate the feedback. I recently cranked out ten blocks myself for my partner to put out while I was away.
To avoid mold in storage, I dry the blocks for a few hours in the sun after they harden in the fridge. I then keep them in the fridge in ziplocks or in a bin with the ziplocks opened.
Excellent suggestion. I use exactly the same ingredients and measurements, the only thing I do differently is that I put the blocks in the freezer after they setup. Thanks again for your time and the excellent recipe .
I was wondering how you keep your grout so clean? I have similar tile countertops and they are a nightmare to clean😊
Wow, that's an idea for a whole new video, but for now I'll try to convey my method with words: 1) remove everything from the counters, 2) cut the bottom out of a large cheap, flimsy plastic bowl for a spatter guard, 3) sprinkle some Barkeeper's Friend and a little water on the tile, 4) place the spatter bowl inverted onto the sprinkled counter, 5) using a drill brush (Amazon) in a cordless drill, scrub the tiles until you can't stand it anymore, 6) clean up the BK's Friend with a wet towel, 7) dry the counters, 8) apply 2 coats of SurfaceGard Maximum Strength Sealer per bottle directions. It's pretty easy to apply.
The SurfaceGard is $80 for a half gallon but well worth it and it may be a lifetime supply for you. I bought it at Home Depot, but other vendors sell it such as Amazon.
The spatter guard can be made from a cheap, flimsy plastic serving bowl that you can cut with a hefty scissor, hacksaw, Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel, etc. Don't get a rigid bowl. A flimsy one is easier to cut and will flex around obstacles a bit. Mine is 11" in diameter at the the rim and I cut it to 4" high. The diameter where I cut the bottom off is 8". That gives me plenty of room to work the drill through it, and the inverted bowl just gets pushed around by the drill and brush. I found my bowl on the side of a highway by my home.
I clean the enamel sink in the same manner, and then rather than the sealant, I apply a product called Gel Gloss to the enamel. That is applied like car wax. Rub it into the enamel a bit, let it dry to a haze, then buff it off.
I agree that the 4" ceramic tiles are challenging in a kitchen. One thing I've learned is that it is always a bad idea to set aluminum cookware directly on the tiles. The stains are very difficult to remove. I appreciate the kind comments, but my next kitchen will definitely not have ceramic tile on the horizontal counter surfaces.
Thanks for watching the video! Please like and subscribe if you don't mind. I've been meaning to clean the bathroom tiles with this method and will create a video when I do. Watch for it on my channel, but please be patient for its release.
Robert
I like this way of making bird seed cakes!so happy I found this! Thank you so much!
Excellent Video! Sir 👍👍👍
Thank you Diane!
Have you made your own blocks yet? I'm always interested in hearing how the process worked for others.
I did this way of bird seed cake Thank you! I believe the blocks are better to . The loose bird seed goes to quick !
Thank you
Welcome!
I just made these with your recipe!! Thx for this easy bird seed blocks!!
You are so welcome!
Thank you, so much! Perfect for us.
You're very welcome!
Thank you for the recipe! I am putting up some suet cages for the birds who are too shy for my window feeder, but the cost of commercial seed cakes is insane. I have a lot of Karo syrup so might experiment with that vs molasses.
Please let us know your results!
Fantastic and excellent recipe for suet cakes. Instructions very easy to follow, very easy to make cost effective, don't disintegrate with wind or rain and my little bird friends loving them . Thank you for taking the time to get the right ingredients and measurements.
Impressive!
Thank you, David.
This worked great! I wish I could show you. Thank you so much
I appreciate the feedback!
Hello, this is Sally and I knew you were in Arizona when you said “pack-rats. Then a few minutes later you said “here in Az”. I’m in Picture Rocks area. ❤️Az
I'm a Phoenix born native. Pleased to meet you, Sally. Greetings from Sonoita.
Lovely kitchen.
Thank you 😊
Great video and info. Have you tried making cakes with peanut butter? I've wanted to put out bird cakes, but the cost was prohibitive, and there's a ton of squirrels in the neighborhood thanks to an abundance of walnut trees. There's also a feral cat colony next door I wasn't sure of how to keep them away. Now I know how to both feed the birds and keep the seed and them safe. Thanks!
Thanks for the comments! I have not used peanut butter, but if I did I would ensure that it was all natural without added salt, sugar, or oils, and would use limited amounts to avoid causing oily feathers which can severely compromise a bird's ability to thermoregulate.
This is awesome Thank you so much! Thank you for sharing ! A big thank you !!!
Glad you liked it!
I will try this! Thank you so much ❤
I still make them every week or so. I now use a rubber spatula instead of the plastic mixing spoon and ladle.
Hi Bad dog, love this recipe will try it tomorrow thank you. Meanwhile can you post how you made that green cage feeder shieldyou made?
Thanks for the kind words. The squirrel baffle was purchased.
www.duncraft.com/Extra-Large-Hanging-Squirrel-Baffle
Hi, wanted to share, followed you to the letter except, I used kara syrup instead of molasses molasses, turned out perfect! Thx
Thanks for sharing! Options are good to have. How much Karo did you use?
To feed wild mince, I made a mix using a small amount of wet flour as the binder akin to that glue that drug addicts use to put up their posters in big cities. It worked well and I cooked the whole thing in the oven on warm.
Thanks for your comment! What is a mince? If it is a typo and you meant "mice", supporting their populations is just not a good idea where I live due to damage to our vehicles and an increase in rattlesnakes. We have relocated three rattlers from next to our home in the last three months.
Have you tried mixing in some chili peppers to repel squirrels? I would think that might work.
The baffles are working for now, but I'll consider your suggestion for future battles.
@@RobertBDAI mostly an algorithm comment, but it might help some of your viewers.
Thanks for the video. I'm researching out of desperation. I tried 3 KayTee blocks and bells, and all three times they were gone by morning. Squirrels. I can't find any made with hot pepper to repel them, so thought I should make my own. Basically your recipe, with a few teaspoons of Scotch Bonnets. that should modify their behavior without doing real damage. Can you tell me how well your blocks hold up to the rain? Do they dissolve quickly, or hold up pretty well?
Rock squirrels and Arizona gray squirrels were quite a challenge for me as well. The squirrel baffles referrenced in the video mostly solved the problem, but I did have a raccoon that was using the baffle itself to leverage the block into reach. I solved that by loosening up any attachment points such that the cage that holds the cake could easily swivel.
I have two blocks, one of which is protected by oak trees and an overhanging squirrel baffle, and the other of which is completely exposed to sun and rain. I am pleased to share that both seem only minimally affected by the elements, if at all.
Thank you so much 😊
I hope this works as well for you as it has for me.
I live in a colder climate and I think it is important for my bird friends to have fat in their diet to get through the winter. How would you add fat to this recipe?
I suggest that you also offer suet cakes that you make or purchase. These fit in a smaller commercially available basket that is roughly 5x5x2".
Does this work on hot weather ? Or will it melt?
Good question! My blocks have seen temperatures in the upper 80's last fall and did fine. This summer, they will be exposed to a few 100 degree days. I could heat them to test, but I think I'll wait and see instead.
🥦🟦 very nice, thx❤
Thanks!
May I ask what is the purpose of the molasses? I'm not convinced its good for birds?
As explained in my video description, blocks made without molasses would remain moist whether in the refrigerator or the sun, and would break apart when removed from the mold or when pecked by large birds. The addition of 7g of molasses per 908g of seed (0.8% by weight) resulted in firm, dry blocks that matched the consistency of commercial blocks.
Molasses has been extensively nutritionally researched and used as an additive to chicken feed for a century or more. I have linked one recent peer-reviewed study published in the Veterinary and Animal Science journal below. The authors fed molasses at a rate of 1% of the total diet. Wild birds have access to far more food sources than just the blocks I provide, bringing the ratio of molasses to other nutrients down from the 0.8% that is contained in my blocks.
I have also linked a study that concluded that wild birds at sites with feeders were generally in better overall health than birds at sites without feeders, although birds at sites with feeders had a greater prevalence of disease. Molasses was not a consideration in that study. While I don't have sources to back this claim, I suspect that feeding blocks results in less disease transmission than loose seed. I can state with certainty that blocks greatly reduce consumption by nontarget species, such as rodents, deer, and javelina.
Wild bird nutrition is certainly less studied than agricultural nutrition. If you locate credible sources using peer-reviewed scientific methods that address the nutritional effects of molasses on wild birds, please share them.
Thanks for your input, and for watching my video.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8966208/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4778448/
@@RobertBDAI Wow! Thank-you!!! I shall copy this info and pass it on to other bird lovers. :)
@ReadingTheStormOut I appreciate your question and remain open to credible information that contradicts what I wrote. A couple of days ago, another obvious example of feeding sugar to avian species came to mind - hummingbird feeders. The Audubon Society specifies 1/4 cup refined white sugar to each cup of water and discourages the use of honey, which can promote dangerous fungal growth.
@@RobertBDAI Yes; thank-you! I've just learned of this and filled one of my feeders with it instead of the red nectar stuff and the birds seem to like it much better. I'm always happy to save some $$$, but my first priority is to make sure I don't do any harm.
Nice recipe. Use a spatula for faster, better mixing.
You are so right about the spatula. I started using one shortly after making the video and never went back to the spoon.
I get mine made into ball's in mesh by my butcher for next to nothing 🐦
Can you elaborate on the recipe and process?
@RobertBDAI thick beef suet mixed with a tone of bird seed with lots of sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts rolled into a ball how ever big you want to make it. Then put into a tube of mesh tied at the bottom and you just hang it . Pretty simple works great I've kept bird's alive with this all winter
They need fat in the winter. I use home rendered fat and or peanut butter. After it hardens it's solid. No gelatin needed
www.nativebirdcare.org/blog/killing-songbirds-with-fats-suet-pb
I think you accidentally left the spoon in the bowl when you put it in the microwave.
That is a plastic measuring spoon and I intentionally left it the bowl to dissolve the molasses that was clinging to it.
Given the increased attention to risks caused by micro plastics, I am now more cautious and avoid heating plastics that are in contact with consumables.
@@RobertBDAI I never thought about that but you’re right. Why not heat up the spoon. Thank you for the recipe. I ordered everything today.
Please share your experiences with your homemade blocks in the comments. Thanks!
Probably not a good idea to microwave that plastic utensil in with the foodstuff. (Plastic leaches.)
I am aware of the concerns that have recently become a popular topic. Look in any kitchen and you will find dozens of plastic utensils, many of which are designed and used to stir boiling liquids. The spoon that was in that microwave is not heated by the oven, and the water was not heated to boiling.
I appreciate the concern, but that spoon went through nothing extraordinary. I am slowly adapting to change a lifetime of habits that until very recently were considered common practice.
If your paying $10 fr a bag of seed from Walmart and your getting 2 blocks , that's $5 per block...where are you getting $1.55 cents ?
The bag I described is $10.88 for 20 lbs of seed. I only made two bocks in the video, but each bag makes 9-10 blocks. That is a little over a buck a block just for the seed. The $1.55 total per block also includes the cost per block for molasses and gelatin.
10 blocks for $9.99 @ TSC....😮
Is that Tractor Supply you reference? Their 2.2 lb blocks are consistent with the range I discussed. I suspect you are referring to suet cakes for about a dollar each. That is a typical low end price. They weigh about 12oz each.
@RobertBDAI 11oz
Great idea... 👍👍👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Where are you coming up with these retail prices? It's normally ~$1.15 per cake. If you hit the sales it can be 79c per cake. Why bother with all the diy nonsense.
You are confusing a 12oz suet cake with a seed block weighing over 2 pounds. Those are two very different products.
They’re 1.49 to 1.75 where I live.
I just bought the extra thick blocks at Walmart. They were 7.99 each. They have went up in the last year.
PLEASE!!!! Don't feed birds or any other wild animal. It attracts rats and mice and other animals that carry fleas and disease. Just ask anyone who knows.
His formula keeps the seed just for birds so directly solves this problem.
Thanks for your input. I suggest that you watch the video to the end prior to commenting.
Where in the world are you paying $7.50 for a bird seed block? Ordering from China perhaps?
I posted two screenshots of blocks from Walmart, averaging $7.475, in the first 93 seconds of the video. One was $6.48, and the other was $8.47.
I've made my own blocks, but in Chicago the average price of a suet block is 1.75- 2.75, shockingly.
There is no suet in this recipe. The average weight of a commercial suet cake is 11 oz. These seed blocks are 2.2 lbs or more. It is a completely different product.
How much seed in the bowl?
As described in the video and in the written description, I put 10 cups of seed in the bowl.