I made this for the 1st time this winter and let me tell you, this is the BEST suet recipe out there!! The ONLY changes I made was: I added 1 cup porch and deck shelled sunflower seeds and 1 cup of unsalted peanuts (I grind both up in our kitchen grinder and just add to the other dry ingredients) I also grind up the oats and even the chick starter in the kitchen grinder also. I have had robins, woodpeckers, blue jays, warblers, blue birds, crows, sparrows, cardinals, chickadees, thrashers, mockingbirds...I mean all the birds love this suet!! I put this out along with dried meal worms, raisins and unsalted peanuts and everything is gone..not a drop left by the end of the day. Thank you so much for providing this wonderful recipe!
Use a kitchen scale for measuring the lard/p-nut butter amounts. 1. Put the empty cup on the scale, then when weight of cup shows up, 'Tare' the cup weight to zero. Then fill that one cup to the brim with lard/p-nut butter, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. and you will have gram weight. For one cup lard = 225 grams, 1 cup oatmeal =86 grams, 1 cup flour = 121grams. Thank you for your video!
Thanks for all of the comments. The chick starter is unmedicated. Not sure about whole wheat flour. The salt is nothing to worry about and please feel free to use your microwave-it doesn't cancel out the nutrition.
This also looks like a great treat and/or supplement for baby chicks and laying or hatching hens during times of illness, stress or during winter. I might just try it with my baby chicks! As for worrying about your salt content in peanut butter I would think you could find a low salt or natural version or even make your own. peanut butter is extremely easy to make if you have a food processor!
Thanks of the video. It took a little experimentation, but our birds love it, and it's 1/4 the cost of the commercial brand. Tweaks I made: I add the flour to the hot melted lard and peanut butter as heated flour = wheat paste = glue. This makes the mixture hold together better and I can use 3/4 the amount of flour now. I also use a bit more peanut butter to lard to make it stickier. I grind down all the dry ingredients in a blender to make it smoother like the commercial bark butter. Whole wheat flour is NOT as good as white flour! I tried it once and it did not hold together. I don't think the birds liked it as much either. They also turned their beaks up at the all-natural low-sugar peanut butter from Costco - stick to the cheap stuff Skippy brand!
I go to Bulk Barn and buy shelled sunflower seeds, flax seed, Nigel seed, quickoats cornmeal as well as lard and peanut butter. Chick starter Ian really good idea as well. Thank you for the great video.
Next time you make a batch, weigh a cup of each solid ingredient on a small kitchen scale and refigure the recipe using the weights you've calculated. After that, you can just drop dollops on the scale, carve off bits if its too much or dab on more if its not. :)
Have you tried adding freeze dried meal worms to the mix for protein? I get them at the feed store (or Walmart) and add them to the birdseed in my feeder. And I buy suet blocks with the worms included.
Wonderful that you do this :) Couple problems though,Don't use peanut butter with sugar,Only use NATURAL peanut butter, Don't use WHITE Flour,Only use UN BLEACHED or Whole Wheat flour,Be careful with the LARD you choose,some Lard is not pure and has bad things in it that can harm birds and for those of you out there who will make this... NEVER add bird seeds to the mixture,Birds ALWAYS husk seed before they eat it and mixing it into the butter makes this difficult and can harm them... WNY Wildlife rehabilitation :)
Thank you for this video. I love watching the birds and have always just purchased bird cakes from the store but I remember as a child make some sort of bird cake with my Mom as a little girl using peanut butter. I'm going to get all my ingredients and try this.. For some reason all of my birds have disappeared in the last 3 months so I'm hoping this brings some birds back.
I appreciated your video. I'm new at this. I made my first batch last week and the woodpeckers LOVE it. What was in your old recipes that were bad for the birds? I don't want to get creative and include something that is not good for them.
Thank you for the recipe. I'm confused about how this prevents gout in the birds. What was causing your bluebirds to get gout? Isn't gout in birds from too much calcium or protein?
thanks for the video. have you ever had issues with squirrels? I am thinking of making a recipe with hot peppers are it seems to keep the squirrels at bay. Are you in NC by the way, your birds look just like my Cary ones!
If you melt the lard before you add anything, will know exactly the amount needed as per. the recipe. Is there one suitable for spring/summer and how do you deal with insects coming to these feeders?? Whatever you put in these cakes should be FREE of additives and chemicals and NO BEACON drippings ... READ THE LABLES !!! Thanks so much.
+Nita Charron yes as birds arnt effected by it, i wouldnt go using the worlds hottest chilli though... mabe something between jalapeno and habenero range... birdseye chilis are good and give a quick short-ish burn... exactly what id use to deter tree rats... failing that a few heaped tablespoons of cayanne should do the trick
Hello Carol, I believe it's at the end of the video. But in any case, you can also find it on our website at the URL below. Hope this helps! www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn/feeding/a-recipe-for-suet-dough.php
That i why i weigh my ingredients. The nutrition facts will tell you how many grams arre in X amount. A little math, and kitchen scale. Zero it out after ever add. No stuffing in a cup.
Similar to humans, birds can develop gout if they consume an unbalanced diet that's too rich in fat. Julie discusses it on her blog here: juliezickefoose.blogspot.com/2008/06/crack-is-better-name-for-it.html And here: juliezickefoose.blogspot.com/2010/03/zick-dough-improved.html
Birds that overindulge in suet and other lard-based foods run the risk of developing gout. Also, you should avoid offering suet in warm months, when plenty of natural food sources are available for birds to find.
How come, 5 cups lard + 5 cups peanut butter???? How come wittle tiny birds can eat lard & peanut butter, with No problemo, & us big humans Can't???!!!! 🤷🤷🤷🤷🙄😄😄😄😄♥️💖
I made this for the 1st time this winter and let me tell you, this is the BEST suet recipe out there!! The ONLY changes I made was: I added 1 cup porch and deck shelled sunflower seeds and 1 cup of unsalted peanuts (I grind both up in our kitchen grinder and just add to the other dry ingredients) I also grind up the oats and even the chick starter in the kitchen grinder also. I have had robins, woodpeckers, blue jays, warblers, blue birds, crows, sparrows, cardinals, chickadees, thrashers, mockingbirds...I mean all the birds love this suet!! I put this out along with dried meal worms, raisins and unsalted peanuts and everything is gone..not a drop left by the end of the day. Thank you so much for providing this wonderful recipe!
The husband is funny. Love you and the dog too! Thanks for teaching us the right way to feed birds.
Use a kitchen scale for measuring the lard/p-nut butter amounts. 1. Put the empty cup on the scale, then when weight of cup shows up, 'Tare' the cup weight to zero. Then fill that one cup to the brim with lard/p-nut butter, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. and you will have gram weight. For one cup lard = 225 grams, 1 cup oatmeal =86 grams, 1 cup flour = 121grams. Thank you for your video!
Thanks for all of the comments. The chick starter is unmedicated. Not sure about whole wheat flour. The salt is nothing to worry about and please feel free to use your microwave-it doesn't cancel out the nutrition.
This also looks like a great treat and/or supplement for baby chicks and laying or hatching hens during times of illness, stress or during winter. I might just try it with my baby chicks! As for worrying about your salt content in peanut butter I would think you could find a low salt or natural version or even make your own. peanut butter is extremely easy to make if you have a food processor!
Wow! What a great idea to just use the deck railing and not worry about an expensive feeder! I really appreciate you sharing this!
Thanks of the video. It took a little experimentation, but our birds love it, and it's 1/4 the cost of the commercial brand. Tweaks I made: I add the flour to the hot melted lard and peanut butter as heated flour = wheat paste = glue. This makes the mixture hold together better and I can use 3/4 the amount of flour now. I also use a bit more peanut butter to lard to make it stickier. I grind down all the dry ingredients in a blender to make it smoother like the commercial bark butter. Whole wheat flour is NOT as good as white flour! I tried it once and it did not hold together. I don't think the birds liked it as much either. They also turned their beaks up at the all-natural low-sugar peanut butter from Costco - stick to the cheap stuff Skippy brand!
I go to Bulk Barn and buy shelled sunflower seeds, flax seed, Nigel seed, quickoats cornmeal as well as lard and peanut butter. Chick starter Ian really good idea as well. Thank you for the great video.
Next time you make a batch, weigh a cup of each solid ingredient on a small kitchen scale and refigure the recipe using the weights you've calculated. After that, you can just drop dollops on the scale, carve off bits if its too much or dab on more if its not. :)
Have you tried adding freeze dried meal worms to the mix for protein? I get them at the feed store (or Walmart) and add them to the birdseed in my feeder. And I buy suet blocks with the worms included.
how would u know the bird had gout?????????
I wish she would make that clear. She left us hanging.
These two feed off each other with humor. So I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Thank you for the fun.
Wonderful that you do this :)
Couple problems though,Don't use peanut butter with sugar,Only use NATURAL peanut butter, Don't use WHITE Flour,Only use UN BLEACHED or Whole Wheat flour,Be careful with the LARD you choose,some Lard is not pure and has bad things in it that can harm birds and for those of you out there who will make this... NEVER add bird seeds to the mixture,Birds ALWAYS husk seed before they eat it and mixing it into the butter makes this difficult and can harm them...
WNY Wildlife rehabilitation :)
Why do you use flour instead of seeds? Is processed flour safe / good for birds? They don't eat flour naturally...
Are you using a peanut butter that contains no salt or added sugar?
Thank you for this video. I love watching the birds and have always just purchased bird cakes from the store but I remember as a child make some sort of bird cake with my Mom as a little girl using peanut butter. I'm going to get all my ingredients and try this.. For some reason all of my birds have disappeared in the last 3 months so I'm hoping this brings some birds back.
Thank you for the video and instructions. I enjoyed there responses from Bill that made me laugh out loud, and of course, cute Chet Baker.
Yes 1111, some folks do use shortening. But that's vegetable-based fat, not animal fat-based as lard is.
I appreciated your video. I'm new at this. I made my first batch last week and the woodpeckers LOVE it. What was in your old recipes that were bad for the birds? I don't want to get creative and include something that is not good for them.
If you take a 4 cup container fill it with 2 cups of water, add lard until the water line reaches 4 cups. Easier than scraping lard in a new cup
Thank you for the recipe. I'm confused about how this prevents gout in the birds. What was causing your bluebirds to get gout? Isn't gout in birds from too much calcium or protein?
If you had a stand mixer with a dough hook could you mix it with that?
Yes you can use that to mix
Thanks for the recipe! My backyard birds love it!
How did you know your bluebirds have gout??
How many quarts is your stock (mixing) pot?
thanks for the video. have you ever had issues with squirrels? I am thinking of making a recipe with hot peppers are it seems to keep the squirrels at bay. Are you in NC by the way, your birds look just like my Cary ones!
Is this chick starter what people give to chickens? I have never heard of this stuff.
If you melt the lard before you add anything, will know exactly the amount needed as per. the recipe. Is there one suitable for spring/summer and how do you deal with insects coming to these feeders?? Whatever you put in these cakes should be FREE of additives and chemicals and NO BEACON drippings ... READ THE LABLES !!! Thanks so much.
I think the salt in peanut butter is not good for wild birds. I didn't know this until I watched a video on it.
Supposed to use all natural peanut butter
Bill, Could you use shorting instead of lard ? I enjoy the video.
No shortening is bad for birds
Brilliant, you rock Julie 😊
Could you mix it with a heavy duty drill in a 5-gallon bucket?
Wouldn't be able to mix it on a cold day.
@kdontsova Yes, and maybe a bit less corn meal to make it more "sticky" and less "crumbly"
you guys rock. thanks so much for this video. love your dog. hes awesome.
A small paint mixer on a drill would work great for such a large amount.
How did you know the birds had gout?
So, this is pork lard? Not beef?
And thank you for sharing this!!!
is it medicated chick starter?
One more question: Do squirrels eat it? Would putting hot pepper flakes in it keep the squirrels away?
+Nita Charron
yes as birds arnt effected by it, i wouldnt go using the worlds hottest chilli though... mabe something between jalapeno and habenero range... birdseye chilis are good and give a quick short-ish burn... exactly what id use to deter tree rats... failing that a few heaped tablespoons of cayanne should do the trick
I didn't see any recipe. Would love that.
Hello Carol, I believe it's at the end of the video. But in any case, you can also find it on our website at the URL below. Hope this helps! www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn/feeding/a-recipe-for-suet-dough.php
I'm going to throw this into my Bosch mixer.
Must use natural no salt peanut butter. Salt is a no-no for birds.
comes to mind a cement mixer would be handy
Why not use a drill and one of them plaster mixer attachment things
Why the flour? That seems like empty calories, but I've seen other recipes calling for flour. Just curious.
Weigh the ingredients! Quick, neat and more accurate.
@Tiggger0206 never mind.. I missed that the first time!
I'm thinking you need a kitchen aid mixer?
Salt in store bought peanut butter is not good for birds.
thank you
Seems like you can serve it all year
Why wouldn't you get your hands in there for mixing rather than fighting with a spoon? Sheesh
That i why i weigh my ingredients. The nutrition facts will tell you how many grams arre in X amount. A little math, and kitchen scale. Zero it out after ever add. No stuffing in a cup.
Lol I'm too lazy for that. I just buy 🐦 food at my local pet store or super market 🙊😁
Thanks for the recipe. I don't know if you know, Using the microwave cancels out much of the nutrition.
Pauses video. Wait, what? Gave bluebirds gout? Is that what you said?
Similar to humans, birds can develop gout if they consume an unbalanced diet that's too rich in fat. Julie discusses it on her blog here: juliezickefoose.blogspot.com/2008/06/crack-is-better-name-for-it.html
And here: juliezickefoose.blogspot.com/2010/03/zick-dough-improved.html
Why does this need to be fed in moderation?
Birds that overindulge in suet and other lard-based foods run the risk of developing gout. Also, you should avoid offering suet in warm months, when plenty of natural food sources are available for birds to find.
peanut butter is no good for birds,,to much salt in it
How come, 5 cups lard + 5 cups peanut butter???? How come wittle tiny birds can eat lard & peanut butter, with No problemo, & us big humans Can't???!!!! 🤷🤷🤷🤷🙄😄😄😄😄♥️💖
ya, and also keep the birds away, FAR away!! 😕 🐦🐤