Home made fat treats..too hard??

[asheleaf]

Originally Posted by dan-fisher

I'm not sure about the sunflower oil.. i'm sure i read that this and margerine/butter is not preferable and the birds need the nasty fats that are bad for us ??? May be wrong so not nailing my flag to that comment.

As for the birds doing a runner though.. All i've had bird wise is 1 blackbird, 1 robin, 1 chaffinch, 2 doves, a dozen sparrows and about 20-30 starlings... those starlings seem to murder it like only starlings can. The rabbits ate some as well.

I'll be making more at the weekend though,

:congratulations :

Sunflower oil is one of the healthier oils apparently. It also seemed the sensible choice as the birds seem to prefer sunflower seeds over anything else. Those particular feeders need refilling every day. I think they're addicted!

Ashe

[foxy mars]

I got a 6 pack of Wild Bird Fat balls from a local high street shop costing 46p. Seem pretty hard, but I'm sure the Tits would'nt mind that too much.

[wyevilla]

Suet IS the magic ingrediant that changes a bird cake from one that will melt in a winter sun to one that provides a real challenge even to starlings.

I like to see the blighters working hard to dislodge a nut or seed!

[tameblackbirds]

Originally Posted by Pippa

Fat balls etc are brilliant in Summer as not too hot in this country and they soften without creating problems.At this time of year they can get so hard the birds have to work a bit,but still safe. Hard fat is always used as oil can do the birds coats a lot of damage by removing the water proof coating.

I am crumbling mine at the moment as real cold here.

not even the squirrells are eating the fat balls in my garden will try crumbling them tomorrow.... now.. where did I put the mallet

[Susie]

After plenty of experimenting suet is what I now use too. It forms a far more solid lump than lard does.

[Darley]

Originally Posted by Tobyh

Ok so I decided to make my own fat/suet blocks and treats for the birds to save a bit of money.

My recipe -

3 Blocks of Beef Dripping
1 Packet Suet
Porridge Oats
Currants
Peanuts (fine chopped in food mixer)
Mixed huskless seed.

Basically melted dripping and stirred the rest in. It came out like a heavy muesli and when set it seperated with about an inch of fat on top and the "mix" on the bottom.

My one problem - its VERY hard. The birds are eating it but at this rate the first block will take about 6 weeks to be finished as opposed to about 10 days previously (and no Starlings haven't found it yet, or don't like it)

So I'm wondering if its just a bit too hard for them even though the weather is mild. Does adding suet make it do this?

Any help appreciated

TobyH

As I understand it, porridge oats should not be 'cooked' in any way for feeding to birds as it creates a gungy mess that can solidify around their bills.

I've tried making suet-based balls and they don't seem to like them as much as the shop-bought ones. They're so cheap to buy I don't think it worth the effort

[Susie]

I mix melted suet with sunflower hearts and dried mealworms and smear it on the bark of the oak tree. It dribbles into the crevices and the birds love it.

[Pippa]

Originally Posted by dan-fisher

I'm not sure about the sunflower oil.. i'm sure i read that this and margerine/butter is not preferable and the birds need the nasty fats that are bad for us ??? May be wrong so not nailing my flag to that comment.

I'll be making more at the weekend though,

:congratulations :

Hi Dan,

One of the reasons oil is bad for birds is because if it gets onto them it can destroy their water proof coats which is a big no no.This weather they do need nasty hard fats, not good for us and lots of Black Sunflower/hearts/nuts etc.Anything high protein and fat,so i have been told and adhered to for many years.

Always good to remember the water though guys, as a nightmare for the birds on a freezing cold day and even more important than food.

[foxy mars]

I got some fat balls from H**e*Barg***ns the other days and the Blue Tits would'nt touch them, maybe I will get some peanuts for them instead.