Home made fat treats..too hard??

[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

[ron1863]

I have not made any but bought 6 from a small shop and you could crack nuts with them but the birds seem to manage fine, once they get started.

[cutecoot]

I used to make my own, with a similar recipe (but no suet) .. and found that it would melt as soon as the weather started to warm up a bit, and always wondered how those bought ones didn't melt - suet, maybe

[Tobyh]

Originally Posted by cutecoot

I used to make my own, with a similar recipe (but no suet) .. and found that it would melt as soon as the weather started to warm up a bit, and always wondered how those bought ones didn't melt - suet, maybe

That's what I think is causing it, maybe I just went overboard with the amount I put in :O

[foxy mars]

Maybe a good idea to replace a block of dripping with a block of lard. I used to make fat based recipe for wild birds and would inject the mixture into a log with holes drilled out.

[asheleaf]

I solved that particular problem by adding sunflower oil to the mix. The birds love it!

Ashe

[amateur.naturalist]

Shouldn't really matter, birds will still pick 'n' peck away to get to bits they want, just makes them work harder for the food, which isn't such a bad thing. Maybe try making some using lard or, as Asheleaf said, add some oil to the mix, then have them side by side, see what the birds prefer.

I've always used lard and always make a couple extra for myself, usually stuffed with mars bars and kitkats.

[foxy mars]

Originally Posted by amateur.naturalist

I've always used lard and always make a couple extra for myself, usually stuffed with mars bars and kitkats.

The birds of today have never had it so good. The leading supermarkets always have a great range on the shelves.

[foxy mars]

I remember some 20 years ago, when my ex-girlfriend had her windows re-puttied. The Starlings stripped the putty bare, greedy little things.

[dan-fisher]

Mine's quite firm too.. but there's no evidence of excess fat !! Sounds like way too much?? I'd go for good old lard with same other ingredients, although i went for wholemeal plain flower rather than suet.

If you squeeze mine in your fist it'll crumble into 1001 pieces.. In two days they've scoffed a whole roses biscuit tin full of the stuff.

Ofcourse firm is good iff you're hanging in in say yogart pots and coconut shells.. better than it all just crumbling out under gravity!!



Mine..

3 x 250g of Asda Lard (28p each)
1.5KG of Adsa Wholemeal plain Flower (£1.38)
2 cups (1 pint) of Bird Peanuts (garage)
4 Cups (2 points) of Asda Porridge oats (58p for 1kg bag)
1 Cup (1/2 pint) of Black Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup (1/2 pint) of Sunflower Hearts
1 Cup (1/2 pint) of Asda fruit and Fibre