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20-12-2006, 07:45 AM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | FAT BLOCKS for the birds
I paid a flying visit to a Wilkinsons Store Welcome to Wilkinson - Homepage for some stocking fillers and found fat blocks at £1.75 each (not as stocking fillers silly) normally sell at around £2.50 in garden centres.
Stocking filler a s/steel multitool with an led torch for£2.00
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20-12-2006, 08:51 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
Even that's too dear! The starlings have to be fed, or they'll attack the house! And all the other birds will starve, and it will be my fault!
Melt blocks of beef dripping, (supermarket about 45pence each,) in saucepan, tip into metal roasting tin, add bird seed and peanuts to taste, raisins, dried mealworms, if you like, stir until it begins to set, put in fridge.
When solid, dip bottom of tin in hot water to losen the block, tip out onto greaseproof paper, cut into squares using a hot knife.
Serve, in wire bird feeders, garnished with a sprig of parsley, or store, wrapped in greaseproof in a tin.
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If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. |
20-12-2006, 11:13 AM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kings Pyon, Herefordshire
Posts: 161
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
Get a big block of lard. Melt it down in a pan/pot. While this is happening, help yourself to a tasty yoghurt or two from your fridge - keep the pots. Punch a hole in the bottom of the pot and thread a string through with a knot in one end to stop it coming all the way through.
Once the lard is liquid, stir in some nuts, raisins etc and allow to cool just a little. Scoop some out and fill your pots. Sit them somewhere to cool then when hard, string them up in your backgarden/wherever.
mmm tasty!
Chris |
20-12-2006, 11:21 AM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: N.E.SOMERSET
Posts: 6,449
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
I do make fat blocks,it is just that I noticed how cheap they were!
The thing to watch is that the fat melts very gently and does not cook,soft enough to work
in the ingredients then press into coconut shells or yoghurt pots
Is there any dried insect other than mealworms that can be added?
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20-12-2006, 04:00 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 1,373
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
the berry feasts were 99p at our wilkos. pet shops sell silk worms and dried shrimps too..birds didn't seen so keen on the shrimp.
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20-12-2006, 04:15 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Stoke on Trent
Posts: 1,205
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
Local flower stall was selling bird christmas wreaths, nuts, berries and fruit to hang in a tree! |
20-12-2006, 05:57 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
Oh, that's a nice idea, Carlj. And looks festive in the trees. I've bought the birds some mistletoe today, with nice juicy berries, hoping they will plant the seeds for me as a thank you.
I haven't seen any other dried insects around, Nightshade. I just added the mealworms because I had them to hand.
Does anyone know if its ok to hang lumps of fat from ham or bacon up for birds? I wondered about the salt content.
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If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. |
20-12-2006, 06:29 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grimsby, Lincs
Posts: 1,561
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
This is something i'm definatly going to do in the near future, the birds at work get through the fat feeders i put up in no time, and are costing me a small fortune  is Beef Dripping the best to use? and i suppose its ok to make up a few and then store some in the freezer? |
20-12-2006, 07:00 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
Yes, I've been freezing them, Lincs. I use beef dripping because I was looking for the most unadulterated fat, and that seemed to be it, but I'm open to advise. 
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If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. |
20-12-2006, 08:43 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 1,373
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lincs Yellowbelly  This is something i'm definatly going to do in the near future, the birds at work get through the fat feeders i put up in no time, and are costing me a small fortune is Beef Dripping the best to use? and i suppose its ok to make up a few and then store some in the freezer? | Don't tell me you missed the "how do i make fat balls" thread a while ago? 
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"Paw print marks leave a tell tale sign, there's a furry friend loose and committing a crime." SFA |
20-12-2006, 09:10 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grimsby, Lincs
Posts: 1,561
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
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20-12-2006, 11:57 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: East Kent
Posts: 1,498
| | | Re: FAT BLOCKS for the birds
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