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no-melt suet?

16 years ago

Does anyone know how manufacturers make no-melt suet? I made suet all winter (mostly crisco and peanut butter) and I don't want the woodpeckers (etc) to leave! I would really rather make my own than buy it, but I have no idea how to do it for the summer. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Ann

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Comments (8)

ronm80
16 years ago
I buy G & S no melt suet dough. Wal-mart is the only place I have found that sells it. The woodpeckers, wrens and gold finches eat more of it than any suet I have ever tried.
laylaa
16 years ago
I've used a crisco, peanut butter and cornmeal (I assume yours has the cornmeal?) recipe in the summer without any problems, but I only put out small amounts at a time. Not enough to stay out there long before it goes bad. If you use it in small amounts it shouldn't be a problem. Even the no-melt cakes get cruddy if they stay out there and need to be thrown away.

I don't use a suet cage/basket though, but make a crumble out of it and hang it on a small tray so more than just the woodpeckers can eat it. My brown thrashers love it - the only thing they come for and they couldn't use a suet basket. The woodpeckers have no problem with the tray.
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I have made a home-made suet/peanut butter mixture for years, sometimes it's a little tricky getting just the right feel. I aim for a consistency similar to play-doh, not too sticky, not too dry. It clumps together to stuff in the holes in the suet log, but also breaks up into crumbles. The birds love it either way! When it come out a little too dry, I just drizzle a little peanut or olive oil over the top and mix in, and that tends to make it stickier. Or, like DK said above, warm it in the microwave and add a little more melted lard, suet, or peanut butter.
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Hi Donna, here is the basic recipe I've come up with, which is a variation of many similar recipes on Sialis.org - 2 cups rendered suet (I use "Simply Suet" from Wild Birds Unltd) 2 cups crunchy peanut butter (I use an all natural brand) 4-5 cups of dried ingreds, combo of Oat flour, corn meal, ww or white flour Tidbits like chopped nuts, hulled sunflower seeds, currants, etc. Dried, sterilized, ground eggshells (optional, don't use these every time) Melt suet in microwave until liquid (it gets hot!). Add PB which melts in the hot suet. Add dried ingredients and tidbits, mixing well. This makes approx. 5 pint sized containers. As it cools, it becomes stiffer and more difficult to stir. At room temp, you can test the final consistency. If it's too sticky, soften in micro and stir in a bit more flour. If it's too "dry", drizzle a spoonful or 2 of vegetable oil and mix, which will make it stickier. The ideal texture is similar to Play-doh - I can squeeze it into balls and stuff the holes on the suet log, and also break it apart into pea-sized nuggets which can be spread in a tray. The Bluebirds prefer the nuggets in the tray, but they will also perch and cling to the log to eat the suet mixture. They are spoiled because if they're hanging out there I will make a special trip out to spread some nuggets. They are the only birds that get special feedings. :) There are now 7 (possibly more) Bluebirds that visit daily as I've seen 5 females at one time and at least 2 males, one of which is banded and one is not. Once in awhile there is a day they are AWOL, such as an unusually warm and balmy and I think they go off to find insects. Many other birds LOVE this stuff too, including Titmice, Chickadees, all the Woodpeckers, Red & White Breast Nuthatches, Sparrows, Juncos, Carolina Wrens, Blue Jays, Cat Birds, Cardinals, HOSPs and EUSTs. The only ones that don't eat it are the Finches - Gold finches, House Finches, and Pine Siskins - they eat the BOSS. Sorry this is so lengthy. Here's a pic of the final mixture -
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I've found some brands of pre-made suet blocks to be significantly more popular than others; Morning Song year round suet is liked far more than Blain's Farm & Fleet. They seem to be popular with woodpeckers of various types, Downy, Red-Headed, and Hairy I've seen. BOSS is very popular in my tube feeders, but do want to try the shelled variety to eliminate the shell waste. Corn seemed to be liked by Cardinals and Blue Jays, but also attracted lots and lots of Grackles, ugh. Thistle is liked by the smaller birds, especially finches, but I think they go for the bigger seeds more if they are available. Lots of various sparrows and similar smaller birds, Mourning Doves (counted 27 at one time, all at once), no Eurasian doves here but I have seen them in the fields a few mles away. Some Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, just saw a male Dark Eyed Junco this morning. 55 miles west of Chicago is the location. vince
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i just warm up the grease or lard enough along with the peanut butter in the micro wave to be able to mix in the other ingredients in a glass bowl. by the time i get it mixed up it's already cooled off some and i spoon it in the lid or tray and mash it flat.I leave it on the counter for a little while so it's not runny and then put it outside. I usually make up extra ahead of time and usally freeze the ectra trays till i am ready to use them
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Ann
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Laylaa, I'll do it. Yes, mine has cornmeal and also oatmeal. I have a platform type feeder so an assortment of birds come for it, and my red bellied woodpecker uses that instead of the cage. I'll just try to change it regularly (or only put out a little) so it doesn't go bad.

Ann
dzyg
16 years ago
I used the Kaytee brand of woodpecker suet year round and have no problems with it in the summertime even when temps are in the 90's.

Donna
Ann
Original Author
16 years ago
I want to make my own, that's my concern. I'm vegetarian and don't want to handle store-bought suet if I can avoid it. The birds devoured my veg suet all winter, I'm just trying to find a recipe for no-melt that is vegetarian (if possible.) Otherwise, I'll do what Laylaa does.

Ann
laylaa
16 years ago
catlady4444 - the tray is just a personal choice because I didn't have great luck with a basket. Too many natural bugs in GA for a lot of woodpeckers to eat suet! The tray gave more birds the option of eating, those that normally would not eat seed. Yesterday two catbirds came repeatedly to eat the suet - first time I've seen them here. They wouldn't go to my seed feeders and can't use a basket. I have wood thrush and pine warbler regulars as well. But I have no starlings either so it's no problem.

I've been using the crisco for over a decade, no problems. I've tried a zillion dehydrated fruits, etc. I'm just strange that way. I have more bird food in my freezer than human food. :)
terrene
16 years ago
I make a home-made suet & peanut butter mixture with flour, corn meal, crushed nuts etc. I feed it all year round and the birds absolutely love it. The suet is a product called "Simply Suet" from Wild Birds Unltd, which is pure rendered suet that stays solid at temperatures up to 95 degrees F, and it rarely gets that hot here in New England. Never had a problem with the mixture spoiling.

I do stop feeding the raw unrendered suet once the hot weather comes though, because that melts and spoils at much lower temps.
yardbird
16 years ago
I think you can use Knox gelatin instead of lard or fat for a no-melt suet.

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