the one thing i like about it is that you can add whatever you have on hand. i mentioned in another different post that i have added leftover trail mix or cereal or old marshmellows. the local health food store carrys rolled oats or rolled barley or rolled rye or rolled triticale. which we use to get around the same old oatmeal for breakfast. i have tried them all in the different mixes. even used up leftover chips or crackers and currents and gooseberrys and other fruit from the garden and orchard so far they have eaten them all some a little better than others.

As Eric580 says, the commercial no melt suet cakes should be fine. I wouldn't use plain fat scraps from the supermarket - this would go rancid quickly. Claire

I have an excellent book which someone gave me called "The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher Birdfeeders and bird Gardens" by Robert Burton & Stephen W. Kress, published by the Audubon Society on Thunder Bay Press. (ISBN 1-57145-186-2) Not only does this book have excellent pictures of birds, it has dozens of plans on how to make bird feeders, nesting boxes, bird baths and how to plant a landscape garden to attract birds. There is one whole chapter devoted to bird feeds and what birds they will attract. In addition to the common seeds and suet mixes they have a long list of table scraps that are great for attracting birds. They suggest making a wire cage and put your meat scraps in it, especially the fats that your trim off cooked hams or beef in addition to ham bones, beef marrow bones and even teh leftover turkey bones. A few other things that i found interesting was cooked spaghetti, cooked rice, uncooked pastry dough, baked potatoes with the skin on and stale cheese. Out of curiosity I baked a potato in the microwave, then sliced it in half and put it on my shelf feeder. It was a big hit with all the birds. Another thing that the birds here seem to like is orange peels. I saw a Blue jay pick up and orange peel that was 1/4 of the orange and fly off with it. If anyone is looking for a great how to book on building bird feeders or bird houses or making their own bird feeds I would highly recommend this one, especially if you are making bird feed because I am a bit skeptical of the health concerns for the birds when i read the recommendations of some books, but I don't think the Audubon Society would steer us wrong.

I also buy fresh/frozen suet from the grocery store for the birds. They love it and it seems to attract all kinds of birds. They seem to go after the 'raw' suet directly from the butcher pack faster than the processed cake suet I buy at the Seed & Feed. I must say that I have never seen yellow suet. You could offer it to the birds and let them be the judge. I have, just two weeks ago, made my first 'Gourmet Suet'. I melted a block of suet from the grocery store in a pan over a very low heat and mixed all sorts of goodies into the melted liquid...peanut butter, cranberries, walnuts, corn meal, oatmeal, Finch Mix. I have offered it to the birds but they still go for the raw suet first. Hummm. But, as far as the yellow suet goes...I can't help you. I'm sure the birds will let you know if they like it. Enjoy your birds. sooey