the best suet blocks? (1 Viewer)

[Tony Knight]

Has anyone conducted an informal experiment comparing the popularity of the various suet blocks currently on the market ? There are so many brands now, and at varying prices.

A couple of years ago I tried comparing the "insect" flavour of a number of brands and found the Tom Chambers brand to be a clear favourite with the tits, nuthatches and 'peckers in my garden.

However i believe they have now changed their recipe based on the latest blocks i've received by post. Much harder, drier and less fatty and NOT a hit with the birds. Usage has now dropped from a block every 2 days a fortnight ago, to a block a week (if that) and the 'peckers are giving them and my garden a wide berth.

which brands have others found most popular?

Tony

 

[DownyWP]

I have actually tried a number of commercially prepared suets, ranging from inexpensive to pricey, with insects, fruit, nuts etc...I feed 4 different types of woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatch, kinglets, warblers, wrens and honestly I could not find one single brand that disappeared faster than homemade suet. Although a WBU product called Jim's Bodacious Bark was a close second.

 

[squidge]

I have actually tried a number of commercially prepared suets, ranging from inexpensive to pricey, with insects, fruit, nuts etc...I feed 4 different types of woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatch, kinglets, warblers, wrens and honestly I could not find one single brand that disappeared faster than homemade suet. Although a WBU product called Jim's Bodacious Bark was a close second.

Yep I agree, I used to buy different suet blocks and some of them took weeks to disappear. I started making homemade and the birds love them. I put plenty of different ingredients into them. As the saying goes you cant beat home cooking.Ger.

 

[Tony Knight]

downy/squidge - thanks. what do you put in your homemade suet blocks - peanuts, dried mealworms, peanut butter etc ?

 

[squidge]

downy/squidge - thanks. what do you put in your homemade suet blocks - peanuts, dried mealworms, peanut butter etc ?

I usually put in mealworms,raisins,currants,peanuts,sunflower hearts,porridge oats and mix these in with melted lard. It looks so good i'd nearly eat it myself.:t:

 

[barnstormer]

I tried a test and home made was a clear winner.
search for fatballs and there are some recipes in there.
i use beef dripping or suet,peanut butter, peanut chippings,oats,mixed seed and mealworms.
i form them into balls or blocks and freeze them.

 

[DownyWP]

I usually put in mealworms,raisins,currants,peanuts,sunflower hearts,porridge oats and mix these in with melted lard. It looks so good i'd nearly eat it myself.:t:

Same here, except I leave out the mealworms. If I had any hope of attracting bluebirds I would include them but since I don't, it's too expensive. Also, suet is difficult to find in my neighborhood so I also use lard.

Squidge, your recipe does look like a recipe for Oatmeal Cookies now that you mention it! LOL! :t:

 

[Zoogoer2000 - Packwatcher]

Best suet i've ever used , I have blue jays, nuthatches and nuthatches that absolutely LOVE this stuff

http://www.duncraft.com/index/page/...in/47,59/product_name/Peanut+Treat+Suet+Cakes

Enjoy!

 

[Joe1980]

Wow, thats a pretty steep price for suet cakes. I'm too cheap to pay $3 for a suet cake that'll be gone in a snap. I usually buy the Kaytee "positively peanut" kind when they are one sale for $1. One thing about suet that I've read, and observed: Suet eaters want suet, and seed eaters don't want suet. That's why I think the best suet cake is one with the most suet, and the least other stuff they put in it. Suet eaters go to the suet for just that.....suet. If they wanted seed, they'd go to your seed. On the other hand, seed eaters want seed, without the fatty mess attached, so they go for your seed. I wish they sold just plain ole suet cakes with NO added junk. I'm not thrilled about the hassle and mess of making my own, so I'll just stick with the peanut one.

 

[Tony Knight]

I agree that the birds i'm trying to attract to the suet feeder (woodpeckers, nuthatches and tits) are attracted more to the "suety" bars and prefer insect and peanut flavours to berry or apple. There are seed feeders and ground food for the finches and yellowhammers etc.

I would be prepared to make my own if these would be genuinely more popular but would need to maufacture in bulk given i'll need at least one a day to get through the winter. I'm not sure where to buy suet in bulk as the largest pack i can find in local stores is 250g. Given each suet block is 375g (inc other ingredients) thats a fair few 250g packs per week i'd get through !

I'd really like to benefit from the economies of scale of a brand manufacturer and had found tom chambers blocks to be very popular over the last 3 years (6 woodpeckers in the garden at the same time in spring!). However the new product is dry, hard and unattractive and i've also bought a really poor guardman product in the past. I don't think the 2 brands recommended above would be available in the uk.

Bottom line is if you put the wrong brand up and someone 2 houses down the road puts a better product up, you quickly lose your birds.... as i seem to have !!

Tony

 

[barnstormer]

Don't go to the expense of suet just use beef dripping it's just as popular.The dripping is mainly a binding agent with plenty of seed and peanut butter.it takes me an hour or so to make about 30 blocks and the birds luv em no end.This works out a lot cheaper than the shops and they are more popular than shop bought.if you check my previous threads i'm sure i put my recipe on there somewhere.

 

[Tony Knight]

Bryan

Do you then freeze the 30 or do they keep in a fridge/cupboard?

Not familiar with dripping ! Does it solidify and hold the block together as well as suet ?

How do you form the right shape ? Just press onto baking foil or it is too runny for this ? I was planning to use old spent suet block packs but only have 5 !

Sorry if its all spelt out in your recipe thread (which i will hunt down later...!)

Tony

 

[barnstormer]

I bought some aluminium cases like you get take aways in think they were £1 for 10 but you can re-use them and yes i freeze them. dripping is just as good as suet for holding the blocks or balls together.Wait till it's starting to go a little firm then put into these moulds and hey presto.........

 

[Tony Knight]

I bought some aluminium cases like you get take aways in think they were £1 for 10 but you can re-use them and yes i freeze them. dripping is just as good as suet for holding the blocks or balls together.Wait till it's starting to go a little firm then put into these moulds and hey presto.........

thanks - i'll pop to tescos tomorrow and give it a try next weekend !

 

[barnstormer]

Asda are much cheaper matey...............

 

[Tony Knight]

Asda are much cheaper matey...............

but further away squire ! ....and both have dripping at 68p for 500g so i wouldn't recoup the extra petrol money! every little helps . Might have to go to asda for the takeaway style aluminium trays if tesco don't have them!

 

[Tony Knight]

strange, i made a beef dripping/peanut butter/mealworm batch but the tits woodpeckers and nuthatch are completely ignoring them. In fact all are only visiting the sunflower hearts (including the pecker!).

 

[Cathyaitken]

I feed the starling bars from CJ Wildbirds - 12 for £48. Each bar is 1 litre and weighs just over 1kg. As well as starlings, it is eaten by great, blue and coal tits, robins, blackcaps and great spotted woodpecker; but also liked by jackdaws and magpies.

 

[welove2travel]

family isn't wild about me cooking up lard. Do the peanut butter recipe's work very well? Also is hamburger and bacon grease ok to solidfy and use? One final question what do ya all put this stuff in. I don't wanna have to buy anything fancy, is there anything around the house that works for a suet feeder?

 

[Joe1980]

I have used hamburger and bacon grease several times. They birds like it more then store bought suet cakes. I just save the plastic trays that the cakes come in, and dump my grease into those and let them harden. I freeze it then, to make it harder and easier to pop out of the tray. A little cooking spray helps too.

As for a feeder, get a suet cake feeder. They cost a few dollars at any store that sells birdseed and feeders. Obviously, the cakes fit in perfectly, so all I do is turn the tray upsidedown, and push with my thumbs to pop the cake into the suet cage. Remember, birds that like suet aren't looking for seeds, so don't bother mixing anything in.