Greetings and Suet question (1 Viewer)

[Hummie]

Good morning everyone! I'm new here and wanted to say hello/tweet-tweet to everyone! I look forward to learning and asking many questions! It's now winter here, in the United States, and I am feeding the birds as everyone will be this time of year.
My question is finding a great suet feeder recipe with the drippings from a prime rib roast. Since it's already rendered, I was going to mix it with peanut butter and seed but not sure of the ratios. Thank you in advance!

 

[delia todd]

Hi Hummie and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. In that thread that you've replied to (homemade coconut shell feeder), is a link to a recipe in another thread, all I can remember now, is it was 1 cup of peanut butter; but can't remember the details of the rest.

There was later discussion about the salt content of the peanut butter. Garden birds should not have food with salt content as they cannot process it. Over here, a store called Lidl sell this with 100% peanuts and the birds here love it. It's £3.99 for a 1kg tub. There's other companies also sell PNB, one which comes to mind is Flutter Butter, but I've only seen small pots from them, but different flavours available.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

I’d keep the beef dripping for human use! We buy suet blocks and balls to feed the birds as well as peanuts and seed.

You asked about making a cake with black sunflower seeds; I imagine that poster was referring to mixing the seeds with fat to make “cakes”.

 

[Lisa W]

Hi, welcome to the forum. When you make the suet (I’ve never tried) let us know how the birds get on with it.

 

[Hummie]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

I’d keep the beef dripping for human use! We buy suet blocks and balls to feed the birds as well as peanuts and seed.

You asked about making a cake with black sunflower seeds; I imagine that poster was referring to mixing the seeds with fat to make “cakes”.

Thank you for your reply! I was thinking the same thing about mixing seeds to the fat, but I was double checking. I make my own suet. I did end up making the suet with the beef suet drippings. It was already solid from me storing it in the refrigerator. I melted it down and added some lard and a peanut butter to it, with unsalted crushed nuts, ground oatmeal, cornmeal, and sunflower seeds (with shells). I plan to go to the butcher to get their suet as well and render it. I've been researching it, and then I found this forum, and I thought what a great place to get advice from about it.
I suppose someone on the Keto diet would have liked the rib roast drippings, but I wasn't sure what to make with it for human consumption.
I appreciate your welcome and look forward to visiting often.

 

[Hummie]

Hi Hummie and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. In that thread that you've replied to (homemade coconut shell feeder), is a link to a recipe in another thread, all I can remember now, is it was 1 cup of peanut butter; but can't remember the details of the rest.

There was later discussion about the salt content of the peanut butter. Garden birds should not have food with salt content as they cannot process it. Over here, a store called Lidl sell this with 100% peanuts and the birds here love it. It's £3.99 for a 1kg tub. There's other companies also sell PNB, one which comes to mind is Flutter Butter, but I've only seen small pots from them, but different flavours available.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

Hello and thank you for the warm welcome! I appreciate the advice and I'll just use recipes I've used before with the beef drippings. I've been researching and have other birders on Facebook who have shared some recipes as well. I was hoping to actually find a recipe that makes a lot. I happen to have squirrels who too, like the suet, and sometimes win out while the birds have to wait in line. (sigh) But it is still all fun watching the birds and whatever else like to come by to visit. My dog, he likes them too, but would prefer in his belly. lol
I plan to be by and check out what others are doing with their winter birds. come spring, I count the days for my Hummingbirds to arrive, and I can't get enough of them!
Thank you!

 

[Hummie]

Hi, welcome to the forum. When you make the suet (I’ve never tried) let us know how the birds get on with it.

Oh, the birds LOVE homemade suet. Right now I have a store bought one out there, and I'm trying to wait for them to finish it, bc once I put out the homemade suet, they will not eat the store bought. They're like my dog, "why eat dog food when I can eat your sammich".
Thank you for the welcome! I look forward to learning.

 

[Kits]

Thank you for your reply! …
I suppose someone on the Keto diet would have liked the rib roast drippings, but I wasn't sure what to make with it for human consumption.
I appreciate your welcome and look forward to visiting often.

I’m British so have a roast dinner on a Sunday. Beef dripping is excellent for crunchy roast potatoes!

 

[Montereyman]

I have tried homemade and commercial suet formulations and in central California the birds do not touch it. It may be that the weather is not cold enough.

 

[Hummie]

I have tried homemade and commercial suet formulations and in central California the birds do not touch it. It may be that the weather is not cold enough.

That may be the case. I wonder if it goes rancid in the warm weather? When we moved here, they took awhile to warm up to the suet. I just now had a Red-Bellied Woodpecker on the suet, and it is the store bought one yet. I plan to put out the homemade tomorrow since it is not solid enough to take out of the sheet pan. they will be heading to roost by 4:30 here in the east.

 

[Hummie]

I’m British so have a roast dinner on a Sunday. Beef dripping is excellent for crunchy roast potatoes!

I'm American and we have roasts on Sunday as well! Good stuff! I make gravy with my Chuck or Sirloin Roast to smother the mashed potatoes.
But I'm intrigued with crunchy roast potatoes, I may have to ask how you do it to give a try. It sounds yummy.

 

[Hummie]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

I’d keep the beef dripping for human use! We buy suet blocks and balls to feed the birds as well as peanuts and seed.

You asked about making a cake with black sunflower seeds; I imagine that poster was referring to mixing the seeds with fat to make “cakes”.

How do you make fat balls? I have seen that on several occasions as well, but never made them. What would you place them in so that a squirrel wouldn't take off with the whole thing?

 

[Fritz73]

Hola! Welcome to Birdforum

 

[Chris G6 UXU]

Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.