Why don birds not like walnuts in homemade suet? (1 Viewer)

[vintagechick]

Why don't the birds like my homemade suet?

I'm starting to think my birds don't like my cooking! :eek!:

I made suet cakes for them a week ago, but they haven't touched them. Here's what I used:

peanut butter
Crisco shortening (Could that be it? The store I went to didn't have lard.)
cornmeal
raisins
chopped walnuts
Some cayenne pepper flakes to keep the squirrels out.

I have two feeders hung in the yard. One in the front yard on a cherry tree where I also have a couple of other seed feeders. The other is in the back yard near some giant fir trees.

Thanks,
CindyB

 

[vintagechick]

Just after I posted that, I had a bird on the suet feeder out front. I had lowered it a bit so that it hung farther down from the branches. Maybe that did the trick?

Waiting for more... :t:

CindyB

 

[Joe1980]

The suet eaters in my yard don't eat anything but suet. They throw the add-ins on the ground. I put out plain ole fat/suet, no add-ins.

 

[vintagechick]

I think I'll try that next time.

Thanks!
CindyB

 

[Zoogoer2000 - Packwatcher]

My blue jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and wrens go crazy over peanut butter flavoured suet!

 

[Joe1980]

When you say peanut butter flavored suet, do you mean the cakes from the store?? I got one as a gift once, put it out, and it was gone the next day. I figured the starlings or crows at it, but if you say it goes over real well, then I may get some again.

 

[Zoogoer2000 - Packwatcher]

Yup, here is a link to the one I am talking about

http://www.duncraft.com/index/page/...47,59/product_name/Peanut+Butter+Delight+Suet

It is a tad pricier, but very worth it as you get quite a good variety of nice birds, if your having trouble with problem birds, try placing it in an upside-down suet feeder as problem birds cannot hang upside down very well

http://www.duncraft.com/index/page/...5/product_name/Double+Upside+Down+Suet+Feeder

 

[Joe1980]

I did infact build one of those upside-down suet holders, and it does work. I don't have too much trouble with starlings. I see them in spring picking through the lawn, which is ok. Funny thing is, in winter, I never see them, unless I have accessable suet, then some how they magically show up. But, not since my upside-down suet holder. I'll have to give the peanut butter cakes a go again.

 

[Nature__lover]

I soften lard in a pan, mix in crushed peanuts,brown bread crumbs, peanut butter, grated cheese,raisins/sultanas , mixed seed or sunflower seeds. then I roll them into balls to make fat balls (then set in fridge, or if making fat cakes I pour into a container set in fridge.

Birds love it ten times more than shop-bought fat cakes.
blue tits, coal tits, song thrushes, blackbirds,starlings and robins love it in my garden.

 

[keith clowes]

Suet Feeder

My Birds go mad after the suet feeders that i put out for them,I make mine a bit on the large side it lasts about 6 weeks