Suet cakes from the store can be priced around $2 or more, and in warmer temperatures, they usually turn into a greasy mess. The good news? You can make your own suet cakes that will work better and last longer for way less and the birds will appreciate it more.
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Check PriceWhy Every Time Store-Bought Can’t Beat Homemade No-Melt Suet
Homemade suet cakes are better for your backyard birds and your wallet! Store bought cakes cost over $2.00 each while homemade cakes cost around $0.40 to $0.50 each. That means you save 80% each time you make a suet cake! If you feed birds year-round, your savings will be even greater!
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Making suet at home is more than just saving money! You also get to choose the ingredients that go into it, offering a fresher and better quality option for the birds you're feeding. Store bought suet may be weeks or months past its peak nutritional value, and is of little value to the birds. When you make it yourself, you are giving the birds the freshest option that woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and cardinals love!
The new formula has no melting problems, which is a huge improvement. Traditional suet begins to melt and become watery at 70 degrees, creating sticky messes on feeder and food wasted on the ground. With careful selection of ingredients, you can create cakes that stay firm and don’t lose shape during warm weather. These are reliable food sources from spring trough fall.
Woodpeckers are especially attracted to the homemade suet's high fat content and thick consistency and will visit your feeder regularly. You will likely see downy woodpeckers and red-bellied woodpeckers, and if you're lucky, a flicker. If you include additional ingredients that cardinals, wrens, or bluebirds enjoy, they might join in the celebration too.
Pro Tip
The key to keeping suet from melting is figuring out the right flour to fat ratio. The flour and cornmeal soak up the fats and form a structure that supports it to 95°F. If your cakes are melting, add another 1/4 cup of flour.
Basic Ingredients You Most Likely Have in Your House
You have minimal ingredients to make homemade suet cakes and most of these ingredients are pantry staples. Here’s a list of ingredients that birds love from the basic no-melt recipe:
- Lard or shortening (1 cup) – This is the basic fat. Lard will create the firmest texture and best hold up in heat.
- Chunky peanut butter (1 cup) – Adds protein, flavor, and texture to the feed. The chunks give the birds something to work for with the food.
- Cornmeal (2 cups) – Functions as a binder and gives important carbs for energy.
- Quick oats (2 cups) – Another binding agent that birds like to peck at.
- All-purpose flour (1 cup) – Helps absorb moisture and creates structure.
- Sugar (½ cup) – Provides quick, short burst energy. This is especially important during migration.
If you use the right size mold, this recipe will yield 4-5 suet cakes. Each batch costs $2.00 – $2.50, making the individual cakes $0.40 – $0.50.
The high-energy formula imitates the wild requirements of birds which consists of fat for long-term energy, protein for muscle maintenance, and quick fuel in the form of carbohydrates. Suet feeders, unlike seed-only feeders, are able to provide the concentrated calories that help birds survive cold nights, fuel long migrations and raise healthy young.
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Did You Know?
From animal fat sources, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees obtain up to 80% of their winter caloric intake. Your homemade suet cakes are life-saving when temperatures drop and insects are not available.
Step-by-Step Mixing and Molding Your Suet Cakes
Suet cakes are incredibly easy to make. You will spend about 15 minutes working on it. First, grab a large mixing bowl and add all the dry ingredients. Mix the cornmeal, oats, and the flour with the sugar and stir them up until they are well combined.
Then, melt the lard in a saucepan over low heat, and try not to rush it. The temperature should remain low to prevent burning. After the lard is completely melted, take it off the heat, and stir in the peanut butter until it is smooth and fully mixed. The mixture should be thick but still able to pour.
Gently combine the melted fat mixture with the dry ingredients. Use your hands if the mixture is cool enough and fold everything together until fully combined. Aim for cookie dough consistency. If the mixture feels too dry add 1 more tbsp of melted lard. If the mixture feels too wet, add some cornmeal.
Next is the molding process! You can use things like suet cage holders, plastic containers, or even muffin tins as your molds. Firmly pack the mixture into your molds to ensure there are no air pockets. The more airtight you make the mixture, the more durable the finished cakes will be.
Allow the cakes to cool for about half an hour at room temperature, and then place them in the fridge to set for a minimum of two hours. After they are firm, they should pop out of the molds easily and are ready to be placed in your feeder.
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Suet can be stored easily by wrapping individual cakes in either plastic wrap or wax paper, and placing them in an airtight container. You can keep them in your freezer for about six months. This way when your suet feeder runs out you already have a suet cake ready. Just be sure to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, and then you can hang them outside.
Where you place feeders influences what birds come. For example, mount suet feeders on tree trunks or suspend them from branches about five to six feet off the ground. That height is also good for woodpecker and nuthatch feeders, as they like to have vertical feeding positions. Lastly, place feeders near trees and shrubs to provide birds with places to retreat if predators come.
Custom bird food recipes can lead to more of the species you want to attract visiting your feeder. Fold in black oil sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts to attract chickadees. Bluebirds and wrens will be drawn to your mixture if you include dried mealworms. Catbirds and mockingbirds will enjoy your mixture if you add some dried fruit. You just need to mix these extra ingredients into your bird food mixture before molding it.
Make sure you replace suet cakes even if not all of it has been eaten. Do this every two to three weeks in warm weather. Suet can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria which can be dangerous. Scrubbing the feeder with hot water and a brush, in-between refills helps reduce the chances of bacteria escaping the feeder. It also keeps the feeder looking nice.
Observe repeated behavior of the birds. The most sightings are in the early morning and near sunset in the winter. This is because the birds are trying to refuel after a cold night and before the sun goes down. Parent birds will frequently return to the nest during the summer to bring high-fat food to their young.
You can offer suet all year round due to the no melt formula! Summer feeding is especially important as this is the peak time for bird migration. During this time, birds need high levels of energy which suet provides. You can also support nesting birds as they feed demanding nestlings in the nest and help juveniles prepare for the first flights by building their strength.
Happy birding! Your feeding station will benefit from homemade suet cakes because they are premium nutritional offerings at economical pricing. Backyard birds will remain healthy, happy, and keep returning.
