Suet dough is lard and peanut butter mixed with cornmeal, oats and flour, then packed into cakes that fit a standard suet cage. The dry ingredients hold the fat in a firmer cake than plain suet, which is why these recipes get called “no-melt.”
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Why suet struggles in warm weather
Most commercial suet is beef fat. In a Cornell Lab Q&A, David Bonter explains that raw, unrendered suet turns rancid in warm weather, and even packaged cakes can melt and harbor mold and bacteria. Products sold as “no-melt” are rendered several times so they stay solid at higher temperatures than regular suet.
Softened fat is a feather problem too. Le Nichoir, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Quebec, notes that oil from softened suet can get on feathers and reduce their waterproofing and insulation. Its informal tests found no-melt products more stable in heat but not completely safe. No authority publishes a temperature a homemade cake can safely handle, so treat “no-melt” as firmer, not heat-proof.
Ingredients
This is a drier version of the lard-and-peanut-butter dough shared by groups such as Vancouver Audubon. The yield depends on the size of your molds.
- 2 cups pure lard (not shortening with butter flavoring)
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (see the next section)
- 6 cups plain yellow cornmeal
- 4 cups quick oats
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Lard or rendered beef suet is the right fat. The Natural History Museum in London advises against polyunsaturated margarines and vegetable oils because they smear onto feathers. Use fresh, human-grade grains, and throw out any cornmeal or oats that smell musty or show mold.
Choosing the peanut butter
Use plain, human-grade peanut butter with no added salt or artificial sweeteners. Avoid any brand containing xylitol. It is highly toxic to dogs, and bird writer Laura Erickson notes it may not be healthy for birds; its effect on birds hasn’t been established, so skip it as a precaution. Grocery peanut butter made for people is screened for aflatoxin, a mold toxin that can turn up in low-grade peanuts sold for animal feed.
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The old warning that peanut butter makes birds choke isn’t backed by evidence. Project FeederWatch says there is no documented evidence of it and suggests mixing peanut butter with cornmeal if you are concerned. This recipe already does that.
What to leave out
Skip bacon grease. The Cornell Lab’s All About Birds says bacon almost always contains nitrosamines, formed from its preservatives and high frying heat, and calls bacon fat too risky. It is also high in salt. Leave out drippings from the roasting pan as well. The RSPB and the Natural History Museum both warn that cooked meat fat smears onto feathers and damages their waterproofing, and it can go rancid.
Bread is another common add-in to skip. The RSPB says it holds very little nutritional value for birds. Plain lard or beef suet, grains and peanut butter are all this recipe needs.
Mixing and molding
Melt the lard and peanut butter together over low heat, stirring until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk the cornmeal, oats and flour, then pour in the warm fat and stir until the mix looks like wet sand and holds together when squeezed. If it crumbles, add a little more melted lard.
Pack it firmly into molds: empty suet trays, small square containers or a lined baking dish you can cut into blocks. Freeze for at least 2 hours, until solid. Raw flour can carry E. coli and Salmonella, so the CDC advises washing your hands and any surfaces after handling it. Don’t taste the dough, and don’t let kids play with it.
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Once the cakes are solid, seal them in an airtight container or freezer bag and keep them in the freezer. The Natural History Museum suggests freezing spare homemade fat feeders in plastic bags until you need them.
Check each cake before it goes out and again while it hangs. Throw it away if you see mold, if it smells sour or rancid, or if it has turned soft and greasy. Mold is most likely in damp weather. Judge each cake by its smell and look, not by how long it has been stored.
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Check PriceOffering it in warm weather
Homemade suet dough is best as a cool-weather food. The Natural History Museum advises against putting out homemade fat feeders in summer because they soften and turn rancid, and Le Nichoir urges caution with suet in summer, especially during heat waves.
If you do offer it when it’s warm, hang the feeder in full shade and put out half a cake or less so birds finish it quickly. Check it often, and take down any piece that has softened, melted or started to spoil. During a heat wave, take suet down until temperatures drop.
Cleaning the suet feeder
Project FeederWatch recommends cleaning suet and seed feeders every week or two, and more often in wet weather, during heavy use, or if you see sick birds. Scrub off old fat and debris, then soak the cage for 10 minutes in a diluted bleach solution or for an hour in a weak vinegar solution. Rinse well and let it dry completely before refilling. FeederWatch research found that the bleach soak removes more bacteria than soap and water alone.
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