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Suet Bird Food Recipes

Suet bird food is made using the fat that is found around the kidneys and loin of cattle or sheep.

downy woodpecker at suet feeder photo Used straight from the animal the bird suet is flaky and well accepted by wild birds. But all bits of meat must be removed from the fresh suet or it will spoil.

There is one drawback to using it “as is”, after the fresh meat is removed. It will go rancid quickly in warmer temperatures.

Beef fat is considered by some, to be a superior suet bird food to sheep or mutton. Some people recommend lard, bacon drippings and pork roast drippings as good substitutes or additions to beef suet bird food. Availability and experimentation will lead to your favourite method.

The female Downy Woodpecker in the photo above is enjoying her high energy packed lunch.

Rendered Suet

Rendered suet is the process by which beef fat is melted, strained and cooled. (The cracklings and bits that are strained out of the fat can be spread on a table or platform feeder for the birds to eat.) Rendering beef fat makes it hard when it cools. It is then able to withstand warmer temperatures without becoming “sloppy”. In the early 1900’s, and earlier, the term “Bird stone” was used for hard beef suet that had been put through the rendering process.

Some recipes suggest heating the fat twice, to help solve the problem of going soft and rancid in summer heat. It will also be very helpful to hang the suet feeder in as much shade as possible, especially during the hottest part of the day. More on Summer Bird Feeding.

Heating Fat
It is important to point out that suet being a fat, if heated to high temperatures, could become flammable. Never use a lid on a pot when heating fat. When the lid is removed the hot fat being suddenly exposed to the oxygen will burst into flame.

One more word of caution, never try to douse a fat fire with water, as it will then cause the fat to explode. I’m sorry to be so cautionary, but if someone is not aware of this possibility, it could be very dangerous.

A friend of mine when I was growing up, was trying to help her Mom by cooking dinner before her Mom came home from work. She found out the hard way how hot fat, pot lids and water work together to become a dangerous combination!

She heated the fat with the lid on. When she removed the lid the fat burst into flames. Then she quickly grabbed a glass of water and threw it on the flames. This caused an explosion. Fortunately it all turned out OK. My friend only suffered minor burns!

My Favourite Suet Bird Food Recipe

The following is a recipe I have used for years, in both summer and winter. It lasts very well during the heat in summer and doesn’t get all sloppy. (I always keep suet feeders in the shade in summer.)

The wild birds just love it. But be fairly warned, if you start to use it, be prepared to mix it often!

Four Season Suet

1½ cups smooth or crunchy peanut butter. (Just the kind that is only peanuts, if it contains margarine it will melt in warmer weather.)

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

3 cups cornmeal

1½ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup sugar

Mixing Instructions:

2. Stir in remaining ingredients. (If mixture is too dry add more melted beef fat.)

The mixture can be rolled into balls, wrapped in clear wrap and frozen.
Or, it can be poured into a pan 1 to 1½ inches thick, cut to any size, wrapped in clear wrap with wax paper between the layers and frozen until needed.
Or, pack into holders suggested in Suet Bird Feeders page.

You can experiment with substituting different types of seed for the oatmeal or cornmeal. Some seed will work better at various times of the year and attract different types of birds.

Fascinating and Unusual Suet Bird Food!
We had a neighbour who lived down the road from us, who had an intriguing practice for bird watching. He would collect “road kill” and deposit the carcasses on the side of the road in front of his house. (We live in a rural area.)

This unusual custom would draw Turkey Vultures for all to watch. I personally found it fascinating and wished we lived closer to get a better view. But I just couldn’t stomach the thought of collecting “road kill” myself!

Here is a list of interesting ingredients that people have used in suet bird food mixtures.

Dog food (canned or dry)

Processed meat (no additives or spice)

Raisins

Chopped dried fruit

Dried cranberries

Dried elderberries

Wild berries

Bakery products (bread, buns, doughnuts, cookies, crackers)

Cornmeal

Oatmeal

Oats

Millet

Seeds (hemp, poppy)

Ground bone (bone meal or cuttlebone)

Chopped nuts

Sunflower seeds shelled

Other shelled seeds

Ants’ eggs

Dried crushed egg shells

Sand

This White Breasted Nuthatch is in "heaven" with a suet feeder and a shelled peanut feeder, side-by-side!

The last two ingredients are to provide wild birds with their need for calcium from the egg shells and grit for digestion from the sand. Both these ingredients are difficult for wild birds to find during the winter in snowy regions. (More about Winter Feeding for Bird Watching.) They will both be well accepted by the birds if served separately on their own too.)

Suet bird food can be mixed with a variety of other wild bird food to increase its nutritional value and interest.

Here is a suet bird food mixture which Starlings may not like.

½ cup peanut butter (made from peanuts only)

2 cups cracked corn finely chopped

2 cups white or yellow cornmeal

Mixing Instructions:

2. Immediately add peanut butter and stir well.

3. Mix in cracked corn and cornmeal.

4. Return pot to stove and heat entire mixture together.

5. Pour mixture into container.

Another recipe is to follow the same directions as above but only use the following ingredients.

1½ cups white or yellow cornmeal