![]() ![]() And cold spells doom to birds as it leads to hypothermia and eventual starvation. Birrrr.that means a cold, and likely wet head on a bird. And then it will spread to other feathers. Birds use their feet to preen (groom) their head feathers, the fats WILL get on them. Note, even in winter fats can melt from the heat of the sun on them. Peanut butter melts at 104 degrees, so adding it to the suet gives you a solid, low melt, hard fat that is safer to feed birds (whom are landing close to these fats). It is used in commercial suet because it is nearly dry, thus it crumbles when you handle it. True suet is the fat around the loin of a cow. Making soft fats hard with ingredients (that is not really bird food like wheat or oats) is not a solution. This rule leaves out all but true suet, as veg fats and animal fats (veg oils, subcutaneous fats, bacon drippings) are soft and can get on birds feet. And its why feeding soft or liquid fats, or fats that melt easily at low temperatures is very unsafe. Fats can get on birds' feathers and harm their ability to stay dry and warm. (And lots of animals, like humans will eat foods bad for them, that is not a test as to whether its good for them). Along with yeast and fungal gut infections, it raises their blood sugar levels, not natural. Sugar is super bad for birds, just like it is for us. This is one of the worst recipes I have seen. I doubled the batch last time I made it, and filled 2 quart ziplock containers after putting some in a feeder, so I'm not exactly sure how much I started out with." But, I guess maybe the birds could have a little sweet tooth, too! Note: yield is approximate. The next time I make it, I'm going to experiment with less or none of the sugar, as it doesn't seem necessary. The recipe is written for lard, but I used saved bacon grease and it has worked fine. The squirrels like it too, but now that we're offering other food for them, a little ways away, they aren't bothering it as much as they were at first. We live in Wisconsin, where it obviously isn't quite as hot, but it has held up here, even in direct sun. She explains that it works very well in Oklahoma's high summer temperatures. This is a tried and true suet recipe that I found in Birds and Blooms Extra, contributed by Virginia Barnard. "Don't put suet out in high summer temperatures, it can spoil and melt, coating feathers. ![]()
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