Nature - Feeding the birds – homemade fat balls

 
This week Luath and I made some fat balls for the birds that visit our garden.  It was quick and easy but a bit messy and sticky.  There are quite a few different suggestions on what and how to make them (sometimes called suet balls). The recipes include lard or suet.  I am a vegetarian so I had a look online to see if vegetable suet was OK to use. There is a debate about whether vegetable or meat suet is best.  The main concern is that vegetable oil or spreads can melt and coat the birds feathers, so these definitely shouldn't be used, but vegetable suet is OK although meat suet is better according to the RSPB.

Whichever fat you use the ratio is 1/3rd fat to 2/3rds other ingredients.  Different birds prefer different foods but ideas include birdseed, grated cheese, chopped fruit, oats, unsalted peanuts/butter. We placed our ingredients in a bowl and mixed.  I then formed the mixture into balls and placed in the fridge for an hour to harden (seemingly they freeze OK).

We then placed some in a fat ball holder, one on the bird table and one on the ground feeder.  For the first two days the birds ignored them, but since then they have paid them a bit more interest but not as much as I thought they might.  I wonder if we have not quite got our local bird populations preferences quite right.
 
I have now placed a small tub in the fridge to store any of our left over cheese, fruit etc from meals/snacks that we can’t reuse.  It isn’t usually much but over the week it should help make one ball for the birds.  I wish I had thought of this when Luath was starting to eat,  all that dropped uncooked food would have found a great home.
 
Shared with Eco Kids via Organic Aspirations
(Luath is 25 months)