The availability of food is a major factor on where birds stay. This is also an important element during seasonal changes since some food are not available in a particular period. And in some weather changes, birds need other types of food to sustain them throughout the climate. When fruits are ripe, birds feed on fruits while on insects when fruit source is scarce. For those migrating birds, they eat to help them build fat for their venture. Birds are great opportunists that they eat anything that is available. If you plan to entice birds into your garden, you should be able to provide food for them all year long. During the winters, small birds consume more because their metabolism is fast to help them keep warm, thus they need more supply of food. During this season it is an advantage for you to provide food for them since they find it difficult to search food for themselves due to the cold weather and heavy ice and snow covering the ground.

During the fall and winter, the fat that lines the kidneys and loins of animals such as beef and sheep is an excellent choice of food to offer birds. This is because of the greater calories they need to maintain their body heat and energy levels. You can simply get it from While there are some commercially available, it is best to make it on your own, saving you money and time. Those homemade ones allow you to customize the ingredients to appeal to the types of birds you want to stay in your garden. The advantage of it also is that it is free from preservatives and additives which may be harmful to birds. You can add different mixtures to the suet to make it more pleasant to the birds such as chopped dried fruit bits, unsalted nuts, birdseed, honey or kitchen scraps. Try it out and you will be amazed to witness a number of birds that will come visit your garden for the winter season.

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Flicker on suet cage

calories and protein which they can get from suet. Suet is raw beef fat. It is used to make everything from candles to Christmas puddings. Bird suet is a high energy formulation of animal fat and other ingredients to attract insect eating birds. It is a quick source of heat and energy for birds, whose metabolisms are set on fast forward. Traditionally it has been used as a good substitute for the insects that birds usually feed upon, but are not plentiful in cold weather. Suet can be presented all year long.

Dartsmouth Suet Cage with Chain & S Hook

You can purchase suet from our website or you can make your own. Here are some suet

Nutty Treat Peanut Butter Suet Cake

Soft Suet Cakes

4 1/2 cups ground fresh suet

3/4 cup dried and fine ground bakery goods

(whole-wheat or cracked-wheat bread or crackers are best)

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

1/4 cup millet

1/4 cup dried and chopped fruit (currants, raisins, or berries)

3/4 cup dried and fine ground meat (optional)

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Allow the suet to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour or pack into forms or suet feeders; smear onto tree trunks or overhanging limbs and branches; or pack into pine cones.

Hard Suet Cakes

1/2 lb. fresh ground suet

1/3 cup sunflower seed

2/3 cup wild bird seed (mix)

1/8 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup raisins

1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat. Allow it to cool thoroughly, then reheat it.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Allow the suet to cool until slightly thickened, then stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour into pie pan or form, or pack into suet feeders.

Optional or substitute ingredients: millet (or other birdseed), cornmeal, cooked noodles, chopped berries, dried fruit.

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