Last year I made suet by the recipe from Martha Sargent. I believe she lives a little north of me in Birmingham, Alabama. Even though she has birds that woof it down like candy the birds around me did not want it. I put some in two different areas of my yard and I ended up throwing away both cakes.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why the birds turned up their beaks at my special treat for them? Should I try again. The recipe made a hugh pan. I still have some in the freezer and have the makings for some fresh.
Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31
I would try again. You may have picked a location they were uncomfortable with. What works well for me is to nail a few canning jar rings to tree trunks and fill those with suet, peanut butter, etc. They empty almost immediately, and I have seen ravens trying to hover, even! You can increase what birds you get if you add a nail as a perch below the ring, too.
Jill
Benton, ME
Canon Digital Rebel XT
Canon EF70-300 F4-5.6 IS USM
Another thought is that suet does go bad, and it takes a while for the birds to find it - if they found it after it was moldy, rancid or had otherwise turned, then they would avoid it thereafter. So put out fresh periodically even if you don't see the birds on it, and hopefully, they will find it within a few weeks.
Jill
Benton, ME
Canon Digital Rebel XT
Canon EF70-300 F4-5.6 IS USM
Dianne, I use Martha's suet receipe also. When I make it, I put it in 9 x 13 baking pans, score it into the size pieces I want, and then freeze. After they freeze I put them in gallon zip-lock bags and place in the freezer to use as needed. This way it doesn't go bad The birds and, unfortunately, the squirrels around here love it. I also tend to add a little more peanut butter, peanuts (or whatever nuts I have on hand), and birdseed into mine when I am mixing it.
I would try using it again maybe in a different place and see what visits. This winter you should see cardinals, blue jays, titmouse, chickadees, chipping sparrows, sapsucker and woodpeckers eating from it. I have also seen bluebirds occasionally use it. Good luck!
Patti--Zone 8
Mobile, AL
Guest (no login)
Re: Suet
October 19 2008, 9:23 PM
I will give it another try. Anything to get all those birds in my yard.
I tried suet for he first time on the 6th of this month. I did a homemade recipe that fit right on the cage I got. I had placed it away from my other feeders but no one came to it, so I moved it closer to them. Ten days after I moved it the woodpecker finally found it. He loves to announce when he's here since he is so loud, he is so much fun to watch, we comes to it many times during the day. I have also seen the Cactus Wren , House Sparrrows , and a Dove eating off it. It gets a about thirty minutes of morning sun , and the rest of the day it is under shade. If it is not all eaten, how long should I keep it up before it goes bad? This is not a great picture, but i just wanted to share in my joy.
Dianne, it will keep for a year+ frozen. You only really need to worry about it going bad once it is out. If it's hot and humid, keep an especially close eye on it if the birds don't eat it quickly.
Noemi, if they don't eat it up in a couple of weeks, you might want to replace it. Doesn't look like you're going to have problems, though. Just check it periodically - you'll be able to tell if it is going bad (smell will be off, it might have mold spots, etc.)
Jill
Benton, ME
Canon Digital Rebel XT
Canon EF70-300 F4-5.6 IS USM
Dianne,
I make the same suet recipe for winter. I just put out my first batch. I have noticed that the birds usually take a few days to get used to it. Once they do, the suet gets inhaled. The squirrels love it too. Your birds will come. The woodpeckers will be delighted.
[/IMG]