can birds eat lard instead of suet

Hi everyone ! My name is Kathy – a/k/a as Toomuchglass because Im usually at the Craftsy part of the Garden web. Its about time I joined this forum since we spend so much money on seed for the birds ! ( I swear , they eat better than I do !) Heres my situation . Were an empty nester couple. We live in Wisconsin right by Lake Michigan . My husband retired a year ago. (*I havent lost my sanity…. YET* !!!) LOL We are both die hard animal lovers , but living in the city ,all we can love are our dogs,birds and squirrels.

Since its just me and DH – I havent put up a tree for over 10 years now. This year , I decided to put up a real tree– outside & decorate it with bird treats. ( no decorations inside , just outside for the birds ! )

Ive been Googling how to make bird cakes ( to hang on the tree ) , but it seems theres a conflict of info . Im confused . One site says that birds cant process peanut butter because they have no salivary glands. Most recipes call for peanut butter. Alot of other recipes call for gelatin , but Ive heard that makes the cake crumble. There is another big debate going on whether suet can be substituted with lard. What about Crisco ? Thats another discussion that confused me.

Being in Wisconsin , this time of year – all I see are Chickadees,Woodpeckers and sparrows. Do you have a suggestion for me ?

Thank you so much for your suggestions — its still a battle to feed the birds without the squirrels. ugh.

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I appreciate your suggestions so much; without the squirrels, feeding the birds remains a challenge. ugh.

This time of year in Wisconsin, all I see are chickadees, woodpeckers, and sparrows. Do you have a suggestion for me ?.

I’ve been searching Google for instructions on making bird cakes to hang from trees, but it seems the information is contradicting. Im confused . According to one website, birds lack salivary glands, which prevents them from processing peanut butter. Most recipes call for peanut butter. Many recipes include gelatin, but I’ve heard that it causes the cake to crumble. Another hotly contested topic is whether lard can be used in place of suet. What about Crisco ? Thats another discussion that confused me.

Greetings to all, I’m Kathy, also known as Toomuchglass since I spend most of my time on the Craftsy section of the Garden website. We spend a lot of money on bird seed (I promise, they eat better than I do!) so I thought it was about time I joined this forum. Here’s my situation. Were an empty nester couple. We live in Wisconsin right by Lake Michigan . My husband retired a year ago. (*I havent lost my sanity. YET*!!!) LOL Although we both have a deep love for animals, the only ones we can truly adore in the city are our dogs, birds, and squirrels.

First of all, I apologize for asking a question that has probably already been asked a million times, but it doesn’t seem like the search function is functioning right now.

I switched to Atora suet a few months ago from lard because I had read something about it going rancid in hot weather and was afraid to use it in my cakes. Considering the cost of Atora, baking cakes at home is not that expensive in comparison to purchasing them from a store. After conducting a thorough Google search today, not much appears to be available to discourage the use of lard. In addition, when I made cakes with lard, they hardly ever lasted the day. I live in North East England, where the heat is extremely infrequent. (neither do my suet cakes).

FAQ

Can lard be used in place of suet for birds?

I have been making this for years and the birds like it a LOT more than the commercial brands. I use the lard instead of suet, but I am sure both are fine. Some use bacon grease, but my birds don’t like it very well.

Is lard good for wild birds?

Birds love energy-rich fat balls, which give them all the calories they need to get through cold winter days and nights. You can buy them in the shops but they’re easy to make at home. Simply mix kitchen scraps such as cheese, cake crumbs and dry porridge oats with melted lard or suet, and set in the fridge overnight.

Can you use lard to make bird feeders?

1. Mix your suet, lard or gelatine with some seed mix in a bowl. 2. Press the mixture into your yogurt pot, cookie cutter, or pinecone gaps.

What is the best fat for bird suet?

Peanut butter – Melting point is high, 104, which is the highest. This makes PB one of the safest fats in terms of feather-risk. Suet and PB mixed are an excellent suet cake option (often called “no-melt”); the PB will make the suet easier to mix.