How to Make Suet: A Fat and Calcium Rich Bird Food

[@mummler]

Very glad to see that people know not to use vegetable shortening. And read your peanut butter labels because nowadays they're putting some really bad stuff in peanut butter I use all natural.

[@playinragz8183]

Thanks for making a clear video with instructions and amounts. Most people make videos without their brains being used.

[@gardener5857]

You can buy beef suet from your butcher, or get animal lard. Vegetable shortening isn't good for anything. It's definitely not good for birds.

[@MegInWhispers]

@MoMo BaBa - using up beef suet is another way to utilize the whole animal more sustainably than throwing it out and only utilizing muscle meat. organs are nutrient dense for humans, bones and connective tissue is great for bone broth to be sipped on its own or used as a base for soups, and rendered fat can nourish wild birds. animal fats are much healthier than highly processed, rancid vegetable oils. the entire conversation about fat at the beginning of this video is super uninformed and outdated.

[@MegInWhispers]

totally agree! 👏👏👏

[@CherylAnderson-qs4iq]

Unfortunately, many of the least expensivei peanutbutters aren't fully made of peanuts. Some may be made from peanut mash mixed with inferior oils as some companies separate, & then sell.the peanut oil for cooking. I've bought real suet & then put in into the metal holder. I've also saved the plastic forms after I've loaded in tje purchased "suet" cakes. That way when I rend some real suet into a liquid, I can mix in cracked corn & black oil sunflower seeds, plus some whole oatmeal You may be able to add in some nutritious seeds & chopped nuts that grow in your area!

[@miwarrior060709]

It’s not just about the birds nutrition they need it for covering their feathers and staying warm. So don’t say it’s not good for anything because it is. You’re very negative. They’re just showing you how to make a block,out what you want in it. If you don’t like theirs then make a different video but don’t criticize those for helping

[@milofonbil]

@@miwarrior060709 "Vegetable" shortening is full of trans-fats. Vegetable shortening is not made from vegetables, it's made from seed oils. The FDA took all trans fats off the market. It can't be good for you. It's not being negative, it's just presenting a fact to you that you might not be aware of.

[@millieatr]

Great video ,,, I made up this recipe and I have to say it was a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner , although Grandma did say the Oats were sticking in her dentures .

[@chrisb.4323]

Hahaha!

[@Noname-cn4ly]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@uralbob1]

I’ve made many different recipes, all of which my birds love. I support 9 widely spaced suet feeders. I always use dried mealworms, and also a little bit of good quality small kibble dog food. I also use a little cracked corn or coarse-ground corn meal, good bird seed mix, raisins, etc. The sky’s the limit! Go crazy! Oh yeah……don’t forget to add a dash of salt!

[@cornbread2u2]

I use cat food. The birds swoop in and eat it out of their bowls so why not incorporate it in to the suet!

[@uralbob1]

⁠@@cornbread2u2I have used cat food too. I think both are ok if you buy high quality food. Cat food has more protein of course. I’ve included stale corn chips, corn tortillas, frozen meats, chicken scraps, etc. chipped apples, dog biscuits (ground).

[@cornbread2u2]

@@uralbob1 I rendered the beef and pork fat down and added the cracklins to the mix! Love it, waste not want not right!

[@uralbob1]

You got it! If you find that they don’t like it, don’t feed it! Any meat that I’ve served, is gobbled up by my woodpeckers. The exception being chicken skin. I’ve observed that they peck around it until there’s nothing left! But that’s ok! You just change your recipe, and feed the chicken skins to the crows! They’ll love you for it!

[@kelseychalker6215]

Thank you! Way cool and easy to follow!Make sure to suggest unsalted PB. No additives is best. Same for shortening.

[@robertknight2556]

Unsalted AND sugar-free PB. I also don't buy PB that has palm oil in it, but that's just from an ecological viewpoint.

[@mikibishop1516]

hI Amanda! I can't believe I found you, and it's lovely to see you here. I'm margaret from wcs days in O. rememberring all I learned and how much I enjoyed those days. Hope all is well with you and yours. merry christmas 2023, thank you for the suet recipe.

[@MaureenPetit-o1p]

Love to see a video clip of your birds Eating the Foods you make! ❤

[@314Tazo]

Cornell Labs says: Do Not add vegetable shortening. It is made with hydrogenated vegetable oil.

[@debslifesimplified6406]

What about lard from the meat shop

[@314Tazo]

@@debslifesimplified6406 Lard or tallow/pork fat from butcher is recommended.

[@JillHarmony]

Only natural peanut butter, the other processed kinds are loaded with chemicals.

[@amyr3285]

Can I use butter instead of lard and then add peanut butter?

[@314Tazo]

@@amyr3285 Not sure..? Wild Birds Unlimited sells prepared suet with seeds.

[@lightgiver7311]

I use nurses disposable gloves to mix everything by hand- lol I also get my peanut butter done fresh from a machine at my Bulk store (no sugar or salt) I added dried mealworms, chopped up peanut pieces and hulled sunflower. Thanks for the recipe - hard to keep the squirrels away

[@countrygirl4422]

Make extra for the squirrels.

[@enzeda]

Save a lot of time and cleaning by melting the fat on a very low heat to dissolve it and then add in the crunchy peanut butter and stir the two together.

[@terriutley7214]

That was going to be my question. Thank you

[@kaygataki6163]

Melt lard in microwave then stir in crunchy peanut butter. Thats all i use

[@nancybroer4712]

Great presentation fellow bird nerds!! I want to try this very soon. Thanks.

[@sunsiter]

When adding sticky ingredients, grease or oil the measuring instrument then the sticky slides right out. Works well for syrup, peanut butter, molasses, those types of sticky ingredients.

[@marypatten9655]

Thank you. Have been wanting to make something extra for all the different birds we have here. They feed on the grain hay and alfa in the barn. Pluse we have plenty of trees here for then to stay in. Kind of like a bird nest city complex for them. God bless

[@marypatten9655]

Love that you have the recipe below.

[@davidissimo8622]

I just skimmed through this but did they mention using unsalted ingredients? The mealworms are a bonus ingredient but I agree with others that animal fat is probably better for wildlife than hydrogenated vegetable fat that humans shouldn't even eat.

[@lifebeelifebee9214]

In Russia, we use natural unsalted lard

[@gilbertslalaland4986]

Awesome idea

[@debhall8391]

Thanks for the easy to do recipient and ideas!

[@AcornHillHomestead]

Many birders and university experts say no no no vegetable shortening (harmful ingredients) or bacon fat (nitrates). Easier to melt fats together then add mixed dry ingredients to fats by hand. Less cleanup.

[@helloman9279]

Your mum’s very knowledgeable 😊

[@florule1124]

Great video will save me running out to buy some ..TY !

[@pershop4950]

Mix it so that it's just mixed in. I like these kind of unscripted videos. Very nice and good style

[@cbryce9243]

Love the log idea! Thanks :)

[@sdudley75]

Thank you so much, I enjoy feeding birds But i cant always buy the suet blocks due to budget. I also want to say i love the suet Log i want one .

[@lifebeelifebee9214]

you can fill the tree cracks or between bark, also,

[@countrygirl4422]

You overlap and line the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper. Then you can just lift out the suet with the parchment paper easily. One year the Robins came early I found out they love raisins so I keep them on hand in the spring.

[@bobmariano3731]

Thx , great video 👍⚾️🎄

[@sarahmorrison3106]

I live in a country that is hot. What can I do to prevent the suet balls from melting?

[@KevinJHurt]

how long do you leave in freezer?

[@ronaldpatton5906]

Warming the fat makes it easier to incorporate the dry ingredients.

[@rogercarroll1663]

Great work. Thank you.

[@judithstorck5195]

For Calcium how about dried ground up egg shells? Judi

[@haydenwoodworth4445]

can i use store-bought ice cap lard?

[@wingsandbeaksbirder2312]

Does it matter that vegetable shortening is hydrogenated?

[@JayP-kd5rc]

I make a mix similar to that, but omit the seed mix. Then I smear it on the bark of my trees, and they all come down, cling to the bark of the tree to eat it.

[@robertsherman9975]

It’s evident you have big hearts ♥️ and care for our feathered friends. When preparing seed cakes/suet cakes, one needs to be very cautious with the ingredients. In reality birds do not eat fat per say. Seeds contain a certain type of oil. One should only add ingredients in a raw state. Fresh ground peanut butter, the natural fat is good for energy. Birds are foragers by nature. Ingredients that have been processed, beyond de hulling, cracked or ground. Wouldn’t be healthy for them.

[@JayP-kd5rc]

Many birds do eat fat, and suet is good for them to keep them warm in the cold weather. Corn meal will not hurt them.

[@robertknight2556]

You know your stuff, Robert. Thank you for your knowledgeable observations and recommendations.

[@hipdogdsv]

Most of our wild bird bills cannot chew up nuts. They are not hookbills. Make sure you mash any nuts you put in your suet in mush. Their bills are too tiny to break the pieces and they can choke. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE stay away from hydrogenated vegetable oil and high fructose syrup in foods. It can kill birds. Too much beef fat will also kill them. It is a very, very small amount of rendered beef fat used in store bought suet. Just enough to say it is in there basically. Salt is also bad for birds. Please use organic ingredients. NO BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin food preservatives in ANYTHING you or your animals eat. Known carcinogens used as food preservatives. I'm sorry ladies but this video has a lot of bad information that could kill birds. Please don't teach erroneous information. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to save birds and educate you and others who might take the time to read this. You can google any of this to confirm what I said.

[@beckystevens3506]

This is wrong in so many ways!!! Please educate yourselves regarding feeding birds.

[@joshualuissaldivar8069]

great video, thx for sharing. I will ask my daughter we need to try this.

[@glogama163]

Super recipe two thumbs up!!! 👍👍👍🐦🐦🐦

[@modexpertdeboss229]

I only have cornmeal mix. Will that still work?

[@leapintothewild]

It has a lot of extra ingredients like sugar and eggs that might not be the best. I buy cracked dried corn and grind it with a food processor, or just buy store-brand plain cornmeal. For humans, I also usually only keep the mix on hand -- gotta love that Martha White! :-)

[@MariaGonzalez-mb5tv]

Nice going to make some suet cakes.

[@tractorfeed7602]

stupid question, how important is the rendering? Do we need to add in this peanut butter or seeds?

[@vickiegillett7059]

What about lard for the fat?

[@greedo2660]

How the hell did I end up watching this? Great video though. Some awesome birds have been hanging around my backyard, and it would be good to help sustain them through the winter.

[@robynmoxham4255]

Shortening is not good for wild birds. Beef suet is much better and healthier. Also, you should always make sure that your peanut butter is all natural with no added sugar. That’s very important because regular peanut butter can be very harmful or deadly to wild birds. I would definitely update this video.

[@littlechilli22]

Can I add calcium powder?

[@brianlester3502]

Hydrogenated vegetable oil is not something you should feed to your birds. If you left just plain shortening out the birds would not eat it.

[@pambrown6260]

Birds don't have a lot of saliva so mixing the peanut butter with the corn meal or oats etc helps them eat it.

[@flowerchild777]

I could swear while she was spreading into the 8x8, I could actually smell peanut butter lol

[@blugrass55]

Smuckers is the only brand found in most stores that is peanuts only - no palm oil, sugar, etc. Even 'organic almond butters (for example) often are full of junk.

[@edcrutchfield3447]

Wife won’t let me use blender 😳. Can I get the cakes from you guys ? Please😁

[@pershop4950]

Hand mix with hand or spatula should be ok

[@spacekitt.n]

i was told shortening should never be used for birds?

[@pliccut]

You gals go through a lot of trouble to prepare suet. I mix all ingredients and then take the bowl of suet out to the hanging suet container, take it down and just push it into the container. Some spills onto the ground for the Junko’s, nothing wasted. Total time is less than 10 minutes. It’s messier on the container but the birds eat it clean.

[@anitakinman8881]

Is it harmful to give birds suet cakes through the summer months?

[@kirkbrode]

Nope. Not at all

[@marthalisk303]

I keep cakes out until about end of June. Lots of woodpeckers. Daddy plucks chunks out to take to Momma on nest and later on they bring the babies and teach them how to feed from the suet cage! By later summer there is plenty of natural food to forage. When cold weather returns I begin to put suet in the feeders again.

[@lesleytrout5569]

Hi

[@chiseldrock]

no oats and pure pork lard and you have the right stuff millet seed is a good sub. for oats

[@mauricebrown9094]

Does no one add bird seed anymore.??

[@flowerchild777]

Pork fat? I usually trim pork when it's got too much fat for me; certainly I can cook it down and use that, right? (I'm not talking about bacon lol😋 We use that for us🙄)

[@mitrishski1]

Is this really more economical than buying suet cakes?

[@pershop4950]

Yes it is. You can also see that your homemade version has more food content, and store version has more lard content

[@yes350yes]

Man you two could pass for sisters. The way you do it is fine except I prefer to mix all the dry ingredients by hand first and then I melt the peanut butter in the fat separately then add it in and remix.

[@JoshsFrogs]

Great suggestion! Especially if you're mixing by hand, that would absolutely make things softer.

[@brendagunnoe4945]

Can you add egg shells from boiled eggs? I used to feed my parakeet hard boiled eggs. Shells and all.. Thank you!! And thank you for this recipe!!

[@QuintinJohn]

coffee has bones ? please explain!

[@LindaYoung-nw4xl]

Can I use bacon fat?

[@georgecullen9516]

Too much salt....

[@Thx1138sober]

You know that if you go to your local farm supply store you can buy suet cakes for about $0.60 each in about 3 dozen different flavors.

[@jacquie1014]

Actually farm stores by me are at least 2.00-3.00 a cake ..thats why watching this DIY video helps save money 💰🤑

[@Thx1138sober]

@@jacquie1014 Our local farm store ( Rural King) has suet cakes for $5.99 for a box of 10 in about a dozen different flavors or individual suet cakes for $0.69 each.

[@pershop4950]

I've tried several experiments, putting store bought suet next to my home made suet. They always finish the home made suet first. The store suet is almost like forcing them to eat food they don't like. It goes down so slowly

[@Joe_Friday]

@@pershop4950 You are right. I usually keep a case of the cheap store bought suet cakes like the ones mentioned above 👆🏿 from Rural King 👑 as backups but they eat the homemade stuff up 3-4 xs as fast. The homemade stuff is like crack for birds.

[@dougwood1289]

Ok.. So where in the world do you get them for $.60 ea?

[@sillililli01]

Please DO NOT use shortening for man or beast (birds in this case). Use lard or animal fat, keep it naturally healthy,. You can get the fat you need from the butcher and melt it down for your recipe. The birds will thank you.

[@nickels8861]

Wow you and your mom look like sisters, pretty, thank you

[@justaguywhocares4478]

I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Auto-play brought me here.

[@blackboxgoddess8747]

Gosh wish I had seen your comments about not salt etc. Just bought everything they said it the market.

[@user-qo3jh9mn1t]

I was surprised to see the O brand organic peanut butter was comparable in price to the ones made with shortening, sugar, and all the other ingredients I can't pronounce. Peanuts and salt. Or no salt. Also, you can pour off the excess oil.

[@embracingnature4125]

I will try and make a log for my hanger.

[@chickadee8569]

I have a question: I notice everyone saying; do NOT use vegetable shortening. What if you can't find animal shortening anywhere? What do you use instead?

[@bebeautiful6613]

Go to a meat department and ask for some of the fat they trim off and toss away. Most places just give it to you. 3-5 pounds. More or less depending on how much you want to make. Put it in a stock pot and melt down. (rendered down) it makes an oil that you then add your ingredients to. Put in the freezer and it sets up firm. I have even just put the chunks of fat in a suite feeder. The woodpeckers love it 😀 My dad was a butcher. I know 1st hand they don’t mind giving it away ☺️

[@shaggydog563]

I buy suet from the butcher and cut it to fit in a suet feeder. The birds love it. I buy unsalted peanuts and chop them into small pieces. I buy cracked corn from the feed store. Then I mix both in with black oil sunflower seeds and fill the feeders. Much easier and more healthy for the birds than what you gals are doing. Just saying. 😇🇺🇸

[@pershop4950]

Basically you can turn all your ingredients into a suet cake , but you just feed it to the birds in a different form.

[@nukimo2967]

As others stated, DO NOT Use Vegetable Shortening. You really should use Lard/Meat Fat. Just Heat to render the lard for mixing & shaping. One more Is DO NOT Use Any Ol’ Cheap Peanut Butter. Along w/other chemicals like added Hydrogenated oils, make sure it Does Not Contain the Chemical Sweetner- XYLITOL!! Ideally It’s Best to use Organic or make your own peanut butter😋

[@marymorris8185]

I found out that the organic peanut butter from Costco is cheaper than Smuckers at Walmart , just larger containers. Has no sugar or sweeteners or added vegetable shortening.

[@marionfarley7379]

vegetable shortening is bad for wild Birds or any Wild life.

[@elsie3255]

it shortens a human's life as well.

[@nancysmith-baker3827]

Sarry the vegetable fat is not good for the animals SO why do we think it's good for us . Please think about it an research it .thankyou .

[@Heisenberg55]

Audubon disagrees with you www.audubon.org/news/make-your-own-suet

[@Backyardprojectguy]

I like your channel..I still have a lot to watch but do enjoy it.. I liked and sub your channel...

[@joshsfrogsvideos5594]

Thank you so much, Ken! We appreciate you :)

[@yes350yes]

My birds rejected this mix too much peanut butter.

[@ryanbrand3946]

But i shot all the squirrels.

[@kirkbrode]

@@ryanbrand3946 boring, rookie

[@shewhocraftsandplans7736]

A very long video for a simple task.......

[@cbryce9243]

Do you know if other flours, such as millet flour?

[@brycer985]

Are you both twins ? You look great 👍

[@StephenMarks-yn1js]

Microwave the peanut butter and shortening first then ad rest it's alot more easy

[@kennyw871]

Our birds literally fight over peanut butter suet. When their not fighting, they're lined up for a meal.

[@user-dp4bu8jy4b]

I thought birds get sick from fat...fatty liver disease and Hepatitis

[@danielmcbain382]

The woman on right looks like she never used a mixer or made anything from scratch before 😂

[@catherinejones6537]

Everything I read never use shortening “crisco “ use lard

[@lonecowboy789]

I keep bacon fat, save it till I have enough. Add good birdseed and it seems to work fine.

[@moomoo3031]

thought this was great till I read the comments, wow, READ the comments and dont do this!

[@CobraDove1111]

Vegetable shortening??? NOOOOO

[@theresaschroeder914]

Audubon Society does have a vegetarian "suet" recipe on their site, using vegetable shortening. I was surprised. I agree wouldn't use peanut butter with sugar,salt, additives.

[@johnkennedy1242]

A hot mom makes suet .. yep, two thumbs up .

[@andrewchen1853]

What is Suet?

[@andrewchen1853]

*And next, Josh's Frog's adds some extra words to the title...*

[@JoshsFrogs]

We try to keep the audience happy! :D

[@andrewchen1853]

Lol, I know that. I'm always happy for your channel :D.

[@mandygreen9134]

Reading Rambo it's not only for bird food people use suet for puddings in England and other dishes as well. Over here in America it's mostly used for bird food.

[@skeeterradar]

do not follow the advice in this video ---- way too much processed stuff going into this suet mixture. never use vegetable fat, always use animal fat for bird feeding, and watch the additives- commercial peanut butter often has way too much sugar and salt.

[@kaygataki6163]

Gosh NO. NO shortening. I use lard buy it from grocery store. Tenderflake as my butcher no longer provides tallow

[@gazinta]

Mom? Need a job? You finished that off like a concrete finisher. That little bent butter knife looks like a miniature trowel. You stuck the landing on that one!

[@Silvanafromchester]

NO NOT Vegetable shortening...full of crap additives ...use a decent quality coconut oil instead but beef or pork fat even better...Rendering animal fat could not be easier...I just did it for the first time and am going to do this from now on. Best to use seeds/nuts without the shells. Sunflower hearts are wonderful. Make this nutritious for them ...not just cheap and convenient.

[@susanrobinson850]

Why not just feed the birds raw suet? Why is this recipe better?

[@watermelonlalala]

That's what I have been wondering.

[@20greeneyes20]

A variety of ingredients attracts different species of birds.

[@mike5556]

To all the people vilifying the use of vegetable shortening, do you know how lipids are metabolized? Do you think it will make the birds get heart disease?

[@yes350yes]

First let me say there is no wrong way to make suet just whatever you feel comfortable with. If I use an open cage like you have the starlings will bully their way and eat it so I have a starling deterant cage with a double suet in the middle . This allows small birds sparrow and downys to feed, but starlings are discouraged. I usually pick up 4 or 5 prepacked suet trays as I keep those trays as they are the perfect size for the mix. I use a roaster pan melt down about 3 cups of shortning along with the 4-5 suet packs. Melt that down then add in my peanut butter, oats, birdseed, and peanuts. I start with the 4 suet packs and finish out with 12 containers. I freeze these till needed they hold together no problem. My birds go wild over the mix.

[@robertcornelius3514]

The prices on Amazon are outrageous. Can Josh's store beat Amazon prices?

[@periplanetamissionary]

I just hang the rib cages of the deer we shoot up in our tree, they all go nuts cleaning it out.

[@user-dp4bu8jy4b]

Omg...You cant kill prion pathogens by cooking infected deer. I wouldnt put my family or birds at risk for chronic wasting disease from deer,

[@jakewest2524]

You can't be that stupid to make a remark like that..

[@jakewest2524]

It's great. Birds love the protein. Have been doing that for yrs.

[@mph1ish]

@@jakewest2524 Yup even those unsuspicious-looking cute birds!

[@chrisb.4323]

That “goofy looking “ utensil is a butter knife.

[@Valkaneer]

The problem with this is soon as it gets even a little warm it melts and there goes your Suet all over as it falls apart.

[@georgecullen9516]

..Should be unsalted and unsweetened peanut butter ........

[@joycefisher4259]

It’s a butter knife