make your own bird food: suet feed and bird fat balls

Mixing bird food yourself costs less than buying ready-made fat balls, and you know exactly what is in it. Above all, it avoids the most common problem with store-bought tit balls: the plastic net that birds can catch their toes in.

This text explains which seeds are suitable, which fat works and which does not, in what ratio the two are mixed, and how to shape fat balls without a net.

The basics: which seeds belong in it

Good fat food does not need twenty ingredients. Four to five components cover the birds that actually come to a feeding station:

• Black sunflower seeds – the thinnest-shelled and most oil-rich variety. Accepted by tits, finches, and sparrows, and the most sensible base.
• Hulled sunflower seeds – a little more expensive, but leave no shell debris under the feeding station. Practical for patios and balconies.
• Peanuts – unsalted and unseasoned, coarsely chopped. Popular with tits, nuthatches, and woodpeckers.
• Oats – for soft-billed birds, such as robins, blackbirds, and dunnocks, which cannot do anything with hard seeds.
• Millet sprays – eagerly pecked from the stalk by small seed eaters and can also be hung up without fat.

Raisins and dried apple pieces can be added. They appeal to thrushes and starlings, but spoil faster in fat than seeds do — so use them sparingly and only in amounts that are eaten up quickly.

The fat: what works and what does not

The fat holds the mixture together and provides most of the energy. Suitable are fats that remain solid at room temperature:

• Coconut fat – neutral in taste, widely available, hardens in cold weather, and softens in summer warmth.
• Beef tallow – stays firmer even in mild temperatures and is therefore the more robust choice for long hanging times.

Not suitable are:

• Butter and margarine – too high in water content, go rancid quickly.
• Plain cooking oil as the main fat – stays liquid, drips, and clogs feathers. One to two tablespoons of vegetable oil in addition to the solid fat, however, makes the mixture smoother and prevents it from crumbling as it hardens.
• Salted or seasoned fats – salt is not tolerated by birds. This also applies to roasting fat and leftovers.

The basic recipe

As a guideline, one part fat to two parts seeds. If you want it firmer, use one part fat to one and a half parts seeds. For a first batch, 250 g fat and 500 g seed mix are enough.

1. Melt the fat over low heat. It should become liquid, not boil — fat that is too hot damages the seeds.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in one to two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
3. Stir in the seeds and oats until everything is completely coated with fat. The mixture should look moist and glossy, but not swim in fat.
4. Let it cool a little until it becomes thick. If filled while too hot, the mixture will run out of any mold.
5. Fill into molds, press down firmly, and let it harden in a cool place.

Only make as much as will be used up in two to three weeks. Homemade fat food contains no preservatives.

Tit balls without a net: the molds

The net is the only reason store-bought fat balls face criticism. When you make them yourself, you do not need one — there are better containers, and you already have most of them at home:

• Small clay pot – the classic. A piece of branch or a thick twig is pushed through the drainage hole and serves as both hanger and perch. Hang upside down.
• Half coconut shell – fill, let harden, hang from three strings. Rainproof, because the shell protects from above.
• Hollowed-out apple – gets eaten too, but lasts only a few days.
• Wire basket or feeder silo from accessories – reusable and easy to clean.
• Branch slice with drilled holes – a hand-width piece of wood with several drilled holes; fill the holes with the mixture. Lasts a long time and is unobtrusive in the tree.

If you want round fat balls: press the mixture into a silicone mold or an ice cube tray, and insert a string before it hardens. No net, no plastic residue in the garden.

What should not go into bird food

• Bread – swells in the stomach and provides hardly any usable nutrients.
• Salted and seasoned foods – chips, pretzel sticks, sausage, roasting leftovers.
• Dairy products – birds cannot process milk sugar.
• Moldy food – mold spores are dangerous for birds. Leftovers that have become damp belong in the trash, not back in the feeding station.

When and where to offer it

Fat food is especially in demand in cold weather, because birds then have the highest energy needs. In mild summer weeks it softens and spoils faster — then it is better to hang up smaller portions and place them in the shade.

The feeding station should hang in a clear spot, with cover nearby, but not directly next to a pane of glass. And it should be cleaned regularly: in places where many birds gather closely together, diseases spread easily. More on this in the article Feeding wild birds – helping sensibly, acting correctly.

If it needs to be quick

Making it yourself is worthwhile if you are supplying several feeding stations. For a single balcony, ready-made food is often the easier choice: our shell-free fat food is already prepared with fat and leaves no shell debris. Ready-made mixes for scattering can be found under Wild bird seed mixes, and all single seeds under Bird food.

Frequently asked questions

What ratio do you use to mix fat and seeds?

As a guideline, one part fat to two parts seeds. It becomes firmer with one part fat to one and a half parts seeds.

What fat do you use for tit balls?

Coconut fat or beef tallow. Both remain solid at room temperature. Butter, margarine, and plain cooking oil are unsuitable.

How do you make tit balls without a net?

Fill the mixture into a small clay pot, half a coconut shell, a wire basket, or a drilled branch slice and let it harden. For round fat balls, use a silicone mold and insert a string before hardening.

How long does homemade bird food last?

Stored cool and dry, two to three weeks. It contains no preservatives — so it is better to make smaller batches.

Can fat food also be offered in summer?

Yes, but in smaller portions and in the shade, because it softens in warmth and spoils faster.

Do the peanuts have to be chopped?

For small species, yes — whole peanuts are too large for tits and sparrows. Coarsely chopped or broken pieces are more readily accepted.