Homemade Fat Balls for birds?

Daysleeper40

Daysleeper40

Suspended / Banned
Messages
5,184
Name
Fi
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi All, I know I've seen this on TP before but I've tried searching and not come up with anything partiularly helpful. Does anyone have any good receipe's for homemade fat balls for feeding to birds please? Or if a kind soul could point me in the direction of a previous thread?

I'm assuming that you just melt the lard (or is suet better?) a bit and then mix in something yummy - but what kind of things are best for which birds?

At the moment we get a load of starlings, some blue tits and the occasional robin. We have a peanut feeder, seed feeder, and one of those square cage things for putting slabs of fat feeder stuff in.
 
Trill (Seeds for birds) nuts, and finely chopped streaky bacon in lard. That's what I use to do when I was a kid anyhow! Apparently you can buy them ready made these days.

Oh and dried fruit as well, such as sultanas etc.
 
I generally throw whatever feed I have in mine, wild bird seed, sunflower hearts, crushed peanuts, dried mealworms, etc. Anything that wont go off quickly. Normally use Lard with som suet. I also dont actually make balls with it, [a bit messy] I make it up in a tub, cool it as quick as possible, as otherwise it runs to bottom and you end up with more fat at the bototm than top. I then have some drilled out log hangers and such things that I push the mix into. Another trick is once mixed, stuff a toilet roll holder full, again cool very quickly until semi-hardened, then peel and wrap in clingfilm to finsh cooling. You can then drop this into one of those fat ball holder feeders.
A friend of mine uses ice lolly moulds but instead of the plastic sticks, uses a length of garden wire so they can be hung with it once cooled.

Finally, its always more cost effective to buy stuf in bulk, especially is making your own fat feeders too.
 
NigelPaul said:
Trill (Seeds for birds) nuts, and finely chopped streaky bacon in lard. That's what I use to do when I was a kid anyhow! Apparently you can buy them ready made these days.

Oh and dried fruit as well, such as sultanas etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that - I have bought some ready made ones but they are expensive and I'm sure making your own is more fun anyway!

Yv said:
I generally throw whatever feed I have in mine, wild bird seed, sunflower hearts, crushed peanuts, dried mealworms, etc. Anything that wont go off quickly. Normally use Lard. I also dont actually make balls with it, [a bit messy] I make it up in a tub, cool it as quick as possible, as otherwise it runs to bottom and you end up with more fat at the bototm than top. I then have some drilled out log hangers and such things that I push the mix into. Another trick is once mixed, stuff a toilet roll holder full, again cool very quickly until semi-hardened, then peel and wrap in clingfilm to finsh cooling. You can then drop this into one of those fat ball holder feeders.
A friend of mine uses ice lolly moulds but instead of the plastic sticks, uses a length of garden wire so they can be hung with it once cooled.
Click to expand...

Thanks Yv - good tip re cooling, do you just put yours in the fridge or is the freezer a better option? I'm hoping to make something that will fit in the wire cage thing that we already have - so slabs, or sticks of the stuff should work well. Might try what your friend did as well, we have some jelly pots that leak when you fill them with jelly mix so they have been consigned to the bird feeding kit.
 
I use the bottom of our very tall fridge for tubs, but the 'sticks' go in freezer for 10-15 minutes otherwise the card of loo roll has too much time to absorb the fat. I tried wrapping in clingfilm then stuffing roll, but go myself in a mess :lol:
 
Yv said:
I tried wrapping in clingfilm then stuffing roll, but go myself in a mess :lol:
Click to expand...

I can imagine how that turned out :D
 
our visitors are having some fun with the christmas cake...
 
I use suet, mixed seed and mealworms. Morrisons used to do their own brand suet that was so much cheaper, haven't seen it for months though.
 
You can put sugar in the fat balls, but only white granulated sugar.
 
I've used yoghurt cartons with a bit of wire sticking up in the middle. Once the fat ball has hardened, you can ease it out of the yoghurt pot and use the wire to hang it up.
 
Wilkinsons are selling them at £1 each or £1.50 for two, you can`t make them for that..............:)


Oops sorry, I was referring to the large square cakes not the fatballs.
 
i got a bucket of 50 balls for £8.99 at poundstrecher! that was a real good buy. and the birds love them.
 
50 in a tub from Wilkinsons was £5.99 or £6.99, can't remember exactly which is weird as I buy them all the time:nuts:
 
• Step 1: Weigh the mix of nuts and scraps.
• Step 2: Weigh out the ingredients, remembering that approximately half as much fat as the other ingredients is required - for example one pound of nuts and scraps will need half a pound of fat. Cut the fat into rough lumps to speed the melting and heat slowly over a low heat. Keep an eye on the fat and do not let it get too hot. You only want it to melt.
• Step 3: Pour the fat over the mix of seeds and scraps. Using the spoon, mix it in until it starts to clump together.
• Step 4:Divide the mixture into equal sized pieces depending on the fat ball required. Fat balls the size of a small apple are a good size. Roll the mixture into balls ensuring that it is tightly packed.
• Step 5: Cover each ball in cling film or greaseproof paper and put into the fridge to harden. When the fat balls are hard they are ready to be placed into a suitable container.
Other Ideas for Ways to Use Fat Balls.
• Use empty coconut shells. Drill a hole in the bottom, insert a loop of twine through this making a knot so the twine does not pull through the hole. Press the fat ball mix into this and chill. Small birds will be able to hang underneath the shell to peck at the food.
• Thread a piece of garden twine through a plant pot and secure inside by tying around a stick. Pack the plant pot tightly with the fat ball mix and put into the refrigerator to chill.
• Drill holes into logs and fix a ring fitting or similar into one end which can be used to hang the log from a tree. Press the fat mix into the holes and hang from the tree. Keep a look out for logs with natural holes which can be used to hold the mix. Remember to chill before use (in the cold weather the same effect can be had by leaving the log outside somewhere cold).
 
I use a 50/50 mix of suet & lard, add a load of peanut butter and then as much seed as the mix will take. They disappear a lot faster than any pre-made ones I've ever tried :)
 
here a large fatball costs 75p and am sure making your own and the hassle wouldnt be worth it?
 
Chaz Photos said:
• Step 1: Weigh the mix of nuts and scraps.
• Step 2: Weigh out the ingredients, remembering that approximately half as much fat as the other ingredients is required - for example one pound of nuts and scraps will need half a pound of fat. Cut the fat into rough lumps to speed the melting and heat slowly over a low heat. Keep an eye on the fat and do not let it get too hot. You only want it to melt.
• Step 3: Pour the fat over the mix of seeds and scraps. Using the spoon, mix it in until it starts to clump together.
• Step 4:Divide the mixture into equal sized pieces depending on the fat ball required. Fat balls the size of a small apple are a good size. Roll the mixture into balls ensuring that it is tightly packed.
• Step 5: Cover each ball in cling film or greaseproof paper and put into the fridge to harden. When the fat balls are hard they are ready to be placed into a suitable container.
Other Ideas for Ways to Use Fat Balls.
• Use empty coconut shells. Drill a hole in the bottom, insert a loop of twine through this making a knot so the twine does not pull through the hole. Press the fat ball mix into this and chill. Small birds will be able to hang underneath the shell to peck at the food.
• Thread a piece of garden twine through a plant pot and secure inside by tying around a stick. Pack the plant pot tightly with the fat ball mix and put into the refrigerator to chill.
• Drill holes into logs and fix a ring fitting or similar into one end which can be used to hang the log from a tree. Press the fat mix into the holes and hang from the tree. Keep a look out for logs with natural holes which can be used to hold the mix. Remember to chill before use (in the cold weather the same effect can be had by leaving the log outside somewhere cold).
Click to expand...


Best look out for Delia's next book on this subject to fund Naaaarwich's next player :lol::lol::lol:

Great ideas though :thumbs:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top