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Post by Christy on Jan 7, 2013 15:26:20 GMT -6
I turned my Christmas tree into a bird tree ;D its the one in the tiers Attachments:
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Post by Christy on Jan 7, 2013 15:31:35 GMT -6
Birds can make use of the pine needles or even to make a home in. then I made suet cakes & suet cupcakes. I have a couple cages for the cakes, and for the cupcakes I cut off the bottom of a pop bottle & use yarn to hang. I also have plain bird seed in feeders to I forgot to take a pic of. Attachments:
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Post by Wrennie on Jan 7, 2013 15:48:00 GMT -6
Nice suet "cakes"!
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Post by Christy on Jan 7, 2013 15:56:34 GMT -6
Thanks wrennie ;D Attachments:
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Post by lucy on Jan 8, 2013 2:52:35 GMT -6
Can you tell me how to make suet cakes? Please. I've never done it but would love to. I love my birds.
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Post by Penny on Jan 8, 2013 7:09:13 GMT -6
Great job Christy.......i havent made any this year, but i do keep the feeders topped up. Its so easy Lucy , use any fat that i have drained off meat when cooking, i heat it up a little so its easier to work with, and pour into molds or muffin tins, i usually add crushed egg shells, nuts, dried fruit, orange peels chopped up, peanut butter, oats, and birdseed. You can add all this when you are heating the fat over low heat. Pour into muffin tins and put in either the fridge or freezer until hard
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Post by w8in4dave on Jan 8, 2013 7:34:37 GMT -6
Wow!! How nice!! I should make some for my birds .... but naghhh I know I won't!! So you just use a mold from an old suet???
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Post by Christy on Jan 8, 2013 7:44:41 GMT -6
Thanks ;D Lucy I do about the same as Penny. You can buy suet at a butchers or use fat from the meat you cook at home. I used bacon grease heated , peanutbutter, a few handfuls of flour. mixed it up then added my dry ingredients birdseed , oats, raisin bran, sweetbreads cranberry blueberry banana pumpkin n cinnamon . egg shells , I did have popcorn but my child beat me to it! pretty much all you need is grease, peanut butter n whatever you have in the kitchen birds eat think I used 2c grease with 1c peanut butter..heres a link might help www.attractwildbirds.com/feedingbirds/how-to-make-suet.htm
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Post by Christy on Jan 8, 2013 7:52:36 GMT -6
W8in yep I reuse the molds from store bought suet. I only have the one, I just used a large pieceof plastic wrap or wax papper to stick in the mold, then add suet, wrap n take out n make another suets here cost anywhere from $1-$3. I just made 16 cakes n a couple dozen cupcakes FREE from saving scraps
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Post by Penny on Jan 9, 2013 6:38:47 GMT -6
Our dollar store here always has the suet cages for 1.00 here
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Post by w8in4dave on Jan 9, 2013 19:01:42 GMT -6
That rocks Penny!! How wonderful!! maby when Dave and I go up north I will try and make some Cool deal!! We do have cages for the feed block but no suet cages .. like you say won't take much to get them Thanks sweetie!! I know birds love that stuff!! Helps them get thru the winter with some suet!
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Post by Christy on Jan 9, 2013 20:29:22 GMT -6
Ours dollar has em too but usually there sold out. They way these birds eat that dollar adds up wallyword its &1-$3 different stuff in them though already got birds eating away the suet I put out W8in once you start making them you wont buy them anymore ;D unless you need a new mold... mine is getting old n worn
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Post by Penny on Jan 10, 2013 6:50:21 GMT -6
You're right Christy, once you start making them you wont buy the ready made ones anymore, plus its kind of fun too. ;D The dollar stores here always have tons in the summer months, so i grab 6-7 and keep them in the shed, and if it happens to break, no big deal
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Post by w8in4dave on Jan 10, 2013 8:14:06 GMT -6
This is what I am going to do I am going to w8 till my grand kids are here and have them help me make them. That is a great thing to do with grand kids Thanks for the wonderful idea!! Good way to keep them off of their lil hand held games!! lol
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Post by Penny on Jan 11, 2013 6:50:33 GMT -6
Absolutely, that would be a great craft for them to do
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Post by lucy on Jan 13, 2013 1:15:40 GMT -6
My mother-in-law gave me a beautiful bird feeder today. I can't wait to fill it and hang it out tom. I am gonna try my hand at making suet. I love my birds. The weather has been so nice the past couple days, I could sit on the porch and watch them. I don't have any good windows to watch them thru, only the storm door. But I enjoy them so much.
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Post by Christy on Jan 13, 2013 19:11:38 GMT -6
Lucy have phun ,post a pic! ;D
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Post by w8in4dave on Jan 14, 2013 7:40:41 GMT -6
Yes Lucy we need a pic
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Post by Penny on Jan 25, 2013 7:01:36 GMT -6
Did you hang out the feeder yet Lucy?
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Post by BestoFour on Feb 5, 2013 19:43:51 GMT -6
I've never made suet either but may try it when the grans are here. Good idea.
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Post by Laura on Feb 22, 2013 17:23:50 GMT -6
We feed the birds year round as we want to keep them here to help us out in the gardens. hpltr We don't over feed them just enough to keep them in our yard. We have a heater for the bird bath also so they have water year round. We feed them peanut butter..peanuts in the shells..peanuts un-shelled..thistle..suet..both fresh & flavored..mixed seed..sun flower seeds.. We have discovered the cats love peanuts..so when we feed the birds the cats get their own so they stay out of the feeders. We have not made any suet of our own..to easy to get it from the farm store here. Fleet Farm has a huge variety of it.
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Post by Christy on Feb 23, 2013 18:51:21 GMT -6
I found the deer love the suet cakes too. they knocked over the tree n ate the suet that was hanging in the plastic bottle baskets
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Post by BestoFour on Feb 23, 2013 19:14:44 GMT -6
Laura, you made me feel better because I don't make suet either. I was feeling like my birdies were getting short changed. here's a bluebird that was hanging out in the yard this week.
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Post by w8in4dave on Feb 23, 2013 21:11:08 GMT -6
Great pic bestofour!! How pretty!!
Yes Christy I have heard in the hard months deer will try and get suet because it is a lard product .. Good for them , they are hungry also
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Post by BestoFour on Feb 24, 2013 19:19:26 GMT -6
So far the deer haven't bothered my suet. Hope I didn't speak too soon.
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Post by Christy on Feb 25, 2013 20:07:42 GMT -6
So far the deer has not got the suet in the cage. just the open basket ones. Beautiful pic Sherri! I wish I could take nice pics like that.
W8in Ill remember the deer too n toss some around for them. has been a cold bitter winter this year. Cant remember the last time we had so many 0* or below days in a row. I know we have but not sure how many years ago. I wont use the bottle baskets again. now Im wondering what if the deer eat plastic...wouldnt be good.
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Post by Christy on Feb 25, 2013 20:15:50 GMT -6
Sherri Your birds are not getting short changed!! Don't matter if you make or buy suet, the bird's get something to eat in the hard winter months n that's what counts! Making suet is just fun and saves me $.
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Post by BestoFour on Feb 25, 2013 20:24:18 GMT -6
Christy, if we lived closer I'd make it with ya.
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Post by Penny on Feb 28, 2013 10:06:59 GMT -6
Thats a great picture, Sheri!!
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Post by Wrennie on Feb 28, 2013 12:33:56 GMT -6
Nice bluebird shot Sheri! My cats like to PLAY with the peanuts in the shell, *rattle rattle rattle*
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