Making your own DIY bird food can be a fun and rewarding activity, you can even get the kids involved! It's a great way to give your garden birds a little extra treat, and most recipes include ingredients that you already have laying around the house.
So, if you're ready to make your own bird food, let's dive right in.
Homemade birdseed cakes
Birdseed cakes are a highly nutritious meal for garden birds and contain additional fats that are especially beneficial during the breeding season & the colder months. Follow this step-by-step guide to make some delicious birdseed cakes for your garden birds.
You will need:
1. Warm the lard up to room temperature and cut it into small pieces.
2. Add the lard to a large mixing bowl and add your chosen bird seed mix.
3. Get stuck in with your hands and combine the lard and the birdseed together (kids love getting messy, so be sure to get them to help with this part!)7
4. Once combined, take handfuls of the mixture out of the bowl and form them into balls or cakes.
5. Pop all of your birdseed cakes onto a plate or into a container and leave them in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours to set.
6. Once set, you can take your birdseed cakes out of the fridge and put them on your bird table or into your bird feeder for your feathered friends to enjoy!
Homemade Suet Balls
Suet balls are a great source of calories and nutrients for your garden birds. You'll notice that your garden birds can eat a whole lot of them in just a few days! A great way to keep your supply topped up is to make your own, however, if you'd prefer to save yourself the hassle and purchase your suet balls online - we have some great suet products on offer!
You will need:
- 1 cup high-quality birdseed. We recommend one of our yummy birdseed mixes for a bit of variety!
- 3 cups suet (this is usually found in the baking aisle)
- A saucepan
- A mixing bowl
- A mould (cupcake wrappers or yoghurt pots work great!)
- String
1. Start by melting the suet in the saucepan over a low heat, once melted take it off the heat and set it aside.
2. Tip your chosen birdseed mix into the melted suet and stir to combine.
3. Cut a hole in the bottom of your cupcake wrappers/yoghurt pots. Create loops with lengths of string, and feed them through the hole so your suet balls can be hung.
4. Pour the suet mixture into moulds, making sure to cover the knots of your loops completely.
5. Place the suet balls in the fridge for 4 hours or until set. Carefully remove them from the cupcake wrappers or yoghurt pots & hang them outside for your garden birds to enjoy!
We hope you enjoy giving these recipes a try over the summer holiday! Making your own DIY bird food is a great way to supplement the diet of your local birds. Remember, a lot of our birdseed and bird food products are grown/made right here on the farm, so if you're keen to give your birds high-quality homemade bird food - we can help!
Bird Food from Our Farm >
Read More: School Holiday Ideas: Things to Do in the School Holidays
