⠀ Making your own suet?

[lnshearer]

Hi there, I have read about making homemade wholesome suet type treats for your chickens. It called for using things such as lard for the base, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or bird seed. Has anyone made them? And if so did you hang them so they can peck at them or how did you do it? They seem really easy to make from the article I read. You can use old margarine or cool whip tubs, put a piece of yarn in the middle to the bottom. When they have set up, pop them out and hang them up for something for them to do. Any thoughts??

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi there, I have read about making homemade wholesome suet type treats for your chickens. It called for using things such as lard for the base, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or bird seed. Has anyone made them? And if so did you hang them so they can peck at them or how did you do it? They seem really easy to make from the article I read. You can use old margarine or cool whip tubs, put a piece of yarn in the middle to the bottom. When they have set up, pop them out and hang them up for something for them to do. Any thoughts??

I do make them homemade suet blocks. I get my suet from a local farmer, I melt it down in a large pan/kettle. Once it has mostly liquified I turn the heat off. I use a cut down OJ 1 gallon plastic container to pour the suet into. I use a piece of light hardware chain to hold the completed block. If you thread a skewer through the links you can hold it in place. Once the suet is poured, chain in I add 2 cups bird seed and 1 cup oatmeal mix it all in. You can add more seed if you think it needs it. Put somewhere cold overnight. Cut off the plastic container and hang.
My girls enjoy pecking at it and it lasts a pretty long time.

 

[glib]

I make lard for myself, with the back fat of our pig. they get the leftover gristle (which I keep in the freezer) in winter. I don't think they need fat in summer.

 

[Blooie]

I make my own all the time, using lard, crunchy peanut butter, corn meal, and oatmeal. Then I add whatever scraps of fruits and veggies I have left in the fridge or pantry - especially things like dried cranberries, bits of apple - just whatever I have on hand. I used to put whole sunflower seeds in but then I watched a few birds trying to crack those greasy, slippery shells open and went to hulled sunflower seeds instead.

1 cup lard
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour, Cream of Wheat, or Oatmeal
2 cups cornmeal
Raisins, dried fruits, hulled sunflower seeds, chopped apples, grapes, chopped broccoli, or whatever....most of the time I use a little bit of all of that stuff in the mixture at the same time.

Melt lard and peanut butter, then stir in other ingredients. Pour into either saved commercial suet containers, (handy size and shape if you are using those wire suet baskets) small plastic ziplock containers, or I've even put cupcake papers in a cupcake pan and filled them. Freeze, then remove from containers, wrap in freezer paper, and keep on hand. My girls love them, and so do the wild birds.

 

[lnshearer]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like i will be making them.

 

[Theofire88]

Wow, I never thought of this for my chickens! Thanks so much! This could be a new solution to our hen's boredom in the snow relapse!!

 

[Blooie]

Wow, I never thought of this for my chickens! Thanks so much! This could be a new solution to our hen's boredom in the snow relapse!!

It does help with that! I hang them in suet cages (those wire ones that are just a few bucks each) and they go to town! I know that theories about increased protein during the winter months to help with keeping the chickens warm abound, but when I watch the wild birds flocking to suet during the cold months I figure they know something that I don't! If that something is the extra fat, then my girls will get some too!

 

[Theofire88]

It does help with that!  I hang them in suet cages (those wire ones that are just a few bucks each) and they go to town!  I know that theories about increased protein during the winter months to help with keeping the chickens warm abound, but when I watch the wild birds flocking to suet during the cold months I figure they know something that I don't!  If that something is the extra fat, then my girls will get some too!

Fabulous idea! I will certainly try this out!