suet?

[amcstay]

Ok, this may seem really dumb, but what is suet? I have read a lot about it here, but have never seen it anywhere on my island, so I have no idea what it is? Can I make it or would buying it online be easier and less messy?

 

[cluckychick]

Suet is a cake for birds. It's seeds/berries compacted with other ingreadients like peanut butter to make a suet cake. You can hang them in a wire suet feeder and the birds have something to keep them occupied.

 

[Buckguy20]

The Cake cluckchick is talking about is made from suet and called a suet cake.
Suet is a form of fat that comes of of pigs and cattle when butchered. It is not like fat like you would trim off of a steak or whatever, It is a different consistency than fat. Crumbly and sticky at the same time. If you heat it in a pan it will reduce down to liquid where as fat won;t reduce down the same way. It is hard to find in grocery stores, When I have asked for it they usually give me fat and I have to explain the difference.
It is great for making cakes for the birds but is also an excellent starter for some food dishes.

 

[amcstay]

Thank you for explaining it. So if I bought suet cake like the one cluckychick mentioned, can I give it to my hens?

 

[Wifezilla]

It is rendered fat from pigs or cows. Your hens would love it.

 

[Eric in NC]

Suet is much like lard - the cakes usually have salt, seeds, nuts etc. in it to make it more attractive to the birds.

 

[gritsar]

Amcstay, you can actually make your own "flock blocks" at home, which are healthier for your chickens since the homemade ones can be made without lard:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=111647

 

[Wifezilla]

There is nothing unhealthy about lard UNLESS it is hydrogenated. Natural animal fats are very healthy. It is rancid plant fats (soy, corn oil), hydrogenated fats and trans fats that are bad for you.

 

[chicken_dude]

Nothing puts fat on a chicken like hog lard. It also helps the hens start laying early in the spring. It makes show birds have very shiny feathers.

 

[dakotasnake]

we make our own suet cakes here. just get some beef kidney fat from the butcher, melt it and add whatever you feel like to it---- sunflower seeds . cheerios, cracked corn wheaties, etc etc . make into blocks and refigerate.