Suet cake for the birds

[dandysmom]

Never tried one of these before; have had feeders for aeons. Was in the hardware store this morning and noticed them, so bought one and the little cage thing to hang it in; put in the elm tree a few feet from the feeder, and the birds are ignoring it....mobbing the feeder as usual. Does it take a while for them to figure out what it is? I thought with the cold weather coming that it would be a good idea...any of you ever used suet cakes? Did it take a while for the birds to use it?

[Fran]

Sorry Eileen, I can't help. I don't encourage birds into my garden with me having so many cats! Hopefully, someone here will have experience of suet feeders..

[dandysmom]

Thanks anyway, Fran! Living in the City on a busy main street there aren't too many free-roaming cats in the neighgborhood, and mine are indoors, so a safe haven for the birds, greedy little gobblers! Onyx, the little black stray that I'm feeding lives so to speak in my side yard very near the feeder, but have never seen her around it....

[Mags]

I expect Kazz will be able to answer your query when she's on here next Eileen........
Maybe as it's new, it will take them a while to get used to it.....:?

[Moli]

I have them out for my birds....they love them...

[dandysmom]

I have them out for my birds....they love them... When you first put them out, did the birds come to them, or did it take a while for them to decide what it was?

[Moli]

Took them a while DM as with anything new, I have just put up a window feeder, its taken them 2 weeks to discover it...

[Kazz]

Yep Kazz is here hang a suet feeder up and STAND BACK is my advice - mine was mobbed by so many starlingsI had to stop putting it upseriously 70-80+ starling and half as many again sparrows they adore them. But cost me a fortune topping them up had to stop though not throughthe cost but because I thought the neighbours would complain with the bird poo as it looked like the Alfred Hitchcock film the birds out the back.

Karen

[dandysmom]

Now that is a funny story, Kazz! Mine is only about two feet away from the feeder and has been completely ignored! Guess as Moli says, will take them a while to decide there are goodies in that thing!! Will keep you posted!

[Moli]

Yep Kazz is here hang a suet feeder up and STAND BACK is my advice - mine was mobbed by so many starlingsI had to stop putting it upseriously 70-80+ starling and half as many again sparrows they adore them. But cost me a fortune topping them up had to stop though not throughthe cost but because I thought the neighbours would complain with the bird poo as it looked like the Alfred Hitchcock film the birds out the back.

Karen
I have loads of baby starling too Kazz, they go for the suet cake and fat balls...:?

[dandysmom]

I have loads of baby starling too Kazz, they go for the suet cake and fat balls...:? Aha! Something new: what are fat balls?

[Kazz]

I have loads of baby starling too Kazz, they go for the suet cake and fat balls...:?

Yep totaly agree will start with the suet cake and fat balls when the winter sets in as such at the moment I am only supplementing them.
Think it took them about a week to find them, then another week to settle in.

[Moli]

Aha! Something new: what are fat balls?
More or less the same as suet cake, but in ball shapes, you get a wire holder for them...

[Kazz]

I think the difference is fat balls basicaly are that balls of fat with seed etc added whereas correct me if I am wrong Moli but suet cake seems to now come in loads of different "flavours/mixtures"

Karen

[dandysmom]

More or less the same as suet cake, but in ball shapes, you get a wire holder for them... Thanks! Didn't see any of those in the hardware store actually, had never heard of them! Think I'll stick with the suet cake for now and see how it goes. Right now, all I have is sparrows, but as the weather worsens, will have more interesting birds ...chickadees, nuthatches, wrens, as they move further South to escape the Northern winter!

[Moli]

I think the difference is fat balls basicaly are that balls of fat with seed etc added whereas correct me if I am wrong Moli but suet cake seems to now come in loads of different "flavours/mixtures"

Karen
you are right Kazz...:D Have any of you got gold finches, I have a whole family of them at the moment...:D

[Kazz]

Yes I have gold finches, hold on I'll get the book out and tell you what I have anythingnew in the garden is logged by my Dad he spends hours watching the birds ifnot watching the cricket :) now he logs them down, ;) Lord knows why?

[Kazz]

No good can't find it but finches Gold, Green and Bull finches I know as well as the wrens, starlings, sparows house and tree. And various members of the Tit family:)

[dandysmom]

Kazz, that's what birders do, I understand! As a person who keeps garden records of when things bloom, frost dates, etc., I certainly know the record-keeping impulse. We had almost no goldfinches this Summer, no idea why; last year they were all over the place! My friend the police officer put thistle seed in his feeder to entice them, but they didn't show, and the sparrows don't like thistle seed!

[Kazz]

Yes I put out thistle seed for them they adore it.

[Moli]

Your bird population is similar to mine kazz,.........

[Kazz]

Your bird population is similar to mine kazz,.........

Possibly the same population Moli :-D :shock:

[Kim]

I put our suet cake and fat balls and the birds adore them. I love to watch them and what a racket they make!! I have read that it takes birds a while to get used to a new feeder or destination.

[Moli]

Anyone ever made fat balls??

[Kim]

Yes, I have, easy and the birds love them!