Feeders and Feeding: Peanut Butter Suet

Help birds endure the harsh winter weather with a special treat!

This recipe is popular with jays, titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, sparrows, towhees, cardinals, bluebirds, mockingbirds, thrashers, warblers, and, of course, starlings.

Please feed responsibly! Avoid feeding lard-based foods to birds during the warm spring and summer months, when they can find ample and natural sources of nourishment themselves. Birds that gorge on suet and other lard-based recipies run the risk of developing gout. Suet is best served during the winter months, and especially during harsh weather conditions. Read more about health risks to birds on Juile’s blog >>

Directions (small batch)

Melt in the microwave and stir together:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup lard

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

• 2 cups chick starter (unmedicated, available at any feed store)
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal and
• 1 cup flour

Add melted lard/peanut butter mixture to the combined dry ingredients and mix well.

Ingredients (large batch)

• 5 cups (1 40 oz jar) peanut butter
• 5 cups (1/3 of the 64-oz bucket) of lard
• 10 cups chick starter
• 10 cups quick oats
• 5 cups yellow cornmeal
• 5 cups flour