To sit or not to sit?

Suet is a popular food for a variety of birds. Birds that enjoy it include blue jays, chickadees, nuthatches, warblers, woodpeckers, and wrenches.

Tallow is the tough fat found around the kidneys or loins of beef. Animal fat is easily digested by birds and gives them a huge boost, especially during the winter months when food can be scarce. It is a high-energy food that can be offered to your feathered friends throughout the year.

If you choose to offer tallow during the summer months, make sure it is not raw tallow. Raw tallow can spoil quickly if temperatures are above freezing, and generally temperatures above 90 degrees will cause it to melt. A sebum that has been “melted” can work during the summer, but be aware that it can affect the consistency of your sebum. Rendering involves melting the sebum and removing impurities, helping it to keep for a longer period of time.

If it softens or melts, it can affect the waterproofing of a bird’s feathers, and birds generally do not feed on tallow that has melted or been compromised by the elements. Another concern is that the melted tallow can coat a bird’s belly, which can cause a dangerous situation during the nesting season when the birds are raising their young. A bird that has sebum on its belly feathers may inadvertently cover its eggs. If the eggs are coated with the oils from the sebum, this can close off the tiny droplets that allow the growing embryo to receive oxygen.

Sebum placement will help overcome the inconvenience of spoiled or melted sebum. Choose an area for your tallow feeder in a shady or cooler location. If shade isn’t available, consider adding a deflector or protective cover that blocks out the sun and the elements.

Offering your guests winged tallow cakes instead of larger tallow blocks can also be an option to help prevent spoilage. Tallow cakes are usually smaller servings and will help remove wasted sebum, as it can be completely consumed by birds in a shorter period of time. Freezing suet cakes can also help them stay fresh longer. If you have a block of tallow, you can cut it into smaller pieces and freeze the excess until you need it.

Suet is available in numerous shapes and varieties. Forms of tallow include balls, crumbs, pellets, plugs, and strips. The balls are similar to cakes and can be used in large tallow bird feeders. Crumbs and pellets are similar in that they are both bite-sized pieces that can be used in trays or platform feeders. Plugs are used for log-style bird feeders to give certain types of “sticky” birds, such as woodpeckers, for example, a more natural feeding surface. Lastly, the strips are small, thin pieces of tallow that mimic the consistency and size of worms or insects. The chunks can also be served on a tray, plate or feeding platform.

Suet also comes in various flavors. It can be mixed with fruits, insects, nuts, seeds, and even hot pepper. Some varieties of tallow also come in a mix of flavors, such as fruits and nuts. If you are looking to attract a certain type of bird, be sure to research which flavor the type of bird prefers.

In short, if you are looking to add variety to your garden feeder offerings, tallow is a great addition! Remember, if you choose to use tallow during the summer months, freeze your tallow before placing it outside and find a cool, shady spot to hang the tallow feeder. Using tallow will be a welcome offering for many types of birds that may visit your backyard and is a great addition to any backyard bird buffet.