[wisb] Warblers, Suet, and paying for nothing

From: Jesse Ellis <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 12:21:51 -0600
Hey all-
The several warblers reported attending suet feeders over the past month
make a useful segue for something I've wanted to throw out on the list for a
few months now. If you want to feed suet, esp. for lingerers like this, go
for real suet. Find a butcher and buy some. Render it if you like. If you
can find a local place, it's often dirt cheap (a buck a pound or so, even
for "grass-fed" beef suet).

Two reasons, in my mind. If anyone else differs on this, I'd appreciate
hearing - I may well be wrong.

1) Birds come to suet for the fat. The fat, the fat, the fat. They are there
for the calories. When you buy suet shot with millet and corn, you're only
putting that stuff in the way of the birds that actually just want the fat.
When you buy ORANGE-FLAVORED or BERRY-FLAVORED suet, you're doing nothing
for the birds. I can't even believe those product exist.

2) When you buy premade suet cakes shot with corn and millet, you're ripping
yourself off. Corn can be bought for 6 bucks a bushel (that's a price
farmers LIKE, I think). (Google is telling me it's going for ¢381 a bushel
right now...). Millet is cheap too. If you want to feed birds corn and
millet, buy them separately and spread them out on the ground or on a
platform feeder. Then go to your butcher and buy some suet and offer it
separately. For $1.29 you get 8 oz of a mix of beef fat, corn and millet.
For even more (>$2.00) you can add your berry flavor. All for a product that
most birds would rather not eat as presented. (Peanuts, however, added to
suet may be a different matter. Peanuts are high in fat and protein and
birds who prefer suet would probably also eat peanuts - although I suspect
warblers wouldn't). For a few bucks you can get a huge bag of corn, a pound
of suet, and a bag of millet, a lot more than in a few of those suet cakes.

How do you render suet? Chop it into little (littler seems to be better)
bits and melt it in a pan. I've seen references that suggest rendering
twice, pouring off the fat as it melts, and other things. Rendering is
helpful insofar as you can shape the suet a bit, and that it will last
longer in warm weather without going off. However, you can just cut a slice
of the stuff and stick it in your suet feeder for most of a Wisconsin winter
without worrying about it.

Who eats suet? Species that are primarily or substantially insectivorous are
the classic suet consumers. Nuthatches, chickadees, and woodpeckers are the
winter standards, and none of them like corn or millet. Most sparrows and
other granivorous birds don't care for suet, although I've seen Juncos and
House Sparrows visiting suet feeders on occasion. Other winter lingerers
that eat lots of insects can benefit from pure suet, as well. Wrens, mimic
thrushes, and of course the warblers that kicked this off will all take suet
in dire conditions. Ever seen a wren or warbler eating corn? No? Me neither.
Shouldn't be in the suet if you want help out these lingerers.

Why am I up on my soapbox about this? Mostly for the birds. I think standard
capitalism and a bit of miseducation have lead people to think that the more
complex the suet the better. This mostly seems to be an opportunity for
companies to take cheap ingredients and mark everything way up (aka add
value - but in this case it's not really of value to the organisms that
matter, the birds). None of this benefits the birds that consumers are
trying to help. I also don't like people with good intentions being ripped
off.

If anyone disagrees with my opinions or facts, please let me know. If there
are truly good reasons for berry-flavored suet to be on the market, I'd like
to know about it.

Good feeder-birding today in the snow, everyone.

Dr. Jesse Ellis
Dept. of Zoology
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Dane County

-- 
Jesse Ellis
Madison, Dane Co, WI

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Follow-Ups:
- [wisb] Sandhills
  - From: Michael Rewey
- [wisb] Re: Warblers, Suet, and paying for nothing
  - From: Brian Hansen
[wisb] Warblers, Suet, and paying for nothing

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