[wisb] Re: Warblers, Suet, and paying for nothing

  • From: "Kent" <kentsue@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <wbuwausau@xxxxxxxxx>, <bettie@xxxxxxxxxx>, <rawshooter@xxxxxxxxx>, <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 14:57:31 -0600

Lori:

We use raw beef suet year around at my house.  The only problem is that
it stains the tree bark when it warms up.  That problem can be prevented,
however, if one puts a towel behind the suet.

By using suet year around we are able to attract our Pileateds throughout
the year and watch young woodpeckers being taught how to eat suet by
their parents.

The other alternative if you care to use suet is to purchase cakes.  These
usually last less than a week, attract squirrels if they contain nuts
and are far more expensive than the raw beef containers (3-4 weeks).

Let's hear it for raw beef suet.

Kent Hall
Stevens Point (Portage Co.)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lori Schubring" <wbuwausau@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bettie@xxxxxxxxxx>; <rawshooter@xxxxxxxxx>; <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 1:40 PM
Subject: [wisb] Re: Warblers, Suet, and paying for nothing


> Raw suet will melt when it gets to be about 40 degrees or above. I tried 
> it
> last year and it made too much of a mess when it got warmer outside and
> surely wasn't safe for the birds. For cold weather it is ok though.
> Lori - Wausau, Marathon Cty
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Bettie R. Harriman" <bettie@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 1:23 PM
> To: <rawshooter@xxxxxxxxx>; <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [wisb] Re: Warblers, Suet, and paying for nothing
>
>> My husband and I have been providing the birds in
>> our woods with raw beef fat (suet) since we moved
>> here in 1969 - year round.  "Our" birds would not
>> have it any other way.  Some years ago I worked
>> for Wild Birds Unlimited when there was such a
>> store in Oshkosh and on occasion when raw suet
>> was hard to find, we would put out pure rendered
>> suet in those cakes made to fit the suet
>> cages.  At first our birds would not eat it, but
>> eventually - when the "real" suet did not appear
>> - they decided it was better than no suet.  When
>> we could get raw suet again, we went back to that and the birds did also.
>>
>> In hot weather, raw suet will melt.  This can
>> mess up the feathers on the birds, so if it gets
>> hot enough that you see the melted fat on the
>> tree trunk or feeder post - stop feeding it until
>> it is cooler.  Or if it smells rancid to you,
>> stop feeding.  Otherwise, it's fine.
>>
>> Seeds in the cakes are not bad, but a waste of
>> your money.  And often attract squirrels.  The
>> squirrels here (and we have many) have no interest in the pure suet.
>>
>> It has been our choice to feed pure suet, and
>> straight seeds (no mixes) over the years - seems to work well here.
>>
>> Bettie Harriman, watching a very busy yard in all this snow
>> north of Oshkosh
>> Winnebago County
>>
>>
>> At 12:55 PM 12/9/2009, Brian Hansen wrote:
>>>Good post Jesse!
>>>I remember my dad always bought (or was given) plain beef suet at our
>>>local
>>>butcher shop.  He had a home made platform with a stainless nail sticking
>>>up
>>>about 3 inches from that center located near our feeders.  He would just
>>>chop off a chunk of the raw suet and slap it on the nail and the birds
>>>would
>>>go crazy for it.
>>>
>>>I've been thinking about making my own for last couple of years but was
>>>put
>>>off by the rendering.  When I read recipes about how to make home made
>>>suet
>>>I would think of my dad just putting the raw stuff out and figured maybe
>>>raw
>>>suet was bad for the birds.  Your post explains why people render it.   I
>>>frankly buy the store bought cakes because I didn't want to stink up my
>>>house rendering fat but if I could just put raw suet out I would
>>>definitely
>>>do that as opposed to the cakes.  That did lead to another questions
>>>though.  If the temps rise above freezing, how long will unrendered suet
>>>last and is it hazardous to the birds if it out there too long in above
>>>freezing temps?
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>Brian Hansen
>>>Milwaukee - east side
>>>
>>>On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 12:21 PM, Jesse Ellis <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx> 
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>> > 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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>>> >
>>> >
>>>
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>>
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>>
> Lori Schubring
> Wild Birds Unlimited
> 4121 Rib Mountain Drive, Wausau WI 54401
> Ph: 715-298-3140
> www.wbu.com/wausau
>
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