Suet Cakes for Bird Feeders
Suet is the favorite way for bird lover to feed their friend over the winter months. Suet comes in 2 basic styles, on is a cake that fits well into the more popular suet feeders, while the ball suet cakes are often used as well. Be sure to replenish your suet feeder for the winter season, and help provide a high energy source of food.
Here's a great selection of suet from Duncraft and Yardiac.
Suet for use in suet feeders is usually made from beef or mutton fat, and the fat is a high energy food for the birds. But it's very common to make a suet mix that has other flavorings that can also add to the nutritional value of the suet cake. Peanuts are a favorite food to add, and various types of berries are also used in flavoring the suet to attract different species of birds. Raisins are another favorite flavor.
Hot pepper is often mixed with suet to act as a squirrel repellent. Mammals are offended by hot pepper, but it has little effect on birds, so it can be an effective way to keep you squirrel and rodent friends away from the bird feeders. The other approach is the standard need to put them in a place that is difficult for non flying animal to get to, but remember they are big leapers.
Keep in mind that once the outside temperatures warm up (somewhere above 70 degrees) that suet can start to melt and go rancid, so in late spring be sure to clean the feeder out and make it ready for those warm summer months.
While suet is often set out in a feeder of some sort, you can use suet by simply nailing a cake to a tree in the wintertime. Most of these suet cakes will last quite a long time.