What are the benefits of feeding suet/fats to your garden birds?

What are the benefits of feeding suet/fats to your garden birds?

Suet-based feeds are a great option for helping to keep your garden birds healthy throughout the year, but they are particularly helpful in autumn and winter as the nights grow longer and colder.

Here are some of the key benefits:

✓ High in fat and a super source of concentrated energy to maintain body temperature whatever the weather.

✓ A great protein replacement for dwindling natural resources such as insects and berries as they begin to decline as we move into late autumn.

✓ Provide a handy energy boost for smaller birds such as different varieties of tits as they lose body heat incredibly easily.

✓ A brilliant option for birds that find it hard to cracks seeds.

✓ Appeal to a wide variety of birds from woodpeckers and finches to nuthatches and starlings.

Suet and fat feeds – what are the options?

Suet feeds come in a variety of formats, providing  convenient and cost-effective nutrition for your garden birds. Here are the most common selections:

Pellets – Perfect for putting in specialised feeders and often combined with other ingredients such as insects and berries. Attractive to many species. Shop Here         

Cakes – Long-lasting and great for birds that are happy to cling and feed. Best popped in in a shady, sheltered feeder.

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Insect oil – A suet-based feed made with the oil of insects rather than traditional beef tallow. A greener option and one more closely linked to a wild bird’s natural diet.

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Fat balls – A powerhouse of nutrition when boosted with other ingredients such as mealworms, nuts and seeds. Easy to feed with no mess.

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Feeding tips

With careful placement in the garden, your suet-based feeds can be a fantastic feeding option for our feathered friends.

✓ Always hang your suet feeders in a sheltered spot away from rain and direct sunlight.

✓ Clean feeders on a regular basis to prevent the build-up of bacteria.

✓ On really hot, sunny days, rotate suet feeders to help keep them fresh and reduce the amount you put out.

✓ Never put out fat balls in nets. These are dangerous and should always be discarded.