Vegetarion or Beef Suet/Dripping/Pork Lard?? (1 Viewer)

[RedJango]

I've been making some feeders by recycling small plastic bowls my toddlers have their meals in, and have up to now been using Atora Beef Suet, but I've seen a lot of places advertising Vegetarian Suet cakes - what do the birds in YOUR garden prefer??

Anyone with any info??

It's too early to say what works in my garden, as I've not lon started feeding, but A Blackbird and a Starling have been going at a Beef Suet (with Black Sunflower Seeds) Cake in a cage on my fence.


Cheers!!

 

[Mary]

This seems to me to be an interesting point you've raised. Although we humans are being encouraged to eat low fat food, maybe of vegetable origin, I doubt if this applies to birds. In cold weather they need high calorie intake, so would they have to eat more of the veg. type than if it was animal suet? And would the veg type supply them with their dietary needs?
I've noticed that some of the cheaper suet pellets available are veg. suet, others don't say which type they are. It would be good if someone with scientific knowledge of bird diets could come in here! Anyone?!

 

[KnockerNorton]

Veg can have a higher calorific value, as it depends on the types of oils used, rather than where they've come from.

Just look on the back of the packets, at the calorific value (kCal per 100g is the easiest to interpret), and choose the one with the highest figure. The birds only care about the calories (= energy), nothing else.

 

[Mary Evelyn]

We use beef dripping as the base for our bird cakes and also shop bought fatballs too.Both go down well ,except the bought ones do get so hard on a freezing winters day the birds can't get at them.Solid fats are all equally suitable though.

In summer it is important not to pop out anything that may melt and get to the birds waterproof coats A big no no.Never use oils for that very reason is what i have always been told.

Hope all goes well for you :t:

 

[baldingeagle]

Normally i use lard as the base for my fat cakes and they eat them like there's no tomorrow. The last batch were made with both beef suet and some with vegetable suet. They have lasted longer and don't seem to be interesting the birds so much. Will revert back to lard for another test.