beef fat

Grdner

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Dec 17, 2007, 5:42:01 PM12/17/07

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Ok, I thought I had read that you don't need to render beef fat before
giving to the birds. I put a few pieces of raw unrendered beef fat in a
suet cage and nothing is touching it. Meanwhile, the suet cake
w/berries is just about gone.

Should I render the fat and then put the cooled, hardened fat out?

thanks much for your help.

Pat

Steve

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Dec 18, 2007, 1:06:53 PM12/18/07

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I have had success with raw beef fat, but it takes the birds a while
to figure it out.

I stop at the butcher display, and ask nicely if they have fat they
are going to dispose of, that I can feed the birds. They always do.

Peanut butter, in particular, has an aroma that draws birds. Maybe
you can just swab some on the fat to get things going.

Good luck.

Steve in central NC

Grdner

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Dec 18, 2007, 2:15:54 PM12/18/07

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Thanks Steve, the peanut butter is a good idea. I'll give it a try and
report back.

Pat in central Virginia

Rick

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Dec 18, 2007, 10:52:03 PM12/18/07

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I was involved with the Tamarac NWP CBC yesterday and one the zone I was
in had a lot of bird feeders up. Several of them had big pieces of deer
fat that was simply hung up on hooks. It was obviously frozen but, did
it ever attract birds. I would conclude from that that you would not
have to do anything to the fat--just hang it up.
--

Rick
Fargo, ND
N 46°53'251"
W 096°48'279"

Remember the USS Liberty

http://www.ussliberty.org/

SteveB

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Dec 19, 2007, 1:53:47 AM12/19/07

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"Grdner" <grd...@virginia.edu> wrote in message
news:fk969a$3ie$1...@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU...

I just made my first suet last week. Much cheaper than store bought, and
fun to make. The birds love it.

As suggested here, raw beef fat should be okay since the temperature would
help keep it from going rancid too fast.

Consider trying this: Cut a strip of fat from six inches to a foot long.
Have some cornmeal, oatmeal, peanut butter, sugar, and finely chopped nuts
on a countertop or cutting board. Rub the peanut butter on it to get the
fat a little sticky. Then roll the strip in the mix of other stuff,
pressing down HARD to get the particles to go into the fat or in the nooks
and crannies. Hang out from a piece of string. I'd put it next to
something the birds can land on so they don't knock all the feed off by
holding on to the fat with their feet.

I think I'll get some fat strips at the market next time and try it.

I'm also going to talk to the grocer and see if they will put aside broken
containers of oatmeal, raisins, and meal and stuff if I bring them a bucket
and pick it up once a week.

Steve

Grdner

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Dec 19, 2007, 9:59:48 PM12/19/07

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Rick wrote:
> Grdner wrote:
>> Ok, I thought I had read that you don't need to render beef fat before
>> giving to the birds. I put a few pieces of raw unrendered beef fat in
>> a suet cage and nothing is touching it. Meanwhile, the suet cake
>> w/berries is just about gone.
>>
>> Should I render the fat and then put the cooled, hardened fat out?
>>
>> thanks much for your help.
>>
>> Pat
> I was involved with the Tamarac NWP CBC yesterday and one the zone I was
> in had a lot of bird feeders up. Several of them had big pieces of deer
> fat that was simply hung up on hooks. It was obviously frozen but, did
> it ever attract birds. I would conclude from that that you would not
> have to do anything to the fat--just hang it up.

Thanks Rick, I'm sticking w/it. I may try the smear it w/peanut butter
trick this weekend, but I'm not sure.

Pat

Rick

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Dec 20, 2007, 8:23:48 PM12/20/07

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be patient I pretty sure the birds will come.