I guess that answers my question re: adding peanuts. I know you suggest the chunky PB, but do you think adding regular chopped peanuts would better attract the woodpeckers?

They will eat the bird seed, especially the sunflower seed, so I don't think that is a problem. If I don't have a suet feeder out, they will hang on the bottom of the seed feeder and reach around the rim for the seed. I have lots of woodpeckers here.

I don't have as many as you, Soonergrandmom, but I have seen a few around here - only the Downies. The durned stray cats got one this summer. I love the cats, too, so can't get after them for doing what comes naturally. I get mad at the people who abandon them when they move@@#$%^&. The neighbors, collectively, try to do what we can for them.

Anyway, will get to work on my bird food today. I also have some cornmeal that I've had for a long time that I bought at the natural food store, that I can add to the suet as well.

I have plenty of pine cones from the Austrian Pines in the front yard, so can use those for peanut butter/seed feeders, too. My birds will be eating better than me!!

Susan

Gldno, while reading about bird food on various websites I see differing opinions about rendering bacon fat for use in suet. What is your position on that? Please everyone chime in if you wish!

Susan

Susan, I have never done it, mainly because I save all waste fats for soap making.

It would take quite a while to accumulate enough seems to me. I wouldn't hesitate to add it to the lard though.

Cool, thanks, Glenda!

I thought I posted here but maybe I closed out before it was finalized or something.

I have heard that the salt in bacon is not good for the birds. But I don't know if it's true.

I made up a batch today, and put some out in the bird feeder that is made from the bottom part of an old stove-top rotisserie. I pressed it down into the tray so I hope this discourages the squirrel. I made it with chicken fat so I hope that's not like cannibalism or anything for the birds. The dog now wants to go outside. I let him out for a little while and he went and stood under the bird feeder. Such a pig-dog.

Thanks for that recipe! Is it supposed to be a little on the crumbley side? Maybe that is just because I made it with chicken fat, which seems to have a lower melting point than something like lard or beef fat. From now on I'll save the fat that drains off when we cook hamburgers, or what I skim off beef broth. Gosh, I just threw some away about a month ago. Wish I'd kept it now.

Cannibalism is funny. Your dog's nose is in working order. I wouldn't worry about squirrels because the dog will get it first. My dogs have dibs on all chicken scraps. I put lard on my shopping list. I will just use stuff I have here for the rest of it. Once my mother put a big hunk of fat (not rendered probably beef) in a tree and she got a hawk. It scared the other birds but was exciting to see.

I swear I think the dog's nose will still be alive when he isn't. He is such a pig. Eats the cat's food. If I throw bread crumbs out for the birds he goes and eats that. After I make broth from chicken bones I take them out and bury them in the asparagus bed and I have to put a concrete block over the spot or he will dig them up and eat them, dirt and all, and then throw up in the house. When Hubs takes him for a walk, he has to watch him really close when they pass the picnic shelter out in the park as sometimes dogs that are set loose to roam at night or on the weekend usually tip over the trash barrels there.

I don't think there's anything he won't eat. It's not like we don't feed him well. His bowl of "Chicken Soup For The Dog's Soul", which is actually dry food and not soupy at all, is always full and it's supposed to be high-quality stuff. Plus he gets treats every evening. He's just a pig-dog. LOL