Make spring treats for garden birds

Garden birds can do with a helping hand sometimes, especially in spring when they need to keep their energy up and find extra food for their chicks. High-energy (high-fat) food like suet, seeds and peanuts will help. So, try this simple recipe for suet biscuits studded with seeds. The packets of wild bird seed should tell you which birds they attract. And it's worth looking out for ‘high-energy' seed mixes for these treats.

Close-up of bird fat balls in holder hanging in the garden.

You will need:

A mixing bowl
A pack of beef suet (not vegetarian) – around 240g
An equal amount of seed mix for wild garden birds
A baking tray
Foil or greaseproof paper
Cooker cutters
A skewer or chopstick
Natural string

Bowl of dry ingredients to used to make fat balls for birds.

Next steps:

Place the foil or greaseproof paper on the baking tray.
Put the suet in the bowl (you could grate it or chop it into pieces if it feels hard).
Add the birdseed and knead it all together.
When it's thoroughly combined, flatten it out on the baking tray.
Use your cookie cutters to make shapes. Or you could simply roll the mixture into balls.
Keep combining the trimmings and reusing them until you've used up all the mixture.
Use the skewer to make a hole through the middle of each shape. Place them on the baking tray.
Put them in the fridge for a few hours.
Slide the biscuits off the tray and thread string through each hole, but don't tie the ends yet.
Take your bird biscuits to a tree, bush, bird feeder or bird table and tie them in place.

You could also add raisins and sultanas (making sure no dogs or cats can get to them as they're poisonous to them) or oats. If you add peanuts to the bird biscuits, make sure they're crushed into very small pieces. That way they're not a choking hazard for small or younger birds.

Looking after your bird treats

Keep an eye on the treats and remove them if they start to look ‘off' or if the birds have stopped eating them – it could be a sign that the treats are spoiled. It'll be fun to make more though!

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