How to make Birdseed fat bulbs
If the birds get a little harder to find food, we will be happy to help them! Not just in winter, as people used to think. The birds need extra energy in winter to stay warm. Feed the birds in the morning or by the time it gets dark, so they can spend the cold night well. You could hang fat balls and peeled (and unroasted) peanuts or sprinkle seeds on covered feeding boards etc. Some people like to give unpeeled peanuts because it's nice to see how the bird is doing it. But... that costs the bird extra energy, which is especially in winter, while it needs its energy to stay warm!
Of course, you can buy fat bulbs in the store, but making yourself is also very fun and educational for children. At The Green the children made their own bird feed hanger over the campfire and Hop Groen likes to share the pictures and the working methods here, so that more birds will be fed!
Melt over the fire (unsalted) frying fat. Once the fat has melted, stir in the bird seed. For the insect eaters you can buy special food in the pet shop. Spoon the fat with the seed into molds and/or cardboard/plastic cups, e.g. a butter bowl. If the fat is still a little warm, put a straw or a stick in it to make a hole, so you can hang it on a string later. If you don't want a hole, you can push a piece of rope into it as a loop. You can also, if the fat has not yet solidified, take it out of the bowl and knead a ball of it!
Let it harden outside. Remove it from the moulds and/or cups and thread it together with a thread into a pendant.
There are here on Yoors more birdseed bulbs and other ideas for bird feeding places, etc. You can find them below:
