How to Make Bird Seed Balls
Providing bird seed and fresh water is a great way to attract birds, but during the winter they can use increased fat content in their diet. Staying warm during cold winter days takes more energy and burns more calories. Seed balls provide good nutrition and high fat content to keep birds healthy. Once you learn the basics of how to make bird seed balls, put your own creativity to work for fun new variations.
Required Items
- Wax paper
- Newspaper
- Spoon
- Birdseed
- Peanut butter
- Lard
- Saucepan
- Twine
Heat about a half-cup of lard in a saucepan. Let it warm up just enough to melt it.
Mix in two cups of your favorite birdseed and about a quarter cup of peanut butter. Chunky style or smooth peanut butter works fine. Turn the stove heat off. Blend the ingredients well and let cool.
Cut whatever length of twine or heavy duty string you need. Take a rough estimate of the length needed to hang from a tree branch, preferably near one of your windows. Allow a little excess twine for tying to the tree. Tie several knots, one over the other to make one big knot at the end of the twine, which will be used to hold the seed ball mixture.
Scoop up the seed ball mixture in your hands and form a large round ball around the big knot at the bottom of the twine. Work this project over an old newspaper to make cleanup easy.
Place the completed seed ball on some wax paper in the freezer to chill for around two hours. Freezing hardens the suet and makes it stiff.
Hang your seed ball on a tree branch where the whole family can enjoy watching birds. Tie the twine onto a branch.
Consider your own seed ball variations. Research the preferred seed of choice for the varieties of birds that frequent your yard and use them in your next batch. Try tripling the recipe the next time you make it for extra seed balls. Keep them in the freezer till needed.
- Vary your seed balls with the addition of shelled peanuts, sunflower seeds or anything that is highly nutritious for the birds. Beware that seed balls made from lard or suet are used primarily during the cold seasons, because they may melt during summer heat.