Fat Ball Biscuits

Fat balls are full of high energy food, ideal for supporting your local songbirds through the colder months. These fat ball biscuits are an easy activity for the whole family. Once they're’ hung up outside you can watch together as your songbird neighbours pop by for a snack.

Ingredients and Equipment

  • Hard fat, suet or lard is recommended as they remain firm at room temperature.
  • A mix of bird seeds. You can supplement with dried fruits, dried mealworms, sunflower seeds and unsalted peanuts.
    • Avoid soft fats, anything salted, bread and rice.
  • Biscuit cutter/cutters. High sided cutters are recommended.
  • String

 

This recipe uses a ratio of one part fat to two parts seed and supplements.

Step 1

Gently warm your fat in a pot on the stove until the fat is soft or melted. You may use a bowl in the microwave but be aware of a risk of spitting.

 

If making your fat balls with children, make sure an adult supervises this step.

Step 2

Take the pot off the heat for a few minutes to avoid cooking the seeds. Stir in your seed mix well and wait until the mix is no longer a liquid and is cool enough to touch.

I have used a seed mix, crushed oats, sunflower seeds and dried mealworms. 

Step 3

On a flat plate or baking sheet, lay out your biscuit cutter/cutters. Spoon in your fat mixture until the cutter is half full.

 

Lay a length of string over the fat mix, making sure to leave extra sticking out the top. Make sure the string goes all over the biscuit.

Step 4

Fill the rest of the cutter with your fat mix. Make sure the fat is firm before gently lifting the cutter away.

 

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until your fat mix is used up.

Step 5

Place your biscuits in the fridge to set fully.

Step 6

Hang your biscuits in the garden for your garden birds to enjoy!

 

Birds prefer cover while eating, so place your biscuit in a covered stand, tree or bush with nearby branches for your son bird visitors to stand on.

Make your biscuit seasonal

In the colder months, birds are looking to keep warm. High fat content foods are in demand,
so be generous with sunflower seeds and unsalted peanuts.
In spring and summer, many birds are focused on feeding their chicks. In this time use
smaller seeds as these can be more easily fed to small birds. High protein food is also good
for growing chicks, so add in more insect supplements like dried mealworms.