Living with Birds How to feed suet balls to wild birds Tweetapedia

Suet Balls (often referred to as fat balls) are a popular food choice for garden birds, especially during the colder months of the year. Suet balls are usually made up of rendered beef fat, seeds (such as sunflower hearts) and insects. What makes this food source so popular for birds is the high fat content, increasing birds survival chances during the winter months. They are also appreciated year-round by different types of birds and as they offer such high calorific value. 

Suet fat balls for birds can be offered in one of two ways: 

1. A hanging suet ball or fat ball feeder
2. A bird table or ground feeder 

If you are using a bird feeder for suet balls, it is important to purchase the correct feeder.  Suet ball feeders will usually have a large mesh or metal cage instead of a plastic tube. For example, the Suet Ball Basket can hold up to five suet balls and has a high quality metal cage.

Feeders in this style allow your garden birds to have access to the suet ball(s). It's important to position the feeders in the correct location with enough clearance around the feeder. Popular garden birds such as blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits or great spotted woodpeckers will often cling and feed. 

If it is your first time offering suet balls to your garden birds, you may find that there is little to no interest at the start. Birds will naturally avoid new additions to the garden and will favour foods or feeders that are already established. Try temporarily taking down your other feeders to help encourage birds to your new offerings.

A different option is to try placing the suet balls away from any long-standing feeders. Find a quiet location where they can try them away from the activity of your other feeders. 

For the most successful results, try using the best suet balls for birds. Premium suet balls such as Chunky Dumplings™ or Buggy Dumplings™ contain significantly higher fat content than other leading brands. More fat often means more birds and makes each visit to the feeder more valuable for your range of birds.

Some final notes:

1. Beware of warm weather. During summer months, it is suggested to keep suet fat balls out of direct sunlight. Because of their fat content, they can soften or even melt, making them less appealing for birds.
2. Keep your feeders full. Regularly topping up your garden birds food supply will help the food become a popular and established choice.
3. Clean is key. Keep your feeders clean year round to stop the spreading of diseases. These are most commonly spread at bird feeders or feeding stations. You can easily clean your feeders with hot soapy water, or Ark Klens.