Making fat cakes for birds in cold weather

There is something quietly satisfying about standing in a cold kitchen in January, melting a pan of suet while the rain hammers the window, knowing that the little parcel you are about to make will keep a robin, a blue tit or a great spotted woodpecker going through a frosty night. Fat cakes are one of the simplest and most rewarding things you can make for your garden birds, and once you have the knack you will never look at a shop-bought ball of fat in the same way again.

Why fat matters so much in cold weather

Birds burn energy at a startling rate when the temperature drops. A blue tit can lose a tenth of its body weight overnight in a hard frost, and small birds may need to feed almost constantly during daylight hours simply to survive until dawn. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy available to them, packing roughly twice the calories of the same weight of seeds or bread.

Natural food is thin on the ground in winter. Insects are hidden, berries have been stripped, and the ground is often too hard to probe. A well-made fat cake hung in a sheltered corner becomes a reliable, high-energy top-up that can make the difference between a bird making it through to spring and not. It also brings birds close to the window, which is a genuine pleasure on a grey afternoon.

What you will need

The ingredients are cheap and easy to find. You want a mixture that sets firm but not rock-hard, and that does not turn to slush on a mild day.

• Suet or lard – about 500g. Plain beef suet from the butcher is ideal, and lard works just as well. Avoid anything salted.
• Peanut butter – 3 to 4 heaped tablespoons. Choose a plain, unsalted, no-added-sugar version. Cheap own-brand peanut butter with palm oil is not suitable.
• Oats – a large handful of porridge oats, or coarse oatmeal. These bind the mixture and give birds something to peck at.
• Dried fruit – 100g of raisins, sultanas or currants. Soak them in warm water first if they are very dry.
• Optional extras – a handful of mixed seed, some chopped unsalted peanuts, or a spoonful of insectivorous mix for the tits.

You will also need a bowl, a saucepan, a spoon, and something to set the mixture in. Small yoghurt pots, silicone moulds or empty coconut shells all work nicely.

Making the cakes

Melt the suet or lard gently in a saucepan over a low heat. Do not let it boil. Once it has just turned to liquid, take it off the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it has melted into the fat. Add the oats, dried fruit and any seeds, and stir thoroughly. The mix should look thick and slightly claggy rather than runny.

Spoon it into your moulds, pressing down firmly to remove air pockets, and leave to cool at room temperature. Do not put them in the fridge, as the fat can separate as it sets too quickly. Once firm, they will pop out easily and can be stored in a cool shed or the fridge for a couple of weeks.

If you would rather not use moulds, you can press the warm mixture into a shallow tray and cut it into squares once set, or roll it into balls and let them harden on a sheet of greaseproof paper.

What to avoid

Two things cause more harm than good, and both are easy to get wrong.

• Mesh bags – the string or plastic netting that often comes with shop-bought fat balls is a serious hazard. Birds catch their feet and tongues in it, and it can cause nasty injuries or worse. Never hang a homemade cake in a mesh bag, and always remove the netting from shop-bought ones before they go out.
• Salt – salted fats, salted nuts and salty kitchen scraps are dangerous for small birds, whose kidneys cannot cope with it. Keep everything unsalted, including the peanut butter.

It is also worth avoiding leftover cooking fat from the roasting tin. It is often salty, and it can smear onto feathers and ruin their insulation.

Hanging your cakes

Where you put the cake matters almost as much as what is in it. Hang it in a sheltered spot, away from the prevailing wind and rain, which will turn even a good fat cake rancid or mushy within days. A position under the eaves, against a warm wall or in the lee of a hedge is ideal.

Keep it at least two metres from the ground and a good distance from dense cover where cats can lurk, and if possible within sight of a window so you can enjoy the visitors. A simple wire feeder, a fat ball holder, or a piece of clean garden twine threaded through the cake will do the job. Check it every few days, and take it down and replace it if it starts to look grey or smell sour.

Once you are in the habit, you will find yourself watching the weather forecast with half an eye on the fat supply. A few minutes of melting and stirring on a cold morning is a small kindness, and the birds repay it many times over.