Suet Log Feeder
A suet log bird feeder is a great way to attract birds that are clinger feeders to your backyard, especially Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White Breasted Nuthatches or Black Capped Chickadees. Suet log feeders are commercially available, or they can be a simple and fun DIY project for kids -requiring only a small log, piece of wire, drill and suet.
Drill a hole for the hanger
Suet is rendered beef fat that is mixed with seeds, nuts and fruit, making a high-energy food for birds. It is especially useful during the winter months, when naturally occurring seeds and fruit are scarce for wild birds. Commercially manufactured wild bird suet is generally sold in blocks, and provided to birds in hanging cages or baskets. A suet log feeder has large holes packed with suet, is suspended 6-8 feet above the ground, and allows birds to cling to the log and feed from the holes.
A forstner bit makes fast work of the suet holes
To begin the project, find a 2″-3″ thick limb or log and cut it to a 12″-14″ length. Any type of wood will work, including hardwoods such as oak, birch or elm, or softwood such as pine or fir. For a seamless match to your backyard environment, find a suitable log from downed limb from a backyard tree.
Next, determine which end of the log will be the top of the suet log feeder and drill a small hole through the limb. This hole will allow for a 10″-12″ inch thin piece of wire to be inserted through, and will be used to hang the log feeder after it is filled with suet.
A fun hands on activity
Drilling the holes in the log that will hold the suet are best done with a 1 1/2″ – 1 3/4″ flat drill bit or forstner bit. Before drilling, clamp or fix the log securely in place so that it does not shift during drilling. If available, a drill press makes quick and easy work of the drilling and is safe and fun for the kids to operate with supervision. Drill the hole at least 1″ deep, being careful not to drill through the log. Turn the log after each hole is drilled, orienting the holes so that there is a maximum number of holes with 2″-3″ of space below for birds to cling to. Lightly sand the outside of the holes with medium sandpaper, to remove any rough edges that might pose a threat to the birds.
A fun project for kids
Filling the holes in the log feeder with suet is a fun hands-on activity for kids. We used one suet “cake” to fill three suet log feeders. With gloves and spoons, the kids filled and packed their log feeders with suet from our local grocery store. One suet cake filled three of our homemade log feeders. With drilling the holes being a close second, this was the most fun for the kids during the project.
All in all, we made three suet log feeders in about an hour. They are all hung outside and the kids regularly check them to see the progress that our backyard birds have made on the suet inside. This was definitely a great project, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in introducing their children to the fun of backyard birding and woodworking.
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