Last updated on May 10th, 2023 at 09:25 am
Suet makes for a great snack for birds, especially in the wintertime. But what’s the best way to hang a suet? Can you put suet in a tray or platform feeder, or will that leave it too exposed?
You can put suet in a tray feeder. This will make it accessible to more kinds of birds than a cage feeder or something else. However, you should keep in mind that this accessibility also opens the suet up to bully birds and squirrels, which you might not want eating your suet.
What Should You Put in a Tray Feeder?
When you’re setting up your bird feeding station, there are multiple factors you need to consider.
You need to figure out which kinds of birds you want to attract, what kinds of food they will need, and how you will keep your feeder clean and fresh.
Tray feeders require extra consideration because they are so accessible to different kinds of birds.
What Birds Eat From a Tray Feeder?
Tray feeders are perhaps the most universally accessible kind of feeder that you can have.
They don’t have the cages, bars, or other barriers to entry that other feeders have, so all kinds of birds can use them.
Bigger birds like mourning doves can especially benefit from having a tray feeder.
Putting Suet in a Tray Feeder
Although most backyard birders will use a cage feeder or something similar for suet, you can also use a tray or platform feeder.
Using a tray feeder will open up the suet for more birds, for better and worse.
A tray feeder may make the suet more available to bully birds and squirrels.
Some people choose to use a tray feeder for the remnants of a suet block that birds can no longer reach within a cage feeder or something similar.
If you put suet in a tray feeder, just make sure to keep the feeder clean, dry, and temperature-controlled.
The last thing you want is a block of suet melting onto wood and then rotting.
Best Seeds To Put in a Tray Feeder
The best seeds to put in a tray feeder depends on what you want to attract to your yard and what other feeders you have set up.
Tray feeders are the most accessible feeders, so you’ll want to set up something that you don’t mind bullying birds or squirrels getting to.
The following seeds all make for good choices for a tray feeder.
| Seed Type | Birds Attracted |
| Black Oil Sunflower Seeds | Chickadees, finches, grosbeaks, titmice, cardinals, sparrows, jays, mourning doves, woodpeckers |
| Traditional Sunflower Seeds | Same as Black Oil Sunflower |
| Safflower Seeds | Cardinals, chickadees, finches |
| Nyjer or Thistle Seeds | Goldfinches, sparrows, chickadees, doves |
How To Set Up a Suet Feeder
There are several different ways to set up a suet feeder.
There are multiple kinds of suet feeders available, some of which you can make at home and others you need to purchase from a store.
Common Kinds of Suet Feeders
There are numerous kinds of feeders available for suet, including tray feeders and cage feeders, suet logs, and mesh bags.
Each has benefits and drawbacks.
Cage Feeders
Cage feeders are especially easy to use for suet.
They’re made from easy-to-clean coated wire, which birds can perch on as they reach inside for a meal.
Some cage feeders include tail props that allow clinging birds to hold on and balance more comfortably.
Some cage feeders, like the Stokes Select Suet Feeder from Amazon.com, have an extra cage with large holes in addition to the main suet cage.
This protects the suet from squirrels while still allowing birds to get through the holes and to the suet.
Suet Logs
Suet logs are easy to make and easy to use. You just need to drill holes into a log and fill it with suet.
These kinds of feeders are great for providing perches for birds and protecting the suet from excess moisture.
They also have a great natural look, so your feeder blends in with the natural environment in your yard.
Mesh Bags
Mesh bags make for good suet feeders if you want to serve small birds like nuthatches and tits. They are also a great way to recycle old bags.
You can use mesh bag feeders with suet cakes, chunks, or balls without worrying about fitting a cage exactly to the size of the suet.
Mesh bags are also good because birds can cling to them and perch on them.
How To Make Suet
Suet is typically based on lard, but you can also mix it with peanut butter.
The lard or lard and peanut butter mix is melted and then mixed with birdseed, plus sometimes quick-cooking oats, cornmeal, and flour.
Then, you can put the whole tray of suet into the refrigerator to chill overnight before cutting it into squares or other shapes.
You can either buy or make suet.
Either way, it provides a good source of high-fat energy in the winter months and greatly contributes to the diet of insect-eating birds.
If you buy store bought suet, look for a melt-resistant formula to reduce the chances of being destroyed in the elements.
For example, this St. Albans Bay Suet Plus High Energy Suet Cakes from Amazon.com is specially made to reduce the chance of melting.
How To Set Up a Feeding Station for Birds
To make a feeding station for birds, pick a variety of feeders so that multiple kinds of birds have access to food.
Ideally, you’ll have some food that draws bully birds and squirrels along with others that can go toward more timid songbirds.
A bird feeding station may house a suet feeder in addition to groundnuts, seed feeders, and nectar feeders.
The primary benefits of setting up an entire feeding station are to provide multiple kinds of food and an abundance of food.
That way, birds can look for their preferred food and eat plenty of it without needing to become territorial or defensive over it.
Just make sure that your feeding station is within reach of natural features like shrubs and trees so that birds can have a place to perch nearby.
This will make them feel safer and make it more likely that they’ll use your feeders.