Watching birds feeding outside your window is a great way to feel in touch with nature, even in the midst of the city. And with the days getting colder and food scarcer, now’s the perfect time to tempt some feathered friends to your back door with a homemade fat ball. They’re easy and cheap to make, and will keep those hungry little birds happy and healthy right through the winter.
What you need:
- Lard or other solid animal fat left over from cooking (not butter or margarine)
- Bird seed and/or a selection of oats, raisins, bread crumbs, unsalted peanuts, bits of cheese, left over potato
- Saucepan
- Spoon
- String
- Wooden stick, eg a lollipop stick
- Yoghurt pot or other plastic container
What to do:
- Melt the fat over a low heat. I used half a block of lard to make my fat ball.
- When the fat has melted, stir in your seeds and other foods. I used about three generous handfuls of bird seed and a handful of crushed peanuts.
- While the mixture is cooling, cut your wooden stick to fit widthways inside the bottom of your plastic container. I didn’t have any empty yoghurt pots, so I cut the top off an old water bottle and used that instead.
- Tie the string around the stick and place it in the bottom of the plastic container, leaving enough string trailing out of the pot to hang your fat ball up when it’s finished.
- Pour the mixture into the container, making sure the string is coming out of the top. Put it in the fridge or freezer to harden.
- Once hardened, cut the plastic container away. You should be left with a nice, solid fat treat – not a ball, strictly speaking, but the birds really won’t mind about the shape.
- Hang the fat ball out in your garden and watch the hungry birds to come and enjoy it.
