Make a Pinecone Suet Feeder for Garden Birds Before Winter
- Hands on
- 35 min
- Start to finish
- 3.3 hours
- Season
- autumn
- Level
- easy
- Makes
- 3 feeders from one batch of suet mix
As insects disappear and hedges get stripped of berries, garden birds spend more of the short daylight searching for food and less time building up the fat reserves they need for cold nights. A pinecone packed with suet and seed gives them something to work at from every side, costs almost nothing, and puts a scruffy fallen cone to use instead of the compost heap.
What you need
Step by step
-
Tie a loop of twine around the base of each pinecone, under the bottom scales, and knot it securely — this is what the feeder will hang from.
5 min -
Melt the suet or lard gently in a saucepan over low heat until it's liquid but not hot enough to spit.
10 min -
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the seed mix until every bit of it is coated and the mixture is thick, not runny.
5 min -
Spoon and press the mixture into the gaps between the pinecone's scales with a knife, working from the top down and packing it in firmly.
10 min -
Stand the cones on greaseproof paper, twine draped over the edge of a bowl so they hang clear and don't flatten on one side, and leave somewhere cool for 2–3 hours until the fat has set hard.
150 min -
Hang the finished feeders from a branch or bracket at least 1.5m up, away from fence tops or low cover a cat could jump from.
5 min
Afterwards
Wipe out the saucepan while the fat is still warm, before it sets hard in the pan. Check feeders every few days and remake them once the scales are visible again. Scrub off any mould with hot water before refilling, since rancid or mouldy fat can make birds ill, and move feeders to a new spot occasionally so droppings don't build up underneath one perch.
Questions
Can I use bread or kitchen scraps instead of seed?
No — bread fills birds up without giving them the fat and protein they need for cold nights, and it can swell in their crop. Stick to suet, seed or specialist bird food.
What if I can't get suet?
Lard works the same way. Avoid vegetable oil-based spreads and butter, which don't set firm enough and can smear onto feathers, undoing the waterproofing birds rely on in wet weather.
Where's the best place to hang one?
Somewhere you can see it from a window, at least 1.5m off the ground, near enough to a shrub for cover but not so close that a cat can reach it in one jump.
How long will a feeder last?
A few days to a week depending on how many birds visit. It's spent once the pinecone's scales are bare again.