In my years of feeding the birds, suet is something I always have out at my feeders. It’s a great food for attracting Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches and other birds (my local Crows also like it). Suet is also a fantastic offering if you live in an area with cold winters. Birds appreciate the extra fat and energy a food like suet gives them.
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Related Content: How to Attract Woodpeckers to a Feeder
Backing up, suet is the hard fat from beef. You can buy single suet cakes for dirt cheap (usually $2-$5) and put them in a cage feeder.
Looking for something a little more exotic? You can buy a suet log feeder, like the one I have below, and fill it with suet plugs. These feeders look nicer and also allow birds to feel like they’re directly perched on a tree.
With it being the dead of winter in my neck of the woods (Minnesota) right now, I wanted to put together a piece highlighting some of the best suet products you can buy online. For this story, I scanned Amazon as my primary source, but also listed any alternative online stores for shopping comparison. Each product needed to have at least 100 reviews of 4 stars or more to be considered for this list.
A few of these also received some imaginary bonus points from me for being products I’ve used and loved over the years.
I will regularly scan this article and its links over time, but please bear with me and let me know in the comments below if any links are out-of-date, or if you know of any other shopping options.
Related content: Five Heated Bird Baths that are Great for Winter
1. C&S Peanut Delight No Melt Suet Dough
About this Product:
- I wanted to lead this story off with a suet cake as they’re the cheapest and easiest to start using. I’ve used this type of suet cake plenty of times in the past. It works!
- This is a straightforward peanut suet cake for use in a cage feeder.
- I’ve used these suet cakes in the past and my neighborhood Downy Woodpeckers and Red Bellied Woodpeckers approved!
- This is no melt suet.
Shopping Options:
- Ace Hardware (single pack)
- Amazon (8 pack)
- Chewy (single pack)
- Walmart (single pack)
2. Roasted Peanut Suet Attractor Plug
About this Product:
- I’ve used these suet plugs for years and buy mine from Minnesota All Season’s Wild Bird Stores (they’re also sold online below).
- I’ve tested a ton of suet…and this is one of my favorites for my birch log suet feeder. I’ve witnessed Downy, Hairy, and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers all eat this with joy. I’m not in a great sport for Pileated Woodpeckers, but associates at the bird store claim they also love this product.
- I recently learned they’re created by a Veteran-owned business, which is fantastic.
- There are also sunflower versions of this product available. I’ve also had good luck with these, but give a slight edge to the popularity of the peanut-flavored logs.
- I love that this suet log is…tender. If that’s the right word? It’s malleable and easy for me to form around my suet log, almost like Play-Doh!
- The only downside is that these aren’t cheap. However, I find them worth buying regularly due to their popularity with the birds!
Shopping Options:
- Attractor Suet and Seed
- Duncraft
- All Seasons Wild Bird Stores (Minnesota)
- Wild Bird and Habitat Store
3. Wildlife Sciences Suet Plugs – Variety Pack
About this Product:
- A variety pack of suet plugs for use in a suet log feeder.
- These suet plugs are 3.75 inches long and 1 inch in diameter
- Flavors included in the Amazon variety pack: Sunflower, insect & nuts, Woodpecker blend, and Peanut Blend.
- I’ve also used these suet plugs in my birch tree feeder in the past and they work well. You can read my full review here.
- Different flavors are meant to appeal to a wide-range of birds like Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Cardinals, Chickadees, Sparrows, and more.
Shopping Options:
4. Heath Outdoor Products All Season High Energy Suet Cake
About this Product:
- A simple, straightforward, and cheap pack of 10 suet cakes for year-round use.
- Reviewers on Amazon approve of this suet for its cost, ability to draw in a variety of birds, and that it holds up in hot weather.
Shopping Options:
5. Wild Bird Woodpecker Suet Nuggets
About this Product:
- Suet nuggets are a fun way to incorporate it into a tray or hopper feeder.
- You can offer these solo in a feeder, or mix them into other bird seed! As seen in the image above, I enjoyed offering these nuggets with peanuts and sunflower chips in a divided tray feeder.
Shopping Options:
- All Seasons Wild Bird Store – 1 bag
- Amazon – 8 Pound Box
- Amazon – 3 Pack
- Chewy – 8 pound box
- Walmart – 1 bag
6. Pine Tree Farms Hot Pepper Suet
About this Product:
- I wanted to include a spicy suet on this list! Suet is also appealing to squirrels. If you want to avoid feeding them, spicy suet can be a solution. Squirrels taste spice strongly and birds don’t mind it.
- Just be sure to use gloves and not touch your eyes after using a spicy suet product (I’ve made this mistake before).
- Spicy suet is more expensive, but it can be financially worth it if you don’t want squirrels eating all of it!
Shopping Options:
7. Kaytee Wild Berry Suet
About this Product:
- A flavor change up! This wild berry suet is a great option for year-round bird feeding.
- I like to mix up the suet flavors at my feeders, especially in the spring and summer. Offering fruit flavored suets can be more appealing to different birds.
- Amazon reviewers like this suet for its popularity at their feeders. Species mentioned: Cardinals, Woodpeckers, and Chickadees.
Shopping Options:
Wrapping Up
I hope this listing is helpful for you as you explore options for feeding suet to your backyard birds. Suet is a great addition to your feeding station if you’d like to draw in more Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Chickadees.
I’m open to your questions and product suggestions in the comment section below. Thanks a bunch for reading Dan’s Bird Bites!
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