How do suet feeders work
Very little functionality goes into your basic suet cake or fat ball feeder, as each model will depend on all size birds to cling on at all angles to feed.
How suet feeders work will depend on its openness and accessibility. While many birds are limited at seed feeders, suet feeders provide plentiful clinging and perching space. The suet itself is freely available between wire gaps, as the suet must be kept out of a confined feeder to prevent it sweating.
What is so great about utilizing a suet bird feeder, suspended on what will probably be a bird feeding station, is how easy it is to use..
Similarly, suet cake or fat ball bird feeders are easily found by wild birds because the suet will always be exposed to the elements. Of which, the suet remains accessible to wild birds, including the less able, but can still be clumsy larger backyard bird feeder birds.
Accessibility still relies on where you hang the suet feeder, which must be hung off the bird feeder pole or tree branch.
Better yet, to force the suet feeder to lean against the pole or a grouping of branches, will stabilize the suet feeder so it doesn't have to hang at all.
Who benefits will be larger woodpeckers who may depend on a suet feeder featuring a tail prop; plus Catbirds, Orioles, Cardinals and Blue Jays who all like a steady suet feeder, over the suspended option.
Suet feeders will have a basic pull up lid that still looks like its part of the cage design.
You put one suet cake/block only in the suet cake feeder, whereas the fat ball feeder will have a capacity of up to five fat balls. To save on waste, not all suet balls have to be used, thus just the one or two suet balls will be good to begin with.
Suet feeders of any kind will always have a chain to suspend the feeders, although it can be made larger with additional wire or rope.
You can hang the suet feeder but its always best to lean it again something to avoid the hanging technique, in order to accommodate all wild birds abilities at feeders.
Easy to access suet treats
Whole idea behind any type of suet bird feeder, is the way each suet cage is constructed. Birds who can feed on suet are both small and large, with unfortunately larger species often going without a bird feeder.
Not so on a suet cage bird feeder - the kind that holds suet balls or suet cakes - as these cages make it easy for wild birds to embrace its unique design.
Finches to Sparrows won't have any difficulty tackling both a fat ball or suet cake feeder, as the metal wire is used to cling on to.
Unlike Cardinals who like suet feeders yet its common to see a suet feeder set up in a way it usually remains inaccessible; which can also apply to Blue Jays, some Woodpeckers, Grackles and Orioles, among others.
Suet feeders are essentially a wielded together metal cage with a ton of gaps between the wire, for wild birds to poke their bills in to feed.
How any kind of suet feeder works that is made to hold suet in a block/cake or fat ball form, will be made for wild birds to access the suet in the same way.
With suet feeders being easy to use by people and our wilds birds, its any wonder these contraptions are widely available to buy.
Sweat if put in regular feeder
Fortunately for wild birds who do like to use a suet feeder, this device continues to be the best type of bird feeder money can buy - as it still remains the most accessible to all our common backyard birds.
OK so it doesn't have a perch but who needs one when the suet feeder itself is basically the perch, thus remains accessible to cling too on all sides.
What's more important, for a suet feeder to work the way its suppose too, the suet itself must be kept in a well air conditioned environment. How you'd achieve that is to keep the suet exposed to the elements, like you do in any standard suet feeder.
Difference between a suet feeder and a seed feeder, is that seed mixes are stored away in a clear plastic tube.
Now imagine storing what is essentially 80% beef fat in what can be a hot, humid plastic tube. Suet won't last very long as the heat will speed up the germination process - when enclosed in a bird feeder - thus the suet feeders must allow air to pass in between the suet to prevent it sweating, and therefore producing bacteria early on.
Suet gets wet for sure yet most kinds of suet will last well in an outdoor environment.
How suet squirrel proof feeder work
With most types of suet bird feeders made into a cage - built with a soft plastic coating that will protect you and your wild birds from harm - let's not forget there are other kinds of suet feeders that work differently from classic suet cage-like bird feeders.
You can buy a clear plastic tube or wire bird feeder that can store suet pellets; an upside down suet feeder can be utilized to deter unwanted guests - or there can be a suet-filled log feeder, with crevices to put in the suet.
What can be the most important type of suet bird feeder for most of us, is indeed a suet feeder designed to deter squirrels.
Squirrels can be kept off bird feeders of any kind with a simple cage surrounding the bird feeder in question.
In case of a suet feeder, the standard suet fat ball or suet cake feeder will simply be centered in the middle of the cage, so it remains out of reach of squirrels - plus nuisance wild birds who are intent on stealing all the suet.
If this cage continues to allow squirrels and others to pass in between the bars for them to eat the suet, you could utilize a counterweight squirrel proof suet feeder.
How a squirrel proof suet feeder works when it comes to rely on weight, is that as soon as a much heavier squirrel climbs on to the suet feeder - of which point will be shrouded in a cage - the suet feeder will close off the access points to the suet.
Conclude
When it comes to a bird feeder made to store any kind of suet cakes or fat balls, it will essentially be a wire-looking cage with suet stored behind the wire.
Why that is, and what is the most important feature, is the ability for less able wild birds to tackle a suet feeder like this, that is super easy to feed on where wild birds can cling on to it as any angle.
Unlike a seed feeder for example where larger, less able birds are usually kicked off the too small perches sat next to the feeding ports.
Suet feeders are made to be accessible to all our backyard birds, and there are many who eat suet when its accessible in feeders.
Suet will sweat in a confined bird feeder, like that belonging to seed mixes, thus suet can be kept out in the elements to allow fresh air to keep it in optimal condition.
Where the suet inside a suet feeder is only accessible underneath, this it what is known as an upside suet feeder, which is ideal for keeping squirrels or unwanted birds off the suet - yet remains accessible to Chickadees or Woodpeckers.
Talking about nuisance wilds birds and squirrels, its possible to get a basic fat ball or suet cake feeder that will be stored in the center of an outer cage. This is what is called a squirrel proof suet feeder.
Similarly, squirrels can be prevented eating the suet on what is a counterweight suet feeder; when squirrels climb on this kind of feeder, the squirrels own weight will shut off the areas where the suet is accessed.
Share this article:
