How to use fat balls for birds
The only way you can use fat balls is to feed wild birds in your yard who will feed on them, with an abundance of common backyard birds willing to eat up the beef fat balls.
How to use fat balls for birds are formulated exclusively for wild birds only. Fat balls can be taken out of its tub and situated in a group or scattered around the yard in order to grab a birds eye. Stabilize what is a rounded ball in a fat ball feeder to be organized - whilst remaining mindful suet can stain if on a surface.
Don't make it complicated when what is first a dry fat ball that is taken out of a sealed tub, would then be placed in your yard only.
Most people utilize a corresponding simple fat ball feeder but to not use a feeder can in fact benefit birds who struggle to cling on an awkward angle to eat at the fat balls.
Never use full capacity in a fat ball feeder at first as you'd need to know how much or little fat balls are eaten, to avoid waste. It can be seasonal but only months apart can see a big difference of reduced fat ball use.
Fat ball bird feeders must be taken advantaged of because their easy to put suet in, yet can be hung off a bird feeder pole, branch or bracket anywhere in the yard, as your backyard birds find them by sight.
Fat balls can be put on a flat surface to stop them rolling around in the yard, although the suet does have a knack for causing stains.
What ingredients can make up a rolled in beef fat, fat ball ...is seed mixes, nuts, dried mealworms or fruits, like berries. But a better option would be fat balls that utilize mix a of all, or a few crucial to a wild birds diet ingredients.
Best way to feed fat balls to all birds in your yard is in a fat ball feeder which will be hung off a tree branch, yet a simple bird feeder pole can be used.
Birds love fat balls but unfortunately so do rodents like rats or less of an issue, squirrels; thus to utilize a fat ball feeder you can put in place squirrel deterrents; whilst avoid using fat balls or any bird feed for now if the rat issue persists.
Treat fat balls like any kind of bird food really, one or half a dozen can be put in a feeder yet to save time and money, you can feed birds these balls out in the open.
Suet balls for exclusive wild bird use
Fat balls are usually formulated to feed wild birds exclusively, as the ingredients used in the suet balls can subsidize similar feed what birds eat in the wild.
Want to feed mostly fruit-eating birds like American Robins suet? No problem at all, as you turn to fruit-filled fat balls mixed up in a dry beef fat ball.
How to use fat balls for birds then is for your common backyard birds only - and there sure is plenty of them - all while keep fat balls intended for wildlife well out of reach of pet birds or indeed, pets.
Fat balls are hard at first so it can appear suet balls won't be eaten as much as they remain hard as a rock, yet given time outdoors the outer surface will soften up; thus hard beak eating birds like Blue Jays can feed while soft bill eating birds such as Finches can all eat in due course.
Fat balls do have an expire date while still stored in the tub or package they were bought in, so its important to get them out in the yard to be all used up in a particular time-frame.
Rely on an area where most birds gather in your yard which will be the place where you locate the fat balls.
Feeding birds in a heatwave with store-bought fat balls can last well in the sun, whilst utilizing homemade fat balls can rapidly spoil in such hot conditions.
In the meantime, you'd want to avoid direct sun while choosing a shaded spot for your fat balls if you can - or make use of any kind of suet fat ball bird feeder.
Fat balls stabilized in feeder
Whilst feeding fat balls for birds in the yard requires no additional equipment or know-how, you must consider a fat ball bird feeder when offering up what can be a quite messy handful of suet balls.
How to use fat balls in a bird feeder would rely on the specialist cage feeder kind.
Fat ball feeders are made with wide open gaps to feed birds in an hanging up position on a branch, or what most people choose is a bird feeder pole bracket - as its normally what is available to the masses.
If you want wild birds to eat your fat balls then they must find it in the first place, and with that fat balls will need to be situated near other wild bird food in your yard.
Ideally you'd want to hang the fat ball feeder which usually as a 4-5 fat ball capacity near the seed or peanut bird feeder - which is where birds commonly head to in order to eat in your backyard.
You certainly can use fat balls out of bird feeders if the space or expense isn't welcoming right now - as you hang suet fat balls off a length of string within shrubs or bushes - or why not place fat balls on a dish for birds to feed on top a flat surface.
Best fat ball bird feeders you can buy would be the no-fuss long cage style feeders [as pictured above] with a 4-5 ball capacity; whilst there is an opportunity to go fancier with a wreath style fat ball feeder - or what is only one or two fat balls added to a single-use ball feeder only.Balls can hang without fat ball feeder
You know what if you are concerned about all the fuss that comes when buying a tub of fat balls for your common backyard birds, it really doesn't have to be.
In fact, all you need to do is take 4 or 5 fat balls at a time out of the tub to group them all together in the yard in a popular area with birds. That's it, now you can just wait until birds come along to eat them up.
How you decide to utilize fat balls in your attempt to attract birds to your suet options can be very precise or simplistic as you like.
Bare minimum use of fat balls is just putting them out in the yard while hoping birds do eventually find them, and eat them.
I won't concern you with the potential for waste because fatty suet balls go down well with wild birds, thus if they are made available - birds are sure to slowly or quickly eat them up depending on how busy your yard is with birds.
I will say fat balls can get quite messy inside their feeder whilst the bonus of no feeder in use can save you the trouble of cleaning up a film of grease or what will probably be a white stain developing internally of the suet fat ball feeder.
On the downside, exposed fat balls can be taken away by larger birds who raid your bird feeders - or indeed the once nice wooden deck railing or garden furniture can stain.
Seed-filled fat balls a favorite
I promise you if you decide to feed an abundance of wild birds in your yard in suet fat balls labeled as seed, fruit or insect-filled, you can still get all birds to eat them.
Birds take to eating fat balls because the fatty content can replace lost body fat of a bird, whilst the protein can give them that extra boost of energy wild birds need on a daily basis.
Similarly, fat balls are usually prioritized in wintertime because birds eat it more then as they fight off the cold - all while you can feed birds suet in the summer if you want - and in most cases, all year round if you keep the area clean and hygienic.
With all that being said, most birds who frequent your yard like Jays, Finches, Chickadees, and of course Woodpeckers, are seed-eating birds. And therefore will be seen to eat more fat balls if its made up of seed mixes.
Knowing where to and what is the best way to hang suet feeders if you proceed this way is important to know with what bird species eat suet in feeders or are unable too - or else some will go without.
Let me say most wild birds who eat at feeders can do with ease, whereby as a Woodpecker will eat suet in a feeder - to stabilize that feeder can benefit them and many others.
Unfortunately, American Robins who can eat suet haven't quite adapted to feeders, thus fat balls must be offered out in the open where Robins, plus less able birds can feed.
Conclusion
Want to know how to use fat balls for birds, well, thankfully there's no effort needed on your part as its just a matter of putting out fat balls in your yard.
Not to many at first mind you as you'd want to get to grips with who, what and when will birds eat your fat balls - or else to use too many or to few fat balls will see waste or indeed birds going without.
Fat balls, also called suet balls are made exclusively for wild birds to supplement their diet in winter, but can be used all year round.
Knowing birds eat fatty suet balls to re-store lost body fat or for energy is vital to know as other common bird feeder food isn't quite as useful.
With bird feeders on mind, if you like you can put fat balls in to its corresponding fat ball bird feeder in any type - yet the simple 4-6 capacity ball feeder is all that's needed.
Fat ball feeders can stabilize what is a rounded ball which is of course prone to rolling, whilst to store balls in its feeder can prevent certain birds steeling the balls whole.
If you go without a fat ball bird feeder, go carefully as suet can stain the surface they do happen to be placed on.
Don't be too concerned about what ingredients to include in your store-bought fat balls, but it can help more birds if you prioritize seed-filled fat balls - with an option to buy fat balls which are made with all major food groups, such as mealworms, nuts and fruit.