Lard + Leftovers = Happy Birds!

As we've seen, using up leftovers in exciting and unusual ways is not only delicious, but incredibly satisfying! But as the leftovers get more and more sparse there is one way to use up the last bits and pieces after you've enjoyed the treats!

As the first few frosts of the year hit the south coast I've been supplementing the chickens with warming treats but the wild birds don't have as many luxuries. I always have feed on hand for the garden birds, but surely everyone deserves a homemade treat now and again!

First grab those leftover bits and pieces... I used some digestive crumbs from the bottom of the biscuit barrel...

 And the last knockings of the Christmas cake...

I added in some of the chicken's mealworms... (these are super-high in protein - hence why they are great for chickens, especially when they are moulting)

Some Niger seed (this is great for seed-eating birds like goldfinches and siskins)...

And any other seed mixes you have to hand...

And peanuts for the tits (I'm especially proud to have a colony of long-tailed tits in the garden at the moment!)

Mix it all together...

And pop it into a suitable container. I'm using the coconut husk from an old shop-bought bird treat)...

As well as a regular pot so I can pop one on the bird table for those birds that prefer not to hang to feed (robins for example).

Next take a cheap pack of lard and melt it in a pan. Pour into your containers and pop in the fridge for a few hours.

Once it's set the lard will revert back to it's usual opaque state and once it's nice and hard it's ready to hang up in the garden!

Now all that remains is to sit back and wait for the grateful garden birds to enjoy the feast... it's also the perfect opportunity to get ready for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch on the 28th and 29th January. This annual nationwide count monitors changes in numbers of different bird species in our gardens. A great way to help look after our precious native species. Check out the RSPB site for all the info.