DIY SUET CAKES FOR CHICKENS

Because your chickens deserve it, man!

I don’t know about your place, but around here, it is slim pickins when it comes to chicken foraging.  Mid-January is not known for its natural resources.

It’s kinda a frozen dessert.

Which makes it the perfect time of year to make your girls a suet cake!

Suet cakes have been around for decades.  They can be purchased in the bird feed section of most garden and big-box home stores.

Rich in fat and protein, suet cakes provide plenty of energy to a flock, especially during winter months when green vegetation and bug populations are low.

Suet cakes are easy and fun to make at home and your flock will love the treat, the extra bump in nutrition, not to mention, the entertainment it provides.  Chickens make a living scratching and pecking and a well-timed suet cake gives them something meaningful to peck when the ground is barren.

These high-protein snacks can be made with a base of beef tallow (suet), lard, coconut oil, or meat drippings.  Any fat that solidifies (becomes solid) when chilled will work.  Making suet cakes at home could not be easier.

Simply melt the fat and stir in nuts, seeds, dried fruit or whatever [chicken friendly] bits you have on hand.

Pour the seed & fat mixture into a foil-lined loaf pan.

Let the delicacy solidify (feel free to speed up the process by moving the loaf to the refrigerator).

Once solid, use a sharp knife to slice the suet cake.

Feed slices of suet cake to your chickens periodically to give them a boost of energy.

And watch as they inhale the delicacy!

This high fat/ high protein snack is sure to please your gaggle.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN LOAF 

(Suet Cake)

Ingredients

⦁ 1 ½ cups melted tallow, lard, coconut oil, or meat drippings
⦁ 1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds or unsalted peanuts
⦁ 1 cup unsweetened dried fruit (pears, peaches, raisins, apricots, apples)
⦁ 1 cup whole grains (wheat berries, millet, or barley)

This is a flexible recipe.  If you have another chicken friendly treat lying around, feel free to add it to the loaf.  Great ideas include corn, oats, and flax seeds.

Instructions

1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or foil. Stir the dried fruit, nuts and grain together and pour in the pan.
2. Melt the fat and pour over the dry ingredients until they are completely covered.  Stir to eliminate any air bubbles.
3. Allow the loaf to cool completely (a refrigerator will speed up the process).
4. Remove from the pan cut into slices.  Serve slices to happy chickens as needed for entertainment, fun and to increase the fat (and protein) in the diet.