How to make backyard bird "Seed Logs" Backyard Birds Len Quelland
Vložit
- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- With the help of my wife we decided to cut cost and waste of using so many bird feeders over the last 20+ years! I'll show you step by step how to actually make a "Seed Log" from Central Iowa.
*After removing the seed log from container let log dry for several days until fully hardened.
"Lard Suet Cakes" Video Link
• How to make "Lard Suet...
Welp, your ratio of gelatin to water worked for me...as did the advice of drying overnight. Your recipe was my 2nd attempt at making my own seed log and yielded the best results so I am very pleased! Thank you for this!
I'm definitely letting it sit in the mold for atleast overnight. Then I remove center dowel rod and I dump upside down in a cardboard box and let it dry in open air again overnight and then flip over and dry one more day before putting outside. Yes whatever you can do to get gelatin to set is the trick! I've been adding some oats in our last 8 logs and more cranberries and the birds all love it. Keep me updated but I have pulled all my other platform feeders and big feeders down now. Saving money on seed and they all like it.
@@lenquelland5048 Doing it again this winter & I've been adding (raw, uncooked obviously, haha) oats & grits (cornmeal, polenta, etc.) as binder; with variations of seed, peanut butter, raisins, and mealworms.
During the "arctic blast" I used lard (crisco) in lieu of the gelatin. I had/have bluebirds loving it, chickadees, carolina wrens, tufted titmouse, pine warblers, pine siskins, various finches...
Hi Len, what is the best bird seed that you use for winter song birds?@@lenquelland5048
Added a bit more gelatin, and the Recipe has been great for 104° weather in San Antonio Texas
Thanks for the update!
Good to know. Here in AZ and wanted to give this recipe a try.
one year out, is it still working for you in San Antonio? I'm worried about heat and humidity cuz I'm in Houston but excited to try!
I used to get so frustrated with fallen bird seed killing my grass. I just gave up, decided to get rid of the grass and put mulch under the feeders, which eventually led me to removing all of the grass in my yard. Grass isn't even native to the US, so I stopped being upset about it and planted native fruit / nut bearing shrubs in my grass free yard. I get a lot more birds now & they have places to hide when the hawks come after them. Seed cakes are _so_ expensive at stores in my area, so I appreciate your video!
Perhaps the grass specie(s) that grew in your yard was not native, but there are hundreds of grass species that are native to what is now the United States.
@RobertBDAI I do have the big 4 tallgrass prairie species in my yard and many other native grasses and sedges. I don't have the energy at this point in life to convert the whole lawn, ( the only lawn I have left is just on one side of the house) but I do plan on incorporating plugs of native grasses in the lawn. Hopefully, they'll crowd out the Kentucky blue over time.
thanks , i have so many seeds and ive been buying suet cakes and other seed cakes, now i can try my hand at making my own
Sweet ….. A seed log that size in the stores around me cost about 20 - 25 bucks (Southern Ontario). I am so glad to find out how to make these. Seed right now is outrageous here for us.
Great idea...I made mine the same but I added one cup of cyanne pepper powder to the mix..it won't affect any birds but the Squirrels won't touch it.they will try but after they taste it..there leaving quickly....but great video
Thanks for your video..lol my wife saw and came home from Walmart with 150 bucks worth of seed, gelatin, containers all works for the birds and squirrels
I make your bird seed block all the time thank you for your recipe
I love Birds too. Thank you folks for your sensational efforts!
Man I am spending $80 a month for 6 pack of JCs bug nut and fruit logs. They eat one every 3-4 days, it’s insane. I love the birds but I am SO trying this seeing how easy it is!
I followed this recipe last weekend and the results were great. One recommendation here - the individual Knox packets are too expensive. They have 7g each, which is a quarter of an ounce. You can buy Knox in 16 ounce small buckets which is the equivalence of 64 individual packets - or in dollars, less than half the price. Great recipe and much appreciated!
Thank you. I looked online and there are many sources for gelatin that are less expensive in bulk. I just hadn't thought of it before. 🙄 It doesn't have to be Knox.
Great no-nonsense get-to- it video. Thanks, Len. I liked that you included mealworms in your recipe.
I so appreciate these easy to follow instructions! These do hold together nicely! I used half a recipe and initially packed them into plastic cups with twine for hangers, but later switched to small silicone popsicle molds (also with twine for hanging), and the size is perfect. I hang several at a time, wrapping and freezing any extra cakes for later.
They love the addition of fruit!
The birds here also thank you!
PS: working somewhat quickly, and packing tightly is the key to success!
Thanks !! I don't get the logs very often because of the cost, I can't wait to try this !!
Use all kinds of ingredients, they are really enjoying oats mixed in as it's very low cost.
@@lenquelland5048 Does rain melt the gelatin ? Thanks !
WalMart carries Unflavored Gelatine in their own brand in the pudding and jello section!!♥️
Hello and thank you for the information and recipes to make the seed logs!👍🏽😊
I have established a good setting for the hummingbirds and am setting the back & front yards up to feed all the birds!😁🥰
This will be a plus for them, and I put out 2 new feeders 2 days ago, and today I saw several birds eating the seeds, it was great to see the birds 🐦 are attracted to my feeders so quickly.
Can't wait to see how they respond after I hang a couple of them out in the trees and on the feeder hook poles!👍🏽😊💃🏽🦜
Cooked rice , ground nuts , ground cereal , peanut butter , lard , shortening , raisin , melt peanut butter shortening and lard for two minutes in the microwave , mix well , birds love it
Thank you so much for this video. I am inspired to try this, my birds empty the feeder onto the ground every day! I have a suet feeder that has hot pepper, because the squirrels apparently hate it and birds don’t mind it. I think I will try incorporating some hot pepper flakes into the mix. Thanks again!😀
I have a question the birds can't taste the spicy but does it hurt there stomachs after a while, just wondering
I've been feeding my little feathered friends for years, too. And their furry woodland counterparts. You are correct: these beasts will straight up put you in the poor house 😂
Yep, kind of goes against the saying, "eats like a bird", doesn't it? These birds eat more like horses, lol
Clear, Concise and easy to follow! Thanks :)
I still think good old fashioned lard is easier, cheaper & also provides some fat/energy for the birds. Lard is naturally hard at room temp, easy to use, & easily coats all the seed. How do the gelatin “cakes” make out in the rain?
I have chicken pets, they are only two and something like this will be fantastic! I probably will make them in ice cubes as treats because they will finish it in a day!
Some readers appear to be trying to supply the birds entire diet. These treats should only be enough to attract birds into your yard. Wild birds need to learn how to find their own seed.
You're killing the surface of that pot with the spoon 😱
Good thing it's not your pot. No need for you to worry about it lol.
@@pedrosyDarling-mn9st He's still killing it and people like you will follow his example.
Oh my god the horror!! You’re right I’m going to do it now. Imagine this though… it’s not your pan, so you can mind your business lol
@@pedrosyDarling-mn9st Mind your business and leave me to comment whatever I want to comment. Exactly: mind your own business 😂
The purpose of the video went over your head. It’s obvious 🤣
Hey thank you so much for this!!
Thank you Len - your video was helpful.
Thank you so much! This was very informational. 😊
Your very welcome.
You didn't show the process of removing the seed log from the containers after the refrigeration process. Question - does the seed log remove easily, like does it just slip out? Or does it stick the container and do you need to be a bit tricky when removing it? Genuine question here - not trying to criticize your video. I've been buying the stuff you get at the store, and my wife has told me I've got to stop that because it's too expensive, so I need to find an alternative. One more question, which is probably a stupid question, but what happens if you use more gelatin? Do you find it all sticks together stronger, or does it come problematic for the birds to remove the seed etc? Cheers!
New to the channel i just started leaving feed for the wild outside birds cause of the stray cats likes to catch and eat birdy birdys 🐦 the birds like to eat the cat food i leave for the stray cats. Buying bird seeds is expensive lol. Needing a diy great video.
I am trying this today! Thank you. 😊
Thanks for sharing
I'm hoping to lower my monthly birdseed bill with this tip.
We are trying it right away! Wonderfull video
n you mix peanut butter with that looks great idea
Yes
Thanks for the vid! I'm commenting, mostly out of desperation. I put up a (expensive Kaytee) bell yesterday (wisconsin) for the birds. By morning, it was literally gone. Squirrels ate 3 pounds of seed in those few hours. I thought, I should be able to get bells made with hot pepper, but nobody seems to make it. So, why not make my own bells? Mix seed up with some dried Scotch Bonnets--the squirrels will smell it and run. I'm commenting to ask, how well does the gelatin hold up to rain? Do they dissolve quickly? Thanks again!
I just used his recipe last weekend which was the first for me. Subsequent to that we had some strong rains and they have held up perfectly.
Where do you buy the holders for the seed logs?
Ok I made these tonight. Will see how it sets up but I calculated some costs. I spend $66 (with tax) for 6 of the JC wildlife bug nut and berry logs the 4”x7” size.
To start I ordered:
$13 for a 5lb bag of the Wild delight nut and berry.
$7 for a bag of Kaytee Mealworms
$14 for the gelatin (38pack) took 6 packs for 3 logs so $3
This made 3 logs plus a little extra at the 4”x7” size. It comes out to about $23 add tax to products about $26
So 6 logs will run me about $52 home made with the stuff I ordered vs $66 for premade. I’ll try to get costs down with bulk supplies and maybe find some cheaper foods as I got more high end ingredients. Not sure if saving $14 is worth it (it was easy) but that will probably add up to a decent savings of about $160 a year as I go through 6 logs in just over a month. I have started feeding squirrels separately and got a baffle so hopefully they’ll last longer with them not eating on it all day.
Little worried about mold as mentioned on some comments but they’re in the fridge and we will see. Also in S. FL so will be interesting to see if they hold up.
Great video. Thank you. ☺️
great , Thx for sharing
Where did you get your feeders? Thank you for the information!
We had a winter storm. We had multiple out. The lasted 3 days!
Love this
Thank you!
Succès! Our mistake was to put the log in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. We speak French and we misunderstood. The snow allows the squirrel close to the log and he is very happy.
Just subscribed. This is great.
In cooking you never stir the gelatin; you pour it on the cold liquid until it softens and then put it into a boiling mixture to dissolve.
I hear ya on the mess under the feeders. I have a station, that I hang different types of seed. 4" PVC, got rid of the squirrels from the pole feeder, and changing from black oil sunflower, to safflower got rid of the grackles...(kinda), but not 100%. Now the doves are draining my 1-2 lbs of safflower hopper feeder in a couple days. I do have a small platform feeder for sunflower, for some of the birds. But it's amazing how much shells collect in a short time.
With your suet cakes, I see lots of sunflower. Do those shells make it to the ground? And your hangers look perfect for pesky squirrels to infiltrate.
Usually the finches, chickadees, cardinals and woodpeckers take it to a branch and crack and eat there.
@@lenquelland5048 The woodpeckers only eat mixed fruit and berries, suet, and nuts. I never see them eating safflower/sunflower. The cardinals, blue jays, and a few other small birds eat the seeded food, and make a mess. I thought of making some type of "up-side down" umbrella under and around the feeding station pole, to contain it, and keep most of the shells off of the ground, but haven't gotten there yet.
I am glad I found your videos on making seed cakes and suet seed cakes! I am planning on making them and wondering if you use dried fruit? Thank you!
Vidio Muito bom vou fazer
Thanks for the video. Looking forward to making a few of my own. You mentioned here you were making a Lard version, have you posted that yet?
Yes Tim I did. Just look for my main page under my name you will find it.
Hi Len, tried your recipe, and ratio of seed to gelatin worked. But I ran into a problem: I let my log sit in the container for 3 days, and when I went to take them out of the containers they looked fuzzy like they were molding. What'd I do wrong?
You waited too long. Get it outside the next day. The sun will keep the mold at bay
what all kinds of grain and stuff did you put in?
What is the difference between using gelatine or tenderflake lard?
That would likely melt in the SoCal sun.
I would try agar. Higher melting point once gelled.
I have some gelatin in bulk and want to use that but will need to measure it out.
How many ounces (or tsp) are in each of those packets?
Also, thanks for typing out the recipe at the end of the video.
1 tablespoon for a cup of water.
I'm doing your recipe for the first time, so easy to do but on your video we don't see how you take the log out of the container. Can you tell me why not all seeds stick together, sometimes the log brake in half when I take it out of the container... also still have liquids in the bowl after taking out all the seeds...what am I doing wrong? Love your video it is so easy to follow.
+Make sure you quick freeze it then pop out of container and let air dry a couple days.
Hello, i have a question. We did the recèpe to the letter but it became soft when put in the feeder. We live in Canada with snow. It his like it never dried. Can you help?
How much are the gelatin packs? I looked on Amazon and they look expensive, especially if you’re using four packs to make two logs. Thank you.
Will these fall apart if they are hanging outside and exposed to rain?
Doing well in the rain.
hey buddy- ive tried 4 times and my logs dont set hard, they are very very brittle and fall apart when bird land on them after a few minutes, made up same water and gelatin and put in fridge, waited 4 days under fan, still really brittle--- can you help?, cheers
Where did you buy the metal feeder?
The squirrels and raccoons destroy everything here, we have to bring Everything in every evening
How has this recipe done with hotter weather. Any melting issues?
Can you use flavored gelatin? My local stores only have orange and strawberry gelatin.
Hard to believe that price with a 40 lb bag of wild bird seed being $25.
Go to a feed store. I can get a 40 pound bag of birdseed for $18.00 at our local feed store. Critter food is only $15.00 for a 40 pound bag. Don't shop retail for your wildlife food.
for the cranberries are you using dried cranberries..same for cherries?
Do you find there is difference using gelatin as opposed to lard?
How much seed are you starting with
What of pepper can I include in the mix to keep the squirrels away?
Don't really know as I don't have that problem.
czcams.com/video/ICmlzl8bUSc/video.html
Yes put some hot sauce in it .. the birds can't taste it,but the squirrels hate it
Cole's Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce
Great video; very thorough but easy to follow. But still, I have a problem. My logs seem to fall apart. Leave them in fridge overnight; take them out. Whether they dry outside or in kitchen, they unexpectedly fall apart. I am using plain old hardware store birdseed. Nothing fancy, no dried fruits or peanuts. What could I be doing wrong? Thanks for your suggestions!
Try using lard. Lard is hard at room temperature. Heat up 4-5 tbsps, mix in dome peanut butter & pour the mixture over your seed. Coat all the seed, form in molds. Remove & put out for the birds.
Anyone know how these last in the summer heat?
Other comments verify very well.
I've made suet blocks before. Can the gelatin be incorporated with fats i.e. lardcor peanut butter? Thanks.
Yes
Is the water added to the gelatin warm or hot or boiling
hot from the tap
Do u use fresh cranberries
That video was for the birds
👍⚾️🐿
how did you get them bk out , you didnt show
👍👍
Where do u buy dacron
Fresh, frozen, dried, what style berry do you use?
Dried fruits from Walmart.
Where did you get the cylinder containers. Are they deli containers or ricotta cheese???
Yes u could use them. Also line container with parchment paper comes right out.
I use all types, these were from Sam's clubs white cheese dip we eat all the time.
if i wanted to add cayenne pepper or hot sauce should I change the recipe? do you have any recipes with the hot pepper in it? thank you!
Cole's Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce
What do you use in the containers so they don't stick in there and can't get them out
Parchment paper to line the sides
❤😊🐦
How do these last in the summer time?
had a difficult time getting them out of the plastic container (very sticky)...any advice?
bang on table topside down and they will jar lose.
How much gelo is in each satchet pleasez
Where do you get the mold containers?
Any kind of dips, soups, cottage cheese containers.
tilted the tin and seeds fell off ????
I put mine in the freezer and it made it much more solid even after defrosting. You can also add more gelatin and that seems to work.
How much is in a package I have a big container
Anyone who helps animals- gets a subscribe!
how do you keep the squirrels off of the seed cakes?
I use caged bird feeders that you hang whatever you want in them but it does limit the size of bird. Other than that, the usual squirrel mitigating strategies like baffles, etc.
Made 4 of these so far. All four developed mold down the hole when drying out. Any suggestions on how to keep this from happening?
Do you ever have issues with squirrels? I struggle with every feeder bc of the little devils
Hot pepper added to the seed works. You can buy bottles of liquid pepper concentrate in the bird seed section.......you don't need a large amount..use gloves and wash up thoroughly after using!!!!!
@@aleciadiamond1006 great thank you
What about Squirrels?
That will definitely cut down on the rodent populations also!
Thank you! I'm going to try your recipe with the blue tits and the great tits that come to my feeder! At present, the feeder only lasts one day because they spill the seeds everywhere and it is a mess🥳🙏😅 thanks again from Scotland!🌟
The logs cost $16 now. Too expensive for us.
I love this, but be careful you arent using too many sunflower seeds as they are really not good for birds, and also make sure your pots are not covered in teflon.
Anyone else get icked out by metal tools scraping the teflon pan? I'm sure that's not good for the birds!
A wifey here who cringed when I saw that metal utensil scratching the pan. I started looking in their kitchen background for a rolling pin to teach him a lesson-lol. My husband had to unlearn his bachelor ways when I moved in. No metal utensils in nonstick pans or Tupperware (and orange scissors are only for sewing and fabric crafts).
Metal spoon, metal pan.
Nope!
You shouldn't use a metal utensil in a pot or pan you cook with, you scratch off the non-stick and expose metal to the food. Thanks for vid.