Has anyone ever tried...

[tiredmommy]

to make bird feeders using pine cones, string, honey and birdseed? I'm thinking of doing this as our craft for Brownies next week. I've seen recipes online that use peanut butter, but we have a girl with a peanut allergy.
Any insight?

 

[smallworld]

TM, can you use soynut butter instead of peanut butter?

 

[tiredmommy]

Well, Duckie is sensitive to soy, so I'm not real comfortable with that. :rolleyes:

 

[hearts and roses]

How about vegetable shortening? I think honey will be very messy, because it's so much softer than peanut butter. A lot of people put our suet in their bird feeders and that's basically just fat. I'm thinking the vegetable shortening has a similar consistency to peanut butter but is basically a fat. I am not sure, of course, but I'm thinking it would be fine.

 

[tiredmommy]

You mean something like Crisco?

 

[hearts and roses]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tiredmommy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You mean something like Crisco? </div></div>

Yes. I don't think it would be harmful to the birds. If you have a feed and grain store nearby that sells bird food, or farming supplies, I bet they'd know!

 

[tiredmommy]

Maybe I'll ask my mother in law, she loves birds. I hope Linda sees this, what with her bird habitat and all!

 

[timer lady]

TM,

Birds love suet - fat of any kind. (Really attracts the nuthatches, woodpeckers, blue jays, flickers, etc.) I put out suet feeders all year long; generally it's the suet cakes with some type of bird seed mixed in & formed into squares. I then hang them out in a square feeder that the squirrels supposedly cannot destroy.