Feeding Lard to Birds

Feeding lard to birds in the winter can mean the difference between a bird that makes it through the winter and one that doesn't--at least in Wisconsin. I make my own bird food by buying inexpensive all purpose bird seed at the store and mixing it into some melted lard. I then pour the melted lard into a freezer paper lined box. I always save the netted bags from fruits/vegetables to use for bird hangers. Once the lard has cooled and solidified I take it out of the mold and place it into a mesh bag, tie shut the bag and hang it in a tree. The fat from the lard helps the birds in cold weather. Sometimes I add some peanut butter to the lard when it is melted. I also sometimes add broken up pieces of peanuts or dried fruit. You can find lard at the grocery store, but you can also inquire about getting some from a meat processing facility.