5 Best Caged Suet Feeders: A Safe And Nutritious Meal For Winter Birds

Bird feeding is the second most calming thing that a typical household does. The first one is gardening but we find bird feeding to be more altruistic and animal friendly.

If you’d like to pick up a new hobby, you’ll learn all about one of the bird feeders here, specifically caged suet feeders. They are an excellent choice and if you decided to pick one up, we suggest you learn all about them here.

The Summary

What Is A Suet?

Suet is a block of food made out of the grease. It’s not exclusively made for birds but in this case, we’ll talk about those. It’s made with bird seeds, some sort of protein like mealworms, and fat that binds everything together in a solid block of food. It gives birds the chance to maintain a high-calorie diet when it’s most needed, specifically in the fall and winter.

What Is A Suet Cage Feeder Purpose?

The suet in a cage is going to be protected from bully birds and other animals that you really don’t want to have fed on it. This includes squirrels, raccoons, hawks,  and some smaller invasive birds like house sparrows and starlings.

Birds That Love Suet Feeders

Winter birds especially adore suet feeders and it’s definitely a better way to have the birds actually use the feeder. The birds most likely to use them are nuthatches, carolia wrens, downy, red-bellied,  and hairy woodpeckers, chickadees, tufted titmouse, and northern flickers. Of course, you can attract a specific bird by providing them with specific suets.

Caged Suet Feeders: Advantages And Issues

The Advantages

Unlike bird seed mix, suet feeders are generally more nutritional and attract birds far more easily. Compared to non-caged, the suet feeders with a cage can help prevent unwanted birds and wildlife from feeding on the suet as well.

The Issues

The only real issue with these is that they’re only made for winter birds and for use in cold weather. In the summer and spring, the suet is going to become a melty and sticky blob of mess seeing as it will most definitely melt.

Handy Stuff To Know About Suet Feeders And Their Cages

There’s a lot to learn about both suets and their cages. One can’t work without the other so it’s important to know something about both. We collected the most important and basic knowledge so you can buy your own with much more efficiency.

How To Hang It?

Depending on the type, you’ll hang the suet and cage onto a tree or attach it to a pole. You’ll place the suet inside by opening up one of the sides and you’re all set for the birds to start feeding on the suet.

Suet Lifespan

You can buy multiple suet blocks and store them for future use. You’ll typically place them in a freezer and in there, they can last up to 6 months or even a year. Many suet makers do claim that their suet lasts upwards of 3 years but we’d tread carefully with that information.

Suet Mesiness And Cage Cleaning

Suet is actually known to be less messy than other types of feeders. The cage will have to be cleaned two or three times a week though since grease will end up on the cage. Although it’s not a cleanliness problem, it’s certainly a problem if the birds’ wings get greased up and prohibit them from flying efficiently. Grease can also clog egg pores that will prevent baby birds from hatching.

Types Of Suets

No suet is the same as the other. The type of suet you’ll choose depends on the birds you want to attract to the cage. Different ingredients will also result in different qualities of the suet. To get the best possible suet, check for the protein content that should range between 4-13%. The higher the better. Some suets have fruits inside, make sure that it is in fact fruit and not just fruit flavor and smell. As for the different birds you want to attract, many offer specialized blends for specific birds.

Animal Proofing The Suet Cage

We suggest you either get a cage with built-in squirrel baffles or buy your own. This is proven to keep away raccoons as well. In terms of bully birds, you can flip the cage upside down and make sure that the wire spacing on the cage isn’t too big for them to reach for the inside. We suggest a wire spacing of 1.5-in.

Suet Cage Upgrades

A tail prop is an extension of the basic suet cage feeder that helps birds like woodpeckers who have longer tails to successfully feed on the set. We also suggest covers to protect the food from different weather elements as well as some predators.

Best 5 Caged Suet Feeders

We made sure to include high-quality cages that are easy to clean, protect the food, and feed birds from bad weather and predators as well. No matter the cage you get, you’re sure to successfully start feeding the bird’s suet.

Nature’s Way Upside Down Bird Cage

This is a non-standard variety of a feeder. It’s upside-down meaning that the wire bits are located below and that’s where the birds will go to feed on the suet cakes.

The rest of the cage is made out of cedarwood. It still features a roof that protects the suet from getting wet. this is also the place where you’ll replace the suet cakes and clean the inside.

The wire you’ll use to hang it is screwed in for security so that it won’t rip or fall apart. This is a hang exclusive feeder but it’s sure to be squirrel proof due to the upside-down build.

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Cedar Alpha Cedar Suet Cage

The main frame of this cage is made out of cedarwood. This includes the top that’s house roof-shaped. You can take it off to actually feed the center seeds that birds can feed on.

It’s not just a seed feeder either. The left and right sides both feature cages where you can place suet for the birds to feed own. The roof protects both the seeds and the suets from getting drenched in water from the rain.

The center where the seeds while be placed is covered with see-through plastic. Outside of it, you’ll find small wooden perches so that birds can comfortably land on it and feed.

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Stokes Select Suet Bird Cage

The 2 suet cakes are located inside the main frame of the cage. The cage is rouned so it’s equal in distance from the cage side to the suet cakes throughout. Smaller birds can easily go inside and safely feed on the suet cakes.

The suet cakes are also caged. You’ll unscrew the top of this large suet cage to take out what’s needed and place another pair of suet cakes inside. It’s also fully made out of metal.

Even the roof cover is made out of metal, It’s powder-coated brown to protect the roof from rusting and corroding. It’s not fully squirrel proof but it is squirrel resistant for sure.

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Mekkapro Feeder Bird Cage

The cage will elegantly blend into your backyard since it looks like a regular feeder. It features a house rooftop and a rectangular cage frame. The doors to the suet cakes are large and you’ll also have no problem cleaning it because of it.

The roof cover is metal-made and extends from the edges of the cage to fully protect the cakes from getting soaked. The suet cakes will be split with a board in the center so that nothing gets mixed.

You can hang it someplace. Either on a tree or wherever you can think off as long as you don’t plan on mounting it since it doesn’t feature anything on the bottom to allow you to do it.

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Winemana Outdoor Bird Cage

Although it doesn’t necessarily protect the suet from squirrels, it’s still a lovely feeder that birds will feed comfortably with. This is due to the wire flooring where birds can land to feed in peace.

It’s fully metal-made and can be hung with the use of a wire handle. You can take the wire off if you’d like to since it’s attached to two loops due to the fact that it’s bent at the ends.

The cover extends far away from where the suet cakes will be located so there’s no worry that the sun or rain will hit the cakes causing trouble. It cleans easily if you simply soak it in water after each suet cake has been fully used.

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Common Problems And How To Solve Them?

How Do I Attract Birds To My Suet Feeder?

If you’re making your own, you can easily put nuts and seeds into the suet to give the feeding birds more nutritional value and a great treat. Another way to enhance feeding is to bully-proof the cage or to flip the suet upside down so that birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers can feed on them.

How Do You Squirell Proof A Suet Feeder?

There’s no one right way to squirell proof a suet feeder but there are a few steps to follow to try and ensure that squirelly are kept away from them

1. You can try and use plain suet cakes that have no nuts, seeds, and other ingredients that squirells love.
2. You can place the suet cage within a bigger cage. The small, preferably 1-in opening will allow birds to enter and feed on it while keeping squirells away.
3. Capsaicin is a chemical found in hot peppers that makes them spicy. Birds can’t feel the spice but squirells can which will prevent them from eating it any further.
4. You can purchase a bird feeding pole and place a squirell baffle to block them from climbing it. The baffle is cone shaped and looks like a roof top. With this method, you’ll also have to make sure that the pole is placed at least 8 feet away from points where squirells can jump on it and the baffle should be placed at least 4 feet of the ground.

Do Upside Down Suet Feeders Work?

Birds that you’ll probably want to see feeding on the suet like woodpeckers nuthatches and chickadees feel really comfortable feeding upside down while starlings and grackles will have a hard time trying to feed on it this way so yes, they do work.

How To Hang A Suet Without A Cage?

The main purpose of a cage with suet feeding blocks is to discourage unwanted animals from feeding on it. Unfortunately, each suet will have to be partially enclosed with a metal or plastic structure. That way, you can hang it anywhere from trees to poles, as long as it is kept in the shade.

How Long It Takes Birds To Find It?

There’s no set time when the birds will start feeding on the contents of the feeder. It may take several weeks for the birds to simply find it and get comfortable enough before they start feeding on it. Give it at least 2 weeks, if nothing happens by then you can make some changes. For these changes, refer to the above-answered question.

What Is The Best Way To Hang A Suet Feeder?

If you already have a feeder, try putting the other one close to it. Generally speaking, they should be placed 10 feet away from shelters like trees or shrubs. You can also place them no less than 3 ft from a window but no more than 15 ft.

When Should You Put Out Suet For Birds?

In terms of season, fall and winter would be the best to use suets for bird feeding. You can use them in the summer as well if it’s a no-melt variety. Unless you’re expecting bad weather, you can leave the suet out for the night but be aware of the fact that animals like raccoons might start feeding on them.

Is It Okay To Feed Birds Suet In The Summer?

We’ve already discussed the issue of suet going rancid in high temperatures. Summer suet feeding can also come with the problem of the melted fat sticking to bird feathers which damages the natural waterproofing ability of the feathers. Still, feeding them suet in the summer is highly beneficial since it has a high caloric value and birds need it to forage food for their youngsters and to defend their nest. You can offer the birds a no melt variety or you can replace suet with peanut butterfor the summer.

How Often Should You Change Suet Cakes?

Although suet last for a long time, high temperature can spoil by making it rancid. You can avoid this by placing the suet in the shade. Rancid suet is unhealthy for birds so if you notice that the birds come to it and then fly away, it’s time to replace it. To prevent it from ever happening, offer only 1 to 2 days worth of suet and change it after the 2 days have gone by.

Making Your Own Suet And Cage

Many people find it less expensive and way better to make their own suet and cages. If you want to try it out on your own, here are a few methods to do both.

Suet Making

No Melt Variety – For this suet, you’ll need bird seed mix, dried fruit, peanuts, oats, melted lard, a bowl, a wooden spoon, and a plastic container small enough to fit the block in the cage.

Peanut Butter Suet – You’ll use two types of fats for this one, lard, and peanut butter. Other ingredients include cornmeal, white flour, and quick oats.

Cage Making

Woodpecker Cage – To make this cage, you’ll need a saw, 2 suet cakes, a hammer, nails, a wire cutter, a staple gun, hardware mesh, and a wooden plank. For the whole process and exact measurement check out the video below. Please note that the cage is only meant for woodpeckers.

Upside Down Cage – This is a cheap and recycled version of a suet feeder cage. It’s meant to protect the food from bully birds. It uses a plastic container, some zip ties, and a small suet cage.