We can get a lot of birds at a time on the deck! When we feed regularly from fall to spring, we can go through 100 pounds of millet, the same in BOS, plus peanuts and safflower.
I just made another batch of "bird cookies" (PB suet with added cayenne, some minced dried fruit, and an extra 16 oz PB because it seemed too dry), got about 15 patties to refill my square green wire feeder. I put it into sandwich baggies, mold it into approximately the right size, and freeze it. For me, that's easier than putting it into a brownie pan and cutting it, then bagging it. I leave it on the stove over very low heat for several hours to let the cayenne work through the mixture.
For anybody who doesn't have it, here's the recipe
Martha Sargent's No-Melt Peanut Butter Suet
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 cup lard (do not substitute)
2 cups of quick cook oats
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
(1/4-1/3 cup ground cayenne, my addition)
(1 cup minced dried fruit, my addition)
Melt the PB and suet. Add cayenne if using (I use a generous 1/4 cup or twice the amount of hot pepper flakes). Stir in everything else. If I have dried fruit that has darkened and become unappetizing, I mince that and stir it in. Simmer on lowest heat 2 hours. Mold, cool, package, freeze whatever you're not using right away.
