Bird fat balls

Having a good supply of bird food in your garden in the winter can be very rewarding both for you and for the birds. These bird food balls are really easy to make, and won’t hang around for long.

Method:

1. Mix the porridge oats and water together and microwave on high for 1 and a half minutes.
2. Stir the melted lard into the mixture and leave the mixture, followed by the mix ins*. Stir well then allow to cool.
3. Once cool, scoop into balls – golf ball size is good.
4. Store in an airtight plastic container in a cool place.

Place the balls up high in bird feeders, and enjoy watching the birds as they come to feast in your garden.

* You can add whatever you like to the basic oat and lard mixture – birds love sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal and unsalted peanuts . We used a bag of mixed seeds which included sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and linseeds.

This recipe has been adapted from Eddie’s Oaty Fat Balls, supplied by Liz Ashworth.