Make a gelatin birdseed feeder with only a few ingredients! Hang them in a tree and take notes on the types of birds who come along to snack on them! This post was originally shared in 2017 and now includes a step by step video!
You might also like our dinosaur garden, easy science experiments for kids or our $1 soda bottle sprinkler!
Watch our step by step video!
I never understood how entertaining birds could be until I visited my in laws in Alaska when we were first married. They had a birdseed feeder right outside their living room window and I’d find myself staring out that window like it was a television set! Now we have chickens in the backyard and are even more entertained!
GELATIN BIRDSEED FEEDERS
(scroll to the end for printable instructions)
Wild birds and chickens don’t mix so we hang these gelatin birdseed feeders in the front yard for the wild birds, and make separate ones for the chickens and hang those in their enclosed chicken run. They love them and it keeps them busy, pecking away at the seeds and bits of corn. They are a treat, not something they get on a regular basis.
BIRDSEED FEEDER INGREDIENTS AND SUPPLIES
- birdseed or scratch
- unflavored gelatin
- boiling water
- Cookie cutters
- Straws cut into 2” segments
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- String
These cute feeders take just minutes to prepare and set up in the refrigerator. Once hard, simply pull them out of the molds and hang in a tree!
DIRECTIONS
Step 1: We’ll start by boiling 1/2 a cup of water. Add the two gelatin packets to boiling water, and whisk until dissolved.
Step 2: Stir in 1 1/2 cups of birdseed or chicken scratch.
Step 3: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place cookie cutters on top. Spoon birdseed mixture into cookie cutters. Add a straw and press down. This will create an opening when the birdseed has dried for the string. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Step 4: Carefully pop each bird seed shape out of the cookie cutters and let dry on the counter for another hour or two (can also dry out overnight). This helps the seeds dry out and makes it easier for our chickens (and other birds) to peck at.
Step 5: Attach a string through the hole, and attach to a tree. Watch and wait for a few hours, you’ll see birds come to nibble!
I’ve seen these made using peanut butter, karo syrup or unflavored gelatin. We chose unflavored gelatin because ants are always an issue in this area.
Gelatin Birdseed Feeders Printable Directions
Gelatin Birdseed Feeders
Equipment
- baking sheet
- scissors
Materials
- 2 unflavored gelatin packets
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 1/2 cups birdseed or chicken scratch
- cookie cutters
- straw cut into 2" segments
- string
Instructions
- Add the two gelatin packets to ½ c. boiling water, and whisk until dissolved.
- Stir in the birdseed.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place cookie cutters on top. Spoon birdseed mixture into cookie cutters.
- Add a straw and press down. This will create an opening when the birdseed has dried for the string.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Carefully pop each bird seed shape out of the cookie cutters and let dry on the counter for a few more hours (or overnight).
- Attach a string through the hole, and attach to a tree. Watch and wait for a few hours, you’ll see birds come to nibble!
Hi Brandy,
I have a single giraffe mold that I want to use for this project.Will the mixture stay set up in order to make each giraffe? I’d have to make the shape multiple times with the same cutter..will the gelatin set up too much? I don’t know if you know the answers to this dilemma but thought I’d ask,thanks.
Hi Jen! I think you could make 2 before the gelatin would begin to set up too much. You may be able to form them into round shapes with your hands too!