Best fat balls for feeding birds

The best fat balls will contain quality ingredients, attract lots of species of birds, and will be able to withstand being outside without crumbling too quickly or growing mould. However, the worst we’ve tested will be hard, dry, and unappetising to our garden wildlife.

Fat balls also vary in price, with some costing as little as £5 for 50 balls and others costing almost four times as much.

We wanted to discover which fat balls are worth buying and, more importantly, which will bring the most birds flocking to your garden.

If you'd prefer loose bird food, check out our reviews of the best bird seed

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Best fat balls for feeding birds

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Which types of birds eat fat balls?

Not all types of birds will come to fat balls, as some are ground feeders or prefer insects, but here are the species you might spot:

• Blue tit 
• Great tit 
• Dunnock
• Long-tailed tit 
• Robin

No-grow bird seeds - find out which bird food won't create weeds under your feeder when spilled. 

What type of bird feeder should I use for fat balls?

Feeders for fat balls come in an enormous range of shapes and sizes. We’d advise you to look out for one that doesn’t contain too many balls, so that the birds can eat them before they start to disintegrate.

• Squirrels will remove fat balls wholesale, so do invest in a squirrel-proof bird feeder if this is likely to be a problem.
• Never buy fat balls surrounded by a plastic mesh. This is actually a hazard for small birds, as they can easily get entangled in it.
• Place your feeder close to cover, such as a leafy bush or tree, so that small birds can hop on and off quickly to avoid predators.
• Place it where local cats won’t be able to access it. For more tips on dealing with pesky felines, see our guide to the best cat repellents.

When should I feed fat balls to birds?

We often think of feeding the birds as a winter job, but actually their winter food sources, such as berries and nuts, will often last them through until mid-winter or beyond.

February, March and April are important times to feed the birds, as summer insects won't have emerged yet and winter food sources will be running low.

We also reveal the gardening jobs to do each month of the year. 

What ingredients should I look for in fat balls?

The most popular fat balls in our trials had high suet content and tended to be quite soft. This made them easy for the birds to eat, but also meant they did have a tendency to fall apart. Don’t worry if this happens.

To deter rats from your garden, pick up the pieces and pop them onto a bird table if they fall down. If rats aren't much of a worry, you can leave the pieces for ground-feeding birds, such as chaffinches, blackbirds and starlings.

Include some sunflower hearts and mealworms in your feeders to attract a wider range of garden birds.

Sick of dealing with common garden pests? See our guides to getting rid of ants, leatherjackets, and slugs and snails

How to make fat balls for birds

You can make fat balls yourself from a variety of kitchen scraps if you don't want to buy them pre-made.

Try adding leftover grated cheese, dried oats, and crumbs to melted lard or suet, then setting in the fridge overnight.

You can also add more nutrient-rich foods to your fat balls, such as:

• raisins
• currants
• sultanas
• cut-up apple or pear
• peanuts

What to avoid putting in fat balls

Stick to using suet or lard, and avoid using any type of vegetable oils, margarine, or leftover cooking fat from things like turkey, bacon or chicken. These fats can cling to birds' feathers, making it hard for them to fly or clean themselves, and can harbour bacteria. 

See the RSPB's advice on what's safe for birds to eat.

How we tested fat balls for feeding birds

We selected 13 popular fat balls for feeding birds and purchased 50 balls of each product. 

We set up three identical feeding stations comprising of a hanging fat ball feeder without perches, hung from a pole, and started feeding the birds with our previous Best Buy fat balls to get them used to the feeding stations. 

After two weeks we started testing the fat balls, trying three brands at a time. We placed the fat balls in identical cage feeders and weighed them at the beginning and end of the week to see how much of the balls were eaten. 

We monitored the feeding stations recording species and number of birds visiting, using a wildlife camera as well as direct observation. 

Each brand of fat ball was offered to the birds three times, each time on a different feeder. 

Separately, each brand of fat ball was hung outside for six weeks in a cage to prevent birds from feeding, to assess how they stood up to the weather; how swiftly they crumbled, if they absorbed water or went mouldy.

Which? experts have also tested binoculars for observing wildlife. See our reviews of the best binoculars for watching birds