Whole corn on the cob for my bantams?

[Bookworm chick]

My husband brought home a bag of a couple of dozen ears for the squirrels. I was wondering if I could throw an ear into the run for the banties to peck at. Hubby said that the bantams might choke on the whole kernels. They have grit available free choice, but I wanted to get some opinions first. So, bantams or squirrels?

 

[dacdeihl]

I threw in whole corn this summer when my sweet corn tasted bad. It was a great way to recycle bad corn. Another things I've read is that whole grains and corn provide more minerals and vitamins because they are not crushed. They eat worms bigger than kernals of corn? Right?

 

[Bookworm chick]

Well, I tossed in a small cob and they pretty much avoided it after suspiciously looking it over. Guess I should have taken a few kernels off first so they could see what this strange object was all about. They sure do get upset with anything new or changed. Yesterday they were carrying on about their waterer and seemed afraid to walk up and take a drink. It's the same waterer in the same spot. I finally figured out that the outside light was reflecting on it a certain way and causing the anxiety. I moved it over a half foot to see if that helps. Finally, one wasn't quite so "chicken" and took a few beakfuls and the others followed.
If nobody gets brave enough to peck the corn cob, no big deal. . . . just dinner for the squirrels. THEY will know what to do with it.

 

[ranchhand]

I've tried the whole ears of squirrel/deer corn with mine and they won't touch it. They like the crushed corn, like in scratch. They adore fresh corn- I think the dried is too hard and big for them.

BTW, I had weevils get in my squirrel/deer corn one year- this year I tossed a few dried bay leaves in the metal can with the corn and haven't seen a single bug!

 

[dovecanyon]

Mine won't eat them fresh, but they will if I cook them first. Maybe it makes them smell better or something?

 

[Camelot Farms]

Mine will only eat it after its been cooked. Except the silkies....they eat ANYTHING

 

[Momo]

Mine go crazy for corn on the cob, raw or cooked.

 

[jojo54]

Mine love it on the cob, off the cob, fresh, cooked, dry, anyway, everyway, - JUST GIVE US CORN!!!

 

[Akane]

Surprisingly my tiny bantams managed to eat whole uncooked field/dent corn off the cob. I hadn't planned to give it to them that way and left the bag of corn we cleaned up out of the nearby fields in the coop last fall until I could do something with it. I came back to find part of an exposed ear gone so I just left it there all winter. Bit by bit they worked the kernels off and ate them when they felt like it. Sweet corn should not be an issue at all. The kernels are much smaller and softer than field corn.

 

[Bookworm chick]

After they figured out that it was food, they cleaned the cob.