Chickens are omnivorous birds, so they have varied diets. Almost everything, such as fruits, seeds, beans, vegetables, and meats, is on the menu. However, can chickens eat cob? Yes! Chickens can cob. This article will discuss the benefits of cob and how you can feed your chickens.
Are Cobs good for Chickens?
Now that you know the answer to this: Can chickens eat cob? Let’s discuss its benefits to chickens. Corn cobs have a wide array of nutrients that chickens need, such as:
- Potassium: 251 milligrams
- Calories: 92
- Sugar: 3.6 grams
- Vitamin A: 5 % DV
- Vitamin B: 11 % DV
- Vitamin C: 8 % DV
- Protein: 3.1 grams
- Thiamin: 12 % DV
- Magnesium: 7 % DV
- Iron: 3 % DV
- Dietary Fiber: 2.8 grams
The dietary fiber in corn cobs can help chickens digest food properly. The protein in cobs can develop and strengthen muscles in chickens. Cobs are also a good energy source for chickens throughout the day.
The different types of minerals and vitamins in cobs positively affect the chickens’ overall health. Corn cobs can make chickens busy, as they will spend all day pecking at the cobs.
How to prepare Cobs for Chickens?
You can use corn cobs as a nutrient-rich treat for your chickens. Here is how you can prepare cobs for chickens:
Ingredients
- Corn cobs (Dried/with or without husks)
- Honey or molasses
- Butter
- Twine
- Chick feed or a mixture of grains and seeds
- Dried herbs (Marjoram, Basil, Thyme, Oregano, and more)
- Dried Flower petals (Clover, Violets, Rose, Calendula, or Marigold)
- Squash seeds or dried pumpkin
Preparation
- Step # 1: Pull the husk back and remove the silk from the cobs
- Step # 2: Wrap the twine around the cob and husk joint
- Step # 3: Dry the corn cobs
- Step # 4: Once the cobs are dry, apply nut or peanut butter on them (You can also use other butter varieties)
- Step # 5: Add the cobs to the mixture of seeds and grains or the chicken feed. Mix honey or molasses with flower petals, seeds, and herbs
- Step # 6: Hang the cobs in the chicken coop
How to preserve Corn Cobs for Chickens?
There are instances when the corn supply is more than your chickens require for the week. If you are in this situation, you might wonder what to do.
Instead of piling up the cobs in your backyard, you can preserve them by freezing them. Here is how you can preserve cobs through freezing:
- The first step is to get some water in a pot and boil it
- In the boiling water, blanch the leftover cobs
- The next step is to cool the cobs and prepare them for an ice bath. You can also place the cobs in a bowl full of ice water
- After removing the cobs from the water, dry them. You can dry the cobs by gently patting them with a clean towel or cloth. Please ensure you dry every cob
- Prepare the freezer bags for the cobs
- Put the leftover cobs in the freezer bag
- Freeze all the freezer bags
However, if you have leftover corn from dinner, you don’t need to blanch it and give it an ice bath. Just pat the cob dry, place it in a freezer bag and freeze it. To serve the chickens, don’t forget to reheat the corn cobs.
Conclusion
In this article, we focused on: Can chickens eat cob? Not only can chickens consume cob, but it also benefits them. We also discussed how to prepare cob for the chickens and explained the cob preservation method.
