Corn is the nutrient-rich cereal grain that squirrels love to eat. They eat raw, cracked, cooked, uncooked, sweet, and salty corn. It is the best treat food for these critters because of their high nutrition profile. It is low in fats and proteins and high in fibers, vitamins, and minerals.
Why Do Squirrels Only Eat Part Of Corn? Squirrels only eat part of corn because it is easy to digest, food preferences, nutrient-rich, and easy storage. They prefer to eat the endosperm and germ portion of the corn and do not consume the husk, cob, or silk.
Giving corn to squirrels in moderate amounts is necessary because of their high nutrient density. Binge eating can make them overweight and unhealthy. You can give the corn in moderation after removing its husk and making it silk-free.
Why does a squirrel only eat a part of corn?
These rodents only prefer to eat a small portion of the corn, and they do not eat the whole kernel. I always prefer to put the kernels in my yards so squirrels can come there for treat foods.
Easy digestibility
Squirrels usually do not eat whole corn because of their complex and delicate digestive system. They only eat the food items according to their digestive system adaptability.
They gnaw on soft and fibrous items because these are easy to digest and also help them reduce their teeth size. They do not eat the corn cob and whole kernel because it is hard and cause digestion issue.
The endosperm and embryo are the soft portions, and they cannot eat the cob portion. It is hard and contains sharp edges that cause intestinal bleeding in these animals.
In addition, the digestive system of these rodents cannot digest the hard material, which leads to intestinal obstruction.
They only consume one portion because of their food preferences. Some of their species like starchy foods and consider them as a treat.
They selectively like the inner portion of the kernel because it has high starch content and is nutrient-dense.
Nutrient-rich portion
Squirrels eat the nutrient-dense portion of the kernels because it gives them more energy. These animals need excessive energy daily because of their food-hoarding behavior.
They consume the embryo and endosperm portion because it is soft and nutrient-dense. It contains sufficient protein and fat content necessary for their body functioning and life activities.
These cereal grains are a rich source of fiber that supports their digestive system and promotes the growth of gut bacteria.
Easy storage
Squirrels store abundant food items for their survival in winter. They are food caching animals and bury food at different places. They usually bury nuts and seeds underground to protect them from environmental challenges.
They eat one portion and can easily carry the lightest parts in their cheek pouches for storage. The corn kernels become lightest, and they can carry them easily to their nests and food caching sites for future use.
They cannot carry the whole kernel in their cheek pouches because of their weight. In addition, sometimes, they consume one portion and leave the remaining one for other animals instead of carrying them.
Some animals have highly adaptable digestive systems and can also consume and easily digest corn cob.
Challenging to chew hard parts
Squirrels prefer to eat the soft portion of the corn because it is easy to chew. These rodents have sharp teeth and jaw muscles but cannot chew hard food items.
Chewing and gnawing on hard items leads to dental issues. In addition, the husk and silk portion can also get stuck between their teeth when they chew the kernels without removing them.
Corn cob is a woody and hard material, making it difficult for them to break it with their teeth. In addition, they do not like the cob portion because of its lower nutritional value and the presence of cellulose.
Can baby squirrels eat corn?
Adult squirrels can eat various foods, but baby squirrels do not eat corn because of their hard texture. Babies have different nutritional requirements than adults.
Babies rely on their mothers for feeding during the first few months of their lives. They feed on their mother’s milk to meet their nutritional needs.
You can introduce the solid food once they are 10 weeks old. The digestive system is less developed and cannot support solid food items.
They can eat corn after 10 months because of the adaptability of the digestive system. Removing the husk and making the kernels silk-free while giving them to babies is necessary.
Silk and husk can increase the choking chances and also affect their digestibility.
How do you feed corn to squirrels?
Feeding the corn to the squirrels is a fun activity, and many people love to do this in their laws to attract different animals.
You can give the dried and shelled corn to the squirrels. You can also create feeding stations for them in your backyards. They can eat raw, dried, and cooked corn because of their food choices.
In addition, these rodents also like to eat sweetened, salted, and butter-coated corn. It is necessary to give the sweet and salted ones in moderation because of the extra calories.
Moreover, high sugar and starchy foods are a bad combination for these animals and can disturb their gut. I always prefer to feed the cooked kernels to the squirrels because the raw form can increase the choking risk and dental issues.
How do squirrels eat corn?
They eat corn when these are present in the kernels. Many people use specific feeders and remove the germ and endosperm portion from the kernels for easy feeding.
They put these parts in specialized feeders, making consumption easy for them. Squirrels remove the husk or green leaves from the kernels to access the corn.
Squirrels use their sharp teeth to remove them from the kernels. In addition, some species also gnaw on these leaves to sharpen and wear down their teeth.
They eat the soft endosperm and germ portion of the kernels after exposing them.
How do you protect corn on your farm from squirrels?
Squirrels can destroy corn farms because they love to eat them and can also find a way to access these food sources. Sometimes, it is challenging to remove these rodents from your corn farms because of their high cognitive ability and food-hoarding behaviors.
You can use the physical barriers to restrict their entry. One of my friends installed the wires with small mesh sizes and buried them on the ground so squirrels could not find a way to enter.
Fences create the cage-like structure and surround the cornfields. You can also use the statues of different predator animals to keep them away from your farms.
In addition, it is also better to use ultrasonic devices so their sounds can repel them. I prefer to plant corn in the season when squirrels have sufficient availability of alternative food sources.
You can also use live traps to relocate and remove them from your farms. Natural deterrents are also a safe option to keep them away from your gardens.
What part of the corn do squirrels prefer to eat?
They do not eat corn completely because of their personal food preferences. They partially eat the kernel and leave behind the remnants.
They usually consume the germ and endosperm portion of the corn and leave the cob behind. They eat the endosperm and germ portion because of their high palatability and nutrition-rich properties.
Moreover, squirrels do not like the starch-laden bran portion, which can also increase the risk of obesity in these animals.
The digestive system of these rodents is more adaptable to fiber-based foods instead of starchy items.
These animals do not like the husk portion of the kernel, which are large leaves covering the kernels.
They do not consume the thin silk portion with long threads. These long threads surround the kernels and are present inside the husk.
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