Horses may have many favorite foods, like apples, carrots, grapes, strawberries, bananas, and many vegetables. But nothing can make horses so tempted, as corn on the cob. Corn cob is likely the best grain for horses.
So can horses eat corn on the cob? There’s no direct harm for horses from the corn kernel, corn husks, corn stalks, and corn on the cob, but for maintaining good digestive systems horses should not get too much corn on the cob, and the quality of corn matters.
Here we would discuss the source of vitamins available in the form of corn and also you will get to understand what is the proper way and routine to provide corn to horses. Let’s see how we can help you guys!
What Does Corn Contain?
Before going about what corn on the cob contains, we must give you an idea about the vast use of corn to feed animals in North America. Over 80% of animal foods are made of corn. That’s why it is very much popular for horse appetite. Let’s see how much nutritional value corn provides to horses.
Nutritional Value of Corn
Most of the livestock feed corn barely contains the important amino acids. But it contains vitamin A which helps horses to have good optimal vision. Compared to oats and barley, corn on the cob is a cereal that helps to improve the digestibility of young horses.
Like oats, this lower fiber grain contains much starch content and generates almost double the energy than oats. It has 71% carbohydrate, 8% protein, 4% fats, and fermentable fiber content of 2.2% if you feed corn on the cob directly on the horse. Also, the Digestible Energy value is 1.54 Mcal in corn on the cob which is much higher than oats, as it contains good digestive enzymes.
Can Horses Eat Cooked Corn on the Cob?
Yeah, horses can eat cooked or boiled corn on the cob, actually, it is much safer for them to eat. The cob is very tough to break even though horses have powerful jaws. It is a very palatable grain for horses, that’s why they eat kernels and the cobs too. But sometimes corn pieces and cob pieces can be trapped in the airway of horses.
That’s why cooked or boiled corn on the cobs is much safer for horses because it is soft and never gets trapped in the airway. The ear corn is a way to slow down the horse’s gulp as they are faster swallowers
Which form of corn is suitable for Horse?
You can present corn to horses in many ways, but the easiest way is to present the corn on the cob. We suggest not giving corn on the cob at the very beginning of their meal. Because horses can choke like humans, but their choke is not gentle like us when something is trapped in the airway.
When the corn or cob gets stuck in the esophagus, you must call a vet to solve this choking problem. That’s why cooked corn, boiled corn, cracked corn, and rolled corn are safe options to provide corn on the cob.
Can horses eat canned corn is a general query from people. Yeah, it is a splendid thing to provide horses. We can say safest.
Feeding Field Corn to the Horses
Feeding corn directly from the field is not a safe option. You already know the amount of starch corn has. There is a high possibility some undigested corn starch may pass through the stomach and will remain there without proper digestion.
That’s why processed corn is highly appreciable and has high digestibility. Processed corn maintains the quality and provides adequate roughage and a balanced diet. In contrast, if you give corn directly from the field, the kernels can be infected by mycotoxin fumonisin, which causes a neurological condition named Equine Leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM). In the long run, this syndrome causes blindness and even death.
Corn is susceptible to mold which can produce moldy corn diseases in the horses. Also, for the senior horses, those already passed 20 more years struggle to chew or break down the corn and it results in digestive problems.
How Does Feeding Corn on the Cobs Help Horses?
Can horse eat fresh corn on the cob? Definitely, they can. Corn provides a huge amount of energy to the horses that you can’t manage. But you must properly provide the corn to them, it’s not a food they need every day.
Resistance of Metabolic Condition
Situations like insulin resistance and obesity would never happen if the horses have enough starch in their diets. Corn is the easiest way to avoid metabolic conditions.
Keep Horses Warm
Most of the horse owners think corn provides lots of energy and heat to the body. That’s good food to keep the horses warm in winter.
Vitamin A
We all know vitamin A improves human vision and boosts up the immune system. That’s what vitamin A does for horses, too. It’s a good antioxidant for horses. Cron is also very much rich in Vitamin C.
Everyday Corn on the Cob for Horses: Is it okay?
Does com make horses hot? Corns on the cob have an exorbitant amount of starch in it and which converts into energy. Now we all know energy always produces heat. So your horse will heat due to overeating of corn.
There is another concern that won’t allow you to provide corn every day, it’s the cost issue. Corn oil is getting more popular than corn and that’s why the price of corn is getting out of reach. So either way, let your horses have corn every day is not a good idea.
Using Corns for Horses in Various Ways
Though corn on the cob has lots of fiber content, you can use other things of corn usefully.
#1. Corn Husks
Corn husks can be a regular part of a horse’s diet rather than corn itself. Though it has a small amount of nutrients but doesn’t have to think about mold-related diseases.
#2. Corn Stalk
Corn stalks are susceptible to fungus like corn kernels. That’s why it has been using less food than making comfortable bedding for horses.
Do Every Horses Deserve Corn on the Cob?
All horses want to eat corn on the cob, but not all horses may have it. Most of the horses are palatable to grains that have a lot of starch, then you must give corn only to the ones who do hard work regularly.
The horses perform races, trot needs much starch, and the young horses which are not even trained at all.
FAQ
What happens if a horse eats corn?
– It gets a lot of energy and the body gets warm. Also horses like corn much more than oats. So they gulp faster when you give them corn on the cop.
Can horses have whole corn?
– can horse eat cucumber is a common question just like people ask about corn. Yeah, horses can have whole cucumbers and corn.
How much corn can a horse eat?
– Horses can eat a lot of corn but it’s not good to give too much corn to a horse. You should give much over 1.5 kg of corn. According to the experts, a horse should get 1-2 g of starch in 1 kg of food. But corn has much more starch. Only a single cup of yellow corn has 110 g of starch. It is much more than a horse needs. So don’t give other food that has starch to the horse when you give corn to the cop.
Conclusion
Corn is a healthy diet for horses, but it also creates some unexpected problems like choking, producing heat from the body, etc. That’s why people ask can horse eat deer corn? Deer corn is considered quite safe for horses, but again, don’t give too much. Finally, farmers who have horses, cows, and goats always ask can goats eat corn on the cob, and can cows eat corn on the cob? Look, things do not differ from horses. If you want to keep your cattle healthy, give an adequate amount of corn.
References:
https://petkeen.com/can-horses-eat-corn-on-the-cob/
https://ker.com/equinews/answer/feeding-ear-corn-and-corn-stalks-horses/
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