Behavior That's corn!

[aqh88]

My husband doesn't know guinea pigs yet. He bought some sweet corn and we didn't finish 2 pieces. He was about to throw it out because any fresh food grows little bugs instantly around here and asked if the guinea pigs eat that. I ripped the husk off and broken red guinea pig (I just haven't gotten around to naming them all) went nuts. You could just see her going "I know that sound! It's corn!" "Give me corn!" lol She ran off with the biggest piece of husk and started arguing back and forth with one of the others until I gave them another 2 pieces. My husband was going "wow they really like corn". I told him they'd probably eat their weight in corn greens a day if you let them. The now weaned pups that ended up from that group of guinea pigs we took in are trying their first corn. They aren't yet as enthusiastic over fresh food. The sow pups are learning from the one adult I left with them but I don't have a fresh food experienced adult boar for the other group.

 

[CavyMama]

LOL Guinea pigs are funny that way, aren't they? Mine are in view of my kitchen so every time I go in there, they start up their chorus and I always talk to them, "Come on now, you just ate 5 minutes ago" but I'll usually top off their hay on my way out of the room.

Produce bags REALLY get them going! LOL

 

[mufasa]

Mine are the same way about corn husks. Unfortunately the grocery store closest to me started removing the husks from the fresh corn so my source dried up. I was at another store the other day and got all excited by the trash can next to the corn display. I'm sure people thought I was nuts as I dug through the trash, pulling out the best looking, freshest husks. Amy and Quinn were ecstatic, but of course they both wanted the same piece and had a spirited game of tug of war over it even though there was plenty more they could have chosen from.

 

[aqh88]

We walked in to the store while the guy was taking the husks off the front of the grocery store corn display so we asked if we could bag them up. lol We filled 3 produce bags with corn husks and then had to explain at the checkout that no there is no actual corn in there.

 

[bpatters]

They love the silks. I just wash them, cut them in about 1 inch strands to make it easier for them to compete for them, and throw them on their dinner plate. They also love the husks, but I throw away all the outer dark green ones because corn is grown with so many pesticides I figure the outer husks aren't good for them.

 

[AnnikasMommy]

OK thank you so much for this post just totally learned something new!!! Guess I'll have to stop off and look at corn tonight when I go into the grocer. Are they allowed actual raw corn on the cob as well?

 

[yubie]

@AnnikasMommy. I am always learning something new on this site. The kernel of the corn they can actually consume, but it is starchy and of low nutritional value. Some have a high salt concentration as well. So, chuck the corn and let them go nuts over the silk and the husks. The value of this is is the fiber. It has a high fiber content and it must taste pretty darn good too. May I also add that it is usually free too .

 

[bpatters]

Corn is not good for them, but not because of the starch and the nutritional value. It's because, these days, corn has been bred to have a very high sugar content, which isn't good for their digestive tracts. They love the husks and silks though, but just be sure to throw away the outer husks.

 

[aqh88]

I've fed them the entire corn plant before but commercial growers and non organic stores do have a concern of chemicals.

 

[bpatters]

Corn is grown with a TON of pesticides. No way would I feed the whole plant unless I'd grown it myself and knew what had been put on it.

 

[joys_cavies]

Corn is grown with a TON of pesticides. No way would I feed the whole plant unless I'd grown it myself and knew what had been put on it.

Why would it need so many pesticides? Does this go for organic as well?

 

[bpatters]

Organic is not supposed to be grown with pesticides, but who knows whether that's the case or not. But having grown up in a family and community that grew a lot of corn, I can guarantee you that if you see ears of corn without worms and bugs, it's been grown with pesticides.

 

[Soecara]

I have grown my own corn before, the cobs went to my birds and me, the husks leaves and stems all went to the guinea pigs. As it was grown in my home garden I was absolutely 100% sure that no chemicals had ever been used on the plants. I harvested some leaves occasionally when the plants were still growing and producing, when they started to die off I would pull up one whole plant every few days and feed the whole thing minus the roots to my guinea pigs.

Perhaps in the future I might try an heirloom variety of corn.

 

[AnnikasMommy]

I talked to the produce manager and he said I can take all the husk and silk my little heart desires lol I've tried to grow corn here but it doesn't do well. My bell peppers are going nuts though so P&PB will be in piggie heaven with all the peppers. They actually ate tomatoes tonight for the first time so I'm happy with that. Thank you for all the helpful info.

 

[aqh88]

One of the purposes of making GMO corn is to make it not die when you spray it with all sorts of pesticides and herbicides to increase yield. Corn is very tasty to bugs and very weak against weeds. We have a lot of people who grow their own little patch of sweet corn here and sell some. We've had to cut bug spots and infested ends off the corn before so we could eat it. You are boiling it or grilling it well anyway. Sometimes the bugs are content to just hang out in the husk and eat it so you only have to discard the bad sections of husk. Some years the horses would get garbage bags worth of corn husks. lol

 

[Rywen]

Mine love the corn husks and silks, I only give them the inner husks and silks though after I rinse them. I don't cut the silk, they eat it like hay. It's fun to watch them!