Cracked Corn

danielj_2009

11 years ago

I wanted to make a separate post on this issue for people who might do a search on cracked corn and its use for fungal protection, organic content, and so on. I just wanted to relay my experience with cracked corn:

I usually get cornmeal (much smaller milled size) but my supply store had a good price on some damaged bags of cracked corn (larger chunks of corn). So I put some down last week. It took quite a long time, I'd say even 3 or 4 days, but the birds finally found the cracked corn. This morning I looked out the back window and counted 60 birds having a grand old time! I'm seeing mostly flocks of sparrows with the occasional crow or cardinal. Anyway, my experience is that the cracked corn is about useless while the cornmeal goes unnoticed by birds. I guess the only benefit might be that the birds leave droppings in the lawn here and there which I guess is good. I'm sure the birds won't get 100% of the corn, but they are basically roaming the lawn all day long, so maybe they will get 95%!

Any additional comments might be helpful for people looking for advice on cracked corn.

Featured Answer

dchall_san_antonio

11 years ago

They may have been waiting for certain bacteria/fungi to grow on the corn. Birds love fermented food.

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Comments (7)

User
11 years ago
They get less than you might think they would! Plus a bird's digestion is so notoriously..well, messy...that you end up getting most of the organic material back with moderate changes, plus packaged in a nice, neat bacteria-filled box. So to speak.

It's like seeding time. People worry about the flocks of birds on the property, but the grass always comes in very nicely. When I reseeded, I ignored the birds as I knew they wouldn't be able to scavenge a significant amount.
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danielj_2009
Original Author
11 years ago
Just the same, though, morpheus, I think all else being equal, the cornmeal may be the way to go. Birds don't seem to notice it at all. I guess it gets down into the grass too deep and too quickly.

I saw the 60 birds (just the back yard count, btw) this morning around
8 am. It is now after 12:00 pm and I just looked out the back window
and quick counted a good 40 birds.
User
11 years ago
Sure, if you prefer corn meal, go for it.

I kind of like the bird swarm that descends on my lawn, but some wouldn't. I get the opportunity to knock a lot of species off my "sighted this year" list every time! Plus it means the crows will show up, and I enjoy watching them.
danielj_2009
Original Author
11 years ago
If you are a bird person, I highly recommend the movie, "The Big Year" with Jack Black and Steve Marin, if you haven't already seen it. Nice movie. No foul language, nobody gets shot, not too deep, just enough to be interesting. A movie like that is nice to see every once in awhile.
User
11 years ago
Nobody gets eaten by the birds? ... Then what's the point? :-)

Thanks, I'll check that one out!
gigelus2k13
11 years ago
I keep chicken and cracked corn is their favorite sweet tooth, err beak. Unfortunately, tree rats are enjoying corn too and are roaming around the coop; I would have them instead of wild birds on my lawn... Cornmeal, though more expensive, seems to be invisible to either birds or rats.