One of the snacks I always look for when visiting a fair is salted buttered corn. It is a good combination of sweetness and saltiness.

After nibbling all the corn, I placed the cob in the trash. Out of nowhere, a raccoon dashed and took the cob. Now, I wonder what animals eat corns?

Most people think that only chickens and other birds enjoy corn, yet there are many other animals that eat corn. Besides birds and humans, animals that show an appetite for corn are iguanas, pigs, horses, goats, squirrels, and many others.

Corn is an attractive meal because it is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Let us get to know these corn-eating animals.

List of Animals That Eat Corn

Iguanas

Scientific Name: Iguana
Type of Animal: Reptile
Diet: Herbivore

Iguanas are not the first animals you think of when asked about animals that eat corns. However, these reptiles have a massive appetite for corns.

These animals are herbivores found in tropical forests of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Still, a small population of iguanas lives in Florida.

These reptiles’ main diet is leaves, which makes them folivores. However, they are also fond of flowers and fruits.

Some people would argue that corns are vegetables or grains.

Yet, according to botanists, this yellow crop is a fruit. So, technically, iguanas eating fruits, including corns, stand.

Corns provide a balanced diet for these reptiles. Needing energy throughout the day under the tropical sun, iguanas require every carbohydrate they can eat.

Related: What Animals Eat Coconuts?

Turkeys

Scientific Name: Meleagris
Type of Animal: Aves
Diet: Omnivore

Turkeys are large birds found initially in North America. Although they look heavy, these fowls can actually fly.

These birds are now poult, being sold in the market for consumption. However, there are still turkeys found in the wild.

Turkeys’ diet usually includes vegetables, grains, seeds, and fruits.

Yet, these birds also eat fish, insects, lizards, and snails, which means they are not entirely herbivores.

Wild turkeys love cracked corn, as this type of corn is packed with protein and fiber. Cracked corns are basically dried corns that are broken to pieces.

Poult turkeys are also fed with corn, usually mixed with feeds, sunflower seeds, oats, or wheat. Corns given are either cracked corns or whole kernel corns.

These commercial turkeys are fed two handfuls of mixed corns to meet their dietary requirement.

Pigs

Scientific Name: Sus scrofa domesticus
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore

Pigs are one of the animals that can eat almost anything and survive.

They are omnivores, able to eat trash from the street, expired perishables, seashells on the seashore, and random mushrooms on the mountains.

Regardless of whether a pig is a wild or domesticated one, they have a similar diet. However, poult pigs have a more uniform type of diet.

Usually, poult pugs from the countryside are fed with vegetables and fruits. Pig owners often add corn feeds to the mix to fatten their animals.

Pigs do not only eat corn kernels, and by being versatile eaters, they can even eat the cobs themselves. 

Just like the corn kernels, the cobs have nutritional value.

As pigs require to eat an average of five to seven pounds, adding corn cobs to their diet makes it easier to meet the required amount.

Read Also: What Animals Eat Oranges?

Horses

Scientific Name: Equus caballus
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore

Horses are domesticated hoofed animals. People started using horses about 5,500 years ago in Kazakhstan.

These large mammals have been used for different purposes. Horse usage usually depends on the culture of the people involved. 

Some people use horses for their meat and milk. They are also used as a mode of transportation, especially on rough terrains. 

In recent years, horses have been seen as pets than delicacies.

At the same time, horses became the symbol of eliteness, wherein people with have money usually can avail these animals.

Horses are natural grazers, mainly eating grass. Even with their muscular build, horses eat little. But, these animals eat often.

To maintain horses’ diets, horse owners pick fiber-based diets rich in grass, hays, and hay replacement.

Horses are also fed with corns, either cracked or steam flaked. Corns are a great addition to the diet because they are high in calories.

These beautiful creatures require a varied diet in order to maintain their body muscles and strong bones.

Goats

Scientific Name: Capra aegagrus hircus
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore

Humans domesticated goats for hundreds of years because these animals provide people with meat and milk. Besides providing food, these horned animals serve as brush control and companions.

To maintain the goat’s health, they consume grasses, hay, grains, and weeds. However, these animals can also eat tree bark!

If taking care of a goat, you should feed them at least three to four pounds of hay per day.

Yet, a larger goat may require a considerable portion of servings, around three to four percent of its body weight.

Unlike sheep, goats don’t possess a robust digestive system, which means it is essential to keep track of their food intake.

Corns are also a great addition to the goat’s diet. However, there is a limit to their consumption. 

Goats should eat these yellow crops in small amounts. When goats consume too many corns, it leads to an increase in calcium.

It is bad as it contributes to urinary calculi in goats.

Chickens

Scientific Name: Gallus gallus domesticus
Type of Animal: Aves
Diet: Omnivore

Chickens are poultry animals that humans domesticated for food. They are rich in protein and a delicious meal.

These birds have different tastes depending on their breed and diet. Chickens’ main diets are fruits and vegetables. 

However, poult chickens are fed with chicken feeds, infused with all the necessary nutrients they need.

Interestingly, although with this diet, chickens are omnivores.

They will eat anything their beak can pick on, including dinner scraps. And, there is some food that chickens love to peck.

Corn on the cob is a perfect treat for any chicken. You do not need to separate the kernels from the cob, as chickens can easily remove the pieces.

These yellow crops are high in calories and perfect during cold weather. Besides being chickens’ comfort food, it helps with their metabolism.

Raccoons

Scientific Name: Procyon lotor
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore

The next creature on our list of animals that eat corn is a raccoon. 

Raccoons are treated as pests in some states, and they steal your crops or scavenge in your trash. 

The result after their food rendezvous is a headache for a lot of house owners.

These tricky mammals’ diets are based on their environment and surroundings. They are opportunists and eat anything, including fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, and insects.

So, it is no surprise that raccoons have an appetite for corn on the cob. These animals will trespass any garden or fields to steal planted corn. 

Farmers and gardeners can detect whether a raccoon has infested their cornfield by checking claw marks on the stalks.

There are also cornhusks all around the place, as raccoons do not eat them.

One of the best ways to protect your corns from raccoons is by creating a physical barrier.

Deer

Scientific Name: Cervidae
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore

When people think about deer, they imagine these doe-eyed animals eating grass and berries. Well, they do eat such as their diet comprised of grass, leaves, tree shoots, fruits, and berries.

Yet, people find it surprising to know that deer actually eat corns.

First, these yellow crops are not something you see in the wild. Second, people cannot imagine how deers eat corn on the cob.

However, deer have enough strength to eat corn on the cob. Corns have high starch content, a great energy source for these animals.

It is advised, though, not to feed deer with corns. Although this starchy treat can give these animals energy, it will not provide enough nutrients.

Corns have low protein and nutritional value in the deer’s body. Consuming corns can lead deers to die of acidosis.

Squirrels

Scientific Name: Sciuridae
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore

These adorable tiny creatures are imagined to be nut-crazy. So, it is also no surprise when people find it odd to learn that squirrels are animals that eat corn. 

Squirrels are omnivores, eating plants, meat, fungi, fruits, and nuts.

However, their cute image is destroyed once people learn that squirrels also eat small animals and young snakes.

In terms of favorite treats, squirrels have a soft spot for corns. These rodents will eat corn, whether fresh or dried, and they can easily nibble all the kernels.

Interestingly though, squirrels are also picky with their corn kernels. They do not eat the corn bran, the by-product of the outer kernel.

Squirrels only consume the germ portion of the kernels. Although nutritional to other animals, corns do not have any dietary benefits to squirrels.

Giraffes

Scientific Name: Giraffa
Type of Animal: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore 

Giraffes are herbivores known to have a massive appetite for leaves. With their long necks, they can easily reach for the top of the trees.

These long-necked animals can access the freshest batch of leaves, and they do not need to struggle to pick leaves on the grounds.

Giraffes’ main diet is basically acacia leaves. However, giraffes in captivity are treated specially in terms of food. 

Besides leaves, giraffes are allowed to eat other fruits and vegetables.

All these alternatives are safe for these animals to consume. One of these crops is corns.

Giraffes can easily munch whole corn on a cob with their strong jaw and large teeth, and it looks as if they are just chewing a piece of gum.

They are not picky and will eat the whole cob, not only the kernels.

Songbirds

Scientific Name: Passeri
Type of Animal: Aves
Diet: Omnivore

Songbirds are perching birds found on grasslands and forests. Besides their distinguishable voice box, they have an adorable sparrow-like appearance. 

These birds feast on fruits, berries, and insects. Just like its cousins, songbirds enjoy consuming corns.

Songbirds will eat corns, whether shelled or cracked.

Like humans, consuming corns are good for birds, and this yellow cob contains nutritional value beneficial to these birds.

These birds mainly consume the corn kernels, which contain most nutrients. It serves as supplemental food for songbirds.

Corns are rich in fiber and protein that suit the nutritional requirement of songbirds. Cracked corns are also not high in oil percentage.

Songbirds also can get complex carbohydrates and sugar from eating corn, and it is also easy for them to digest.

Though, corns are not always readily available resources for these birds.

Crows

Scientific Name: Corvus
Type of Animal: Aves
Diet: Omnivore

Crows are another animal on the list that enjoys corns. Their diet mainly consists of seeds, nuts, grains, berries, fruits, and small animals.

These birds are also quite versatile, not only eating crops but also crop-eating pests. There is no limit to these crows’ diets.

Crows will take any opportunity to eat corns, and they will nibble on the kernels, whether raw or cooked. 

However, these birds appreciate it if they get offered whole kernels. Crows are not that interested in trying out the corn cob.

If you ever try and offer corn kernels to squirrels, crows are more likely to come and snatch it. They will also eat corn even though it is dried, primarily if they cannot hunt any small prey. 

More Examples of Animals That Eat Corn

• Sheep
• Ducks
• Beetles
• Mice
• Voles
• Wireworms
• Cows
• Caterpillars
• Guinea Pigs
• Geese
• Grasshoppers

Read Also: What Animals Chew Cud?