Guinea pigs are herbivores, which means they eat plants. However, not all plants are ideal for your piggy. Some are exceptionally healthy, while others are not. Corn is a plant that falls into the middle of these two categories. Corn isn’t blatantly toxic and won’t cause most guinea pigs problems. However, you shouldn’t feed your guinea pig too much corn, as it is high in starch.
One of the great things about corn is that your guinea pig can eat many parts of the plant, including parts you won’t eat. For this reason, you can easily set things like the husks aside for your guinea pig when you cook. You can even make toys out of the husks for your pet to play with.
There are also a few things you should be careful about when feeding your guinea pig corn, such as washing it thoroughly. We’ll discuss all of that in this article so that you can safely feed your guinea pig corn.
How Much Corn Should Guinea Pigs Have?
There are several different parts of corn that guinea pigs can safely eat. Each can be given in different amounts, so we’ll need to go through them separately.
A guinea pig will not eat the cob’s inner part—the part that we humans don’t eat either. If you give them the cob, be sure that you throw away this inner part when they are done. You should not give guinea pigs cooked veggies, as this interferes with their ability to break it down. Only raw corn should be given.
How to Feed Your Guinea Pig Corn Husks
Before you feed your guinea pig corn husks, you need to prepare them appropriately. Shredding them into large, thin pieces makes it easier for the guinea pigs to eat through them. They absolutely can get through them without shredding them. However, it will take them significantly longer. This is great when you need to keep them entertained. If you’re looking to feed them, though, then you’ll need to shred the husks.
You can feed the corn husks fresh. To save them, put them in a Ziploc bag and seal it. If you want them to last even longer, you can leave them out to dry before storing them. This makes them essentially like hay. They dry out pretty quickly. All you need to do is place them out on a flat surface, like the counter. You can put them in the sun, but be careful that they don’t blow away.
There are several ways that you can turn corn husks into toys. You can hang the husks from the side of the cage, which will require pulling before your guinea pig can eat it. You can also tie multiple ones together to make a “ball” and then hang that from the ceiling or let the guinea pig chase it around. Braiding a few pieces together will make it a bit sturdier, which can be helpful when you need to keep your pet entertained.
Summary
Corn isn’t toxic for guinea pigs but it isn’t that nutritious either. That said, parts of the corn, namely the silks and husks, can be beneficial additions to your guinea pig’s diet, and they can also be used as a form of enrichment and play.
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