Home - Garden
Avoid These Mistakes When Adding Corn To Your Bird Feeders
By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS
Adding corn to bird feeders is a great way to provide your local birds with helpful nutrients, but be careful of what kind of corn you’re serving and how much you’re putting out.
Corn crops are often infected with toxins called aflatoxins, which travel in the wind and on insects. These toxins have devastating effects on birds and can lead to their deaths.
This is why it's important to ensure you're buying quality grains, storing them properly, and inspecting them for any signs of mold.
When adding corn to your bird feeders, make sure that you're using a platform or tray feeder, as tube feeders could get moisture inside that causes the corn to spoil.
Never offer the corn when the weather is particularly wet or humid, as this could make it easier for the grains to grow aflatoxins. This is why corn can be great in winter.
Buy grains meant for farmers and check the corn isn't moldy or clumping, as it could contain aflatoxins. Use only whole kernels since cracked corn picks up aflatoxins more easily.
Only provide a small amount at a time so that the birds will eat it in one day. Dispose of any leftover corn at the end of the day, and store your grain in a dry environment.