Did you know that many farmyard animals can safely eat popcorn? Some farmyard animals are fed popcorn as a yummy treat, while others are given it to bulk up their regular meals.
For most farmyard animals, popcorn is a nutritious food. But it can be a choking hazard and the cause of medical conditions for others.
Let’s find out which farmyard animals you can feed popcorn to and which ones can also eat unpopped kernels so that you can make a safe choice.
What Animals Can Eat Unpopped Corn?
Unpopped corn is readily available to buy. You may also get unpopped corn, known as ‘old maids’ when some of the corn you cook doesn’t pop as expected.
Unpopped corn is safe for some farmyard animals to eat, so feel free to put it into their feed. These animals include:
- Sheep
- Goats
- Horses
- Pigs
- Llamas
- Alpacas
Don’t worry if your farmyard animal isn’t on the list above, as they might be able to eat popped popcorn. Check out the rest of our article to find out which animals can safely eat popcorn.
For a complete list of all animals and their popcorn habits check out our article.
What’s the Best Way to Feed Farmyard Animals Popcorn?
The best way to feed farmyard animals popcorn is to make sure the popcorn is plain and has been air-popped. With the exception of cows, flavored popcorn should not be given to any farmyard animal.
Most farmyard animals should be fed popcorn in moderation to prevent them from experiencing adverse health effects.
In some cases, it’s a good idea to break up the popcorn to make it easier for the animal to chew and digest.
Can Sheep Eat Popcorn?
Sheep can eat popcorn, but it’s only safe for them to eat a small amount of it infrequently. Too much popcorn can cause serious health problems for sheep, including gastrointestinal obstruction and grain poisoning.
If you are going to feed popcorn to a sheep, make sure it’s plain and has been air-popped, as this is the healthiest way for sheep to enjoy this tasty snack.
Can Goats Eat Popcorn?
Goats will eat anything, and popcorn is no exception. Thankfully, it is safe for goats to eat popcorn, and it even provides them with some great health benefits. For example, popcorn is good for a goat’s teeth, and it’s a good source of fiber for them. Just make sure you only feed goats plain air-popped popcorn to avoid making them sick.
Can Cows Eat Popcorn?
Popcorn is good food for cows to eat. It is often fed to cows as a treat or mixed up with their standard feed because it’s cheaper than some other grains.
The most important thing to remember when feeding popcorn to cows is that it must be ground down as much as possible. Cows find it difficult to chew normal-sized pieces of popcorn, and it can cause them to choke, so this step is crucial.
Another point to note is that cows should only eat plain air-popped popcorn, and it should be fed in moderation.
Can Horses Eat Popcorn?
Horses can occasionally eat plain air-popped popcorn. Too much popcorn can put a horse at risk of developing medical conditions caused by overeating starch, such as colic and foot conditions.
If you are going to feed popcorn to a horse, try mixing it up with some of their other favorite foods for a delicious treat.
Can Pigs Eat Popcorn?
Feeding popcorn to pigs is a safe thing to do. Pigs can benefit from eating popcorn as it contains lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
It’s usually best to feed plain air-popped popcorn to pigs, but there are a couple of exceptions; salt and cheese. These are pig-safe flavorings, but only small amounts should be given.
Can Chickens & Roosters Eat Popcorn?
Both chickens and roosters can eat popcorn. It needs to be plain air-popped popcorn and only given in small quantities.
When you feed popcorn to a chicken or rooster, you may find that it calms them down as they’ll be so engaged in eating this rare treat.
Can Llamas Eat Popcorn?
Popcorn is a good treat for llamas. But it should only ever be given to llamas as a treat otherwise, the llama could experience grain overload.
The salt, fiber, copper, and phosphorus content of popcorn is beneficial for a llama’s health. You should still limit how much popcorn your feed to a llama, though, as it could lead to obesity.
Can Alpacas Eat Popcorn?
Like llamas, alpacas can eat popcorn. The amount of popcorn fed to alpacas should be restricted as they are also at risk of grain overload.
The best advice we can give is to feed plain air-popped popcorn as a treat to alpacas and opt for organic popcorn where possible.
Can Ducks Eat Popcorn?
Ducks are another farmyard animal known to eat almost anything; however, popcorn isn’t a safe food option for ducks. Popcorn is a significant choking hazard for ducks which is why they shouldn’t eat it. It’s much better (and safer) to feed other types of grain to ducks, such as wheat, barley, and milo seed.
Is Popcorn Healthy for Farmyard Animals?
For the farmyard animals that can safely eat popcorn, there are health benefits for them. These include:
- Rich in fiber – farmyard animals need fiber to keep their stools regular.
- Contains vitamins & minerals – vitamins and minerals play a role in a healthy brain and body.
- Contains antioxidants – antioxidants fight off illnesses and diseases.
Feeding popcorn to farmyard animals is a good idea if you want to offer them a nice treat or bulk up their typical meals.
Some farmyard animals can eat popcorn as it is, while others need a helping hand and need it to be ground down first. If you haven’t fed your farmyard animals popcorn yet, give it a try and see how much they like it.
Sources
https://www.thespruce.com/what-to-feed-ducks-386584
https://thankchickens.com/can-birds-eat-unpopped-popcorn/
