Sweet Tri-color Corn For The 4th of July

Fresh Husked Ears are Great for Perching and Eating

Never mind the goal of some folks for corn knee high by the 4 th of July, true Kansans want fresh corn on the table by the 4 th of July!! And for me that's table and aviary!!

Actually there is only a short 3 or 4 week interval when corn is young that the canaries love to eat it off the cob, when the kernels are small and sweet. I can tell if it is young enough for them by breaking the ear. If the ear can be easily broken by hand into 4 or more pieces it is just right. If on the other hand you need a knife to cut the cob, the birds will likely find it tough and inedible.

Note how they like to perch on the ear and nibble at the corn at their feet and at other times they like to munch on the ends. They may need help turning the ear the first time but they quickly catch on and rotate the ear without any help. All of my birds were eating corn for the first time this morning but only this cage of newly weaned Borders were photogenic!

Update: Well one cage did roll the cob and got all the kernels but I had to turn the rest of them over but alas this morning every kernel on the cob had been eaten.