Can Hamsters Eat Corn? All You Need To Know!
Corn is a popular food for animals and humans alike. It can be eaten raw, cooked in various ways and made into other products like corn syrup, corn oil and corn starch.
According to CNN, corn can be incredibly nutritious and tasty. Now you may be wondering if corn is a good food choice for your little hamsters.
After all, corn is commonly found in hamster food, so it should be safe for them, right? The answer is yes, corn is safe for your hamster.
Keep reading as we explore what type of corn is safe for hamsters, how much corn to feed your hamsters and other alternative vegetables to feed your hamster.
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Can Hamsters Eat Corn?
Yes, definitely! Corn is a common food source for hamsters and if you’re a detailed person, you may have noticed it in your commercial hamster food mix from pet stores.
In fact, it’s a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and vitamins B and C. However, corn should only make up a small part of your hamster’s diet, which is around 5% as it is high in sugar and calories.
Too much corn can lead to weight gain and other health problems in your hamster.
Nutritional Facts of Corn
Corn is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Carbohydrates: 18.7 grams
- Energy: 86 kcal
- Protein: 3.27 grams
- Total Fats: 1.35 grams
- Phosphorus: 89 milligrams
- Potassium: 270 milligrams
- Lutein + zeaxanthin: 644 µg
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sugar: 6.26 grams
Source: USDA
Should You Feed Your Hamster Raw Or Cooked Corn?
You can feed both raw and cooked corn to your hamster, depending on how your hamster prefers it.
Can hamsters eat sweetcorn kernels? Yes, raw corn kernels are safe for your hamsters to nibble as a snack. You should always remove the kernels off the cob and feed your hamster a few kernels at a time.
Otherwise, you can always feed your hamster some cooked corn provided it’s cooked plainly using cooking methods such as steaming, boiling and grilling.
Ways To Prepare Corn For Your Hamster
Now we know that corn is safe for hamsters, how do we prepare sweet corn for hamsters?
There are many ways to prepare corn for your hamster. For starters, they can eat it raw as it’s completely safe and tasty for them.
Tip: Make sure you remove the kernels from the cob and feed them a few kernels at one time to avoid the risk of choking.
Your pet hamster can also eat cooked corn, but you must make sure it’s plain and not ladened with seasonings such as butter, sugar and pepper. Too many seasonings will harm your pet hamster’s digestive system.
How Much Corn Should You Feed Your Hamster?
If you want to add corn to your hamster’s diet, make sure to portion it according to the breed and size of your hamster.
Don’t give them too much corn at a time as corn is packed with carbohydrates and starch which are transformed into sugars when digested by hamsters.
# Breed Of Hamster
○ Syrian Hamsters (also known as teddy bear or golden hamsters)
Add a tablespoon of fresh corn kernels in each serving to spice up your Syrian hamster’s meal.
○ Chinese Hamsters
Serve 1 teaspoon of corn to your Chinese hamster once a week.
○ Dwarf Hamsters (Roborovski, Campbell, Winter White/Djungarian/Siberian)
I won’t recommend feeding corn to your dwarf hamster as it is high in sugars and carbohydrates.
Corn is bad for their digestive system as it’s harder to digest and produces a lot of gas, causing flatulence in your hamsters.
# Size Of Hamster
○ It’s important to consider the size of your pet hamster before serving them any food as overfeeding or underfeeding can lead to health problems and complications, such as obesity or malnutrition.
Benefits of Eating Corn For Your Hamsters
1. A Great Source of Vitamins & Minerals
Corn contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for your hamster’s health. This includes vitamin B6, magnesium and etc.
Vitamin B6 is good for the nervous system and helps to break down proteins and carbohydrates while magnesium is good for your hamster’s bones.
2. Contains Antioxidants That Boost Health
All species of corn contain high amounts of antioxidants that will help protect your hamster from free radicals, especially blue corn as it contains a high amount of anthocyanins that can prevent cancer.
Risks of Eating Corn
1. Too Much Corn May Cause Diabetes
Corn contains a high amount of carbohydrates and sugar, which can cause a spike in blood sugar and an increased risk of diabetes if consumed too much.
Your hamster might be at risk of developing diabetes if they consume too many starchy foods. Diabetes is a common medical condition for all species of hamsters, especially dwarf hamsters since they have small digestive systems and bodies.
2.It Causes Gas
Corn contains a lot of insoluble fiber, which can be difficult for your hamster to digest.
This can cause gas build-up in your hamster’s digestive system, causing flatulence and discomfort. As such, I recommend feeding your hamster corn in small portions to reduce the risk of flatulence.
Can Hamsters Eat Corn on the Cob?
Yes, hamsters can eat corn directly from the cob.
In fact, hamsters can eat all parts of the corn safely, even though it might not taste as good as the corn kernels. Make sure you cut the corn on the cob into small slices before feeding your hamster to avoid choking.
Can Hamsters Eat Creamed Corn?
Creamed corn is a popular dish in the Midwest and Southern United States, made of pureed sweet corn and whole corn kernels.
It usually doesn’t contain any cream but additional flavorings such as sugar, salt, milk and butter could be added to the dish.
It is best that you don’t feed your hamster creamed corn if you cannot be sure of its ingredients – whether or not it contains high amounts of butter and sodium.
Can Hamsters Eat Baby Sweetcorn?
Sure, why not?
Baby corn is regular corn which is harvested early before the cob matures and hardens. Your hamster can eat raw and cooked baby corn safely in appropriate quantities.
In fact, baby corn might be better for your dwarf hamster as it contains lesser starch compared to regular corn. This reduces bloating and gas issues as well as reduces the risk of diabetes in your hamster.
If you want to feed your hamster corn, choose baby corn over other types of corn.
Can Hamsters Eat Corn Tortillas?
Yes, you can feed them corn tortillas, but only in small amounts.
Widely popular in North America, corn tortillas are thin flatbread that are made by mixing whole corn kernels with alkali. In Mexico, there are 3 types of corn tortillas made from white maize, blue maize and yellow maize.
Your hamster can have all 3 types of corn tortillas but I would recommend giving them blue corn tortillas as it is far more nutritious compared to yellow and white corn tortillas.
This is because blue corn tortillas contain anthocyanin, a pigment that gives the plant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Plus, blue corn tortillas have lesser starch content, which means it is gentler on your hamster’s digestive system.
One more thing to note, refrain from feeding your hamster crunchy tortillas as it is made by frying the corn tortillas. Fried food is harmful to your hamster as they can be sick after consuming too much food that is high in fat.
Can Hamsters Eat Corn Flakes?
Cornflakes for your hamster? Is it safe? After all, humans eat it for breakfast every day so it should be alright for hamsters as well, right?
Before we start, let’s try to understand how cornflakes are being made. Corn flakes are made of milled corn, sugar, salt and malt flavorings.
Your hamster can consume small amounts of corn flakes safely. However, you need to make sure you follow these rules before giving cornflakes to your hamster.
1. Give your hamster a small amount of cornflakes per serving. Corn flakes should be given as a snack to hamsters, not as their main source of food.
2. Feed your hamster plain and unsweetened cornflakes. Too much sugar will cause obesity in your hamsters and additional flavorings might be harmful to your hamsters.
3. Break huge chunks of cornflakes into pieces to avoid choking. Your hamster might gobble up cornflakes too fast and they might choke on it.
Can Hamsters Eat Popcorn?
Yes, hamsters can eat popcorn only if it’s popped plainly without added sugars and seasonings.
If you love giving your hamster small treats, you might wonder if it’s ok to feed them your favorite caramel popcorn. After all, it’s sweet and tastes absolutely heavenly when it pops in your mouth.
However, before you share your favorite snack with your furry pet, make sure the popcorn you feed them is popped plainly without any sugar or butter as these may be harmful to your pet.
Can Hamsters Eat Dried Corn Kernels?
If you’re an observant person, you might have noticed dried corn in the hamster pellet or hamster food mix which you’ve bought from the pet store.
That’s because dried corn is a common food source for hamsters as it is a great source of fiber and nutrients.
The answer is yes, hamsters can eat dried corn kernels, but if their usual hamster food mix already contains dehydrated corn, you might consider giving them a few kernels of fresh corn as a treat instead.
Can Hamsters Eat Corn Chips?
No, I wouldn’t recommend feeding your hamster corn chips.
Corn chips are fried in oil and contain a high level of sodium. This combination is extremely dangerous to your hamster as salty and oily food will burden their tiny digestive system.
Plus, store-bought corn chips contain preservatives and seasonings which are bad for hamsters. If you want to give your hamster some treats, try fresh fruits and vegetables instead.
Can Hamsters Drink Corn Juice?
Yes! Even though corn juice is not as common as other fruit juices, it is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Since corn juice is much more concentrated than eating corn alone, a little juice goes a long way.
I would recommend giving your hamster 5 mililiters, or 1 teaspoon of corn juice once a week. It is important to make sure that the corn juice is fresh so your hamster can reap the full nutrients from corn.
Other Healthy Vegetables For Your Hamster
You may wonder, what can hamsters eat safely?
Hamsters can eat a variety of vegetables ranging from leafy greens, flower vegetables, tubers, root vegetables, beans as well as peas.
Below are the types of vegetable hamsters can eat:
Leafy greens: Spinach, cabbage, bok choy, lettuce
Flower vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke
Tuber vegetables: Potato, yam, sweet potato
Root vegetables: Carrot, celery, turnip
FAQs
Is Sweet Corn Good For Hamster?
Yes! Most hamsters love corn so much that they’ll pick it out of their food dishes and eat it first.
Corn is full of nutrients and packed with different types of vitamins and minerals, so it’s a great addition to your hamster’s diet.
Can Hamsters Eat Popped Corn?
Yes, your hamster can eat popcorn only if it’s plain and fully popped.
As mentioned above, refrain from feeding your hamster store-bought popcorn as they are high in sugar and calories. Plain popcorn should only be given as a treat as your hamster should get the bulk of nutrition from their main meals.
How Much Corn Can I Feed My Hamster?
You can give your hamster corn for up to 10% of your hamster’s diet.
Even though corn is healthy, you shouldn’t overindulge your hamster with corn as it contains high levels of starch and sugar.
Can Hamsters Eat Apples?
Yes, you can give your hamster a small slice of apple as a treat occasionally. Your hamster will most likely love apples for their crunch and sweet taste!
Besides apples, other vegetables and fruits that are safe for your hamster include broccoli, parsley, apple, pear, carrot and turnip.
Can Hamsters Eat Carrots?
Yes, carrot is a healthy addition to hamsters’ diet but remember to portion them accordingly as carrot contains a lot of sugar.
What Fruit Can Hamsters Eat?
Hamsters can eat a variety of fresh fruits that humans eat too. Hamsters can have apples, pears, bananas, grapes and most berries safely.
However, they can’t have acidic fruits such as lemons, oranges, tangerines, limes and pineapples as it may lead to a tummy ache and diarrhoea in your hamsters.
Conclusion
Corn is an incredibly healthy grain which could be a great addition to your hamster’s diet.
Nevertheless, hamsters should not have a diet that consists solely of corn, as they will need a wide range of minerals and vitamins from different sources of food. Just follow the tips above before giving corn to your hamster.
That’s all for now! Do you have more questions? Let us know in the comments down below!
Before you go, take a look at the cute hamster gnawing on his favorite corn!
