|
|
| Description |
The two types of corn used to feed livestock are flint and dent corn. Flint corn's taste and consistency are different from the yellow corn most often eaten by people. Corn is still used for human consumption, although around 75 percent of corn grown each year in the United States is used to feed livestock.
The two types of corn can be readily distinguished when they are dried. Flint corn has hard kernels that are usually red or white. Flint corn will dry with its kernels smooth and hard. Dent corn is so named because the kernels will have a depression in the top once dried.
Corn used for livestock feed is typically grown as silage. Corn intended for silage is planted very close together and harvested before it is ripe. At the time the corn is harvested, it is still a little green on top. The whole plant is put through silage cutters, a rough cutting machine, to produce the feed. This is fit for cows and pigs. Chickens eat only the corn kernels. In this preparation, the cob is removed using specialized machines. Pigs can also eat the kernels of corn. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|