Flaked vs Whole kernel nutrients and storage?

Alexz7272

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Is there any reason to purchase whole kernel corn vs flaked or vice versa? Does anyone get this bulk and if so, is one easier to store then the other? We are thinking full kermel as we will grind it ourselves and then feed it to the livestock (for the winter and supplemental). Does the corn hold more 'value' if we get full kernel and grind it as we need it or does it really not matter? My lack of knowledge thinks whole kernel will be easier to store and will go back less quickly (we will be using our silos) but I know nothing, haha.

THANK YOU!
 

NH homesteader

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I've bought bulk corn by the 55 gallon drum but not in silo sized amounts. We got flaked but we didn't have a way to grind. To be honest I have no idea lol! It doesn't seem like it would matter either way... But I don't have much experience.

How much corn are you going to go through? I assume it must store better than regular feed because I believe feed is best kept for less than a month.
 

farmerjan

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Whole kernel is better than flaked or what we can get here as steam-rolled flake corn. Once it is heated and added moisture to steam-roll and flake, you lose some of the nutrients. If you are going to grind yourself there is no reason to get flaked. The whole idea of flaked is to break down the outer "shell' of the corn so it is more digestible. Have you ever noted in cattle or horses that there will be kernels of corn come out that look whole or barely digested? It is because of the time that it takes to fully break it down; and it passes through the gut tract faster than it can be fully utilized. That is why cracked corn and flaked corn is more often fed. Chickens, turkeys etc have a gizzard that totally grinds the grains before they are passed through the digestive system therefore it is not necessary for them.
Think about flour mills in the old days; the crops were harvested and then the grains were stored for grinding, and then they would get a new crop in the next year, after harvest. Sure there were problems with bugs and weevils etc., but the idea is the same. They stored it in whole grain form until needed then ground what they needed. We use bulk feed bins, what I think you are calling silos, and get anywhere from 1 to 5 tons feed at a time for the different groups of animals. We also get whole corn right out of the combine, in 3-5 ton wagons and grind it as we need it when we are feeding calves in the winter. We add dried distillers or roasted soy meal and some alfalfa hay to a formula done by our feed mill as a supplement for calves on feed. Need to balance it as corn is very low in protein, but is a good energy feed in winter. If you are mainly going to use it for winter feeding, it will keep for 4-6 months in the colder weather with little loss of feed value.
 

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