domestic sorghum It is TOXIC!!

[finchbird2015]

I hope someone can help with this Sorghum issue.I have just got my latest copy of Just Finches and Softbills and was reading the article about finch nutriton written by Russell Kingston.The article refers to the products available from Naturally for Birds,so i visited their website and was reading their blog about "White Millet vs Wild Sorghum Species by Mike Fidler". Now right at the bottom mike says this "Oh, by the way, DO NOT be tempted to feed domestic sorghum to your birds. It is TOXIC!!"

After reading this alarm bells were going off in my head as over here in Kiwi land we have Red Sorghum which is freely available in many pet and seed stores.
Myself have by accident got the red sorghum mixed up with my red panicum seed.Do i now get rid of the whole lot to be on the safe side?
As in Toxic i wonder what harm is it possibility doing to my birds?

[SamDavis]

I read that too but I'm skeptical. I'd like to see the science to backup the claim.

Sorghum (milo) is routinely included in many parrot and pigeon mixes and I don't know of any issues. At my cousin's property they've been feeding sorghum to all the wild birds (including numerous finches) forever without any issues I'm aware of.

[arthur]

Sorghum is included in commercial mixes because it is cheap

None of my parrots have a liking for sorghum, because it is cheap ???

Like Sam's cousin I feed sorghum to the local freeloaders because it is cheap

Wild birds which take it without any harmful effects include Doves (Bar-shouldered, Crested, Peaceful), PH Rosellas, and a solitary Guinea Fowl, very rarely I have seen Magpies and Peewees . . must have been a bit desperate

I have never seen native finches take any, even though we have reasonable numbers of Redbrows, and in the dry season there are literally hundreds of Chestnut breasted

House Sparrows are a different story, but it doesn't take much of the right sort of discouragement to persuade them to move on

Perhaps at some stage of its growth sorghum may be toxic but I seem to recall a mate of mine feeding green heads to his Redrumps when thy had chicks

[Tiaris]

I have often fed sprouted sorghum in sprouted seed mixes to finches & found all Parrotfinches & the larger Munias absolutely love it & Gouldians don't mind it either.
I agree it is of very marginal use as a dry seed & totally useless dry as finch food due to its hardness, but toxic? - I seriously doubt it.

[Danny]

From one of my vet sources - Sorghum species are drought-tolerant plants that may produce neuropathic and teratogenic manifestations. Sorghum poisoning has been seen primarily in the southwestern USA and Australia. The syndrome is reported almost exclusively in horses, although a similar disease has been reported in sheep and cattle. Lathyrogenic nitriles such as β-cyanoalanine, cyanogenic glycosides, and nitrates have been suggested as causative agents. The syndrome develops in horses after they have grazed hybrid Sudan pastures for weeks to months and produces axonal degeneration and myelomalacia in the spinal cord and cerebellum. (Also see Cyanide Poisoning.) Consumption of the seed will not produce the syndrome.

[TomDeGraaff]

Some claims of "scientific research" and its relevance to bird formulations now on the market make me a bit wary of what we are being offerred.
I found a presentation of a product I attended quite confusing as to the relevance of the research to the effectiveness of the product.
When authors deliberately seed their articles with references to these new products (that they obviously have an interest in), it, to me, somehow demeans their article re nutrition advice and seems a bit "set up".
If these products accompany such wild generalisations as "sorghum is toxic to birds", then I have a personal problem with the credentials of the science serving up this product.
Having said all that, however, it may just be a matter of how these people promote the product without actually understanding the science. Maybe the product is really good. I'm bothered by the promotion, not the actual products.
Sorry to talk in generalities. It's only my opinion but I don't want to upset any personal or commercial applecarts!

[Tiaris]

From one of my vet sources - Sorghum species are drought-tolerant plants that may produce neuropathic and teratogenic manifestations. Sorghum poisoning has been seen primarily in the southwestern USA and Australia. The syndrome is reported almost exclusively in horses, although a similar disease has been reported in sheep and cattle. Lathyrogenic nitriles such as β-cyanoalanine, cyanogenic glycosides, and nitrates have been suggested as causative agents. The syndrome develops in horses after they have grazed hybrid Sudan pastures for weeks to months and produces axonal degeneration and myelomalacia in the spinal cord and cerebellum. (Also see Cyanide Poisoning.) Consumption of the seed will not produce the syndrome.

Thanks very much for clarifying that Danny - excellent info.
As with other grasses such as Ryegrass & Phalaris (& perhaps others I'm not familiar with), which also have some toxicity (staggers) effects on grazing animals eating the leaves of these plants at certain phases of their growth cycle, this has absolutely nothing to do with birds eating the seed of the same plants which are not at all toxic.