Corn bad for birds?

[finchbreeder]

Is it true? Can our vets please tell me if what I have heard is so? What I heard is that corn is very bad for birds because it leaches calcium from their bones? Is this true? Or is this false?
LML

[desertbirds]

As part of a reasonably balanced diet ive never really had any issues with corn . Id be shocked to learn its bad for birds.

[Pete Sara]

I allways fed it to my birds on the cob up until 2 years ago at least once a week, I got lazy now use frozen with peas and carrots, the blue face pf went nuts on it and the canarys we used to breed were a remarkable yellow colour and the scarlets were always the second to it after the canarys, all in moderation I guess like DB says...pete

[Danny]

Corn has an appalling Ca:P ratio, the worst of any vegetable or fruit BUT if you balance your calcium elsewhere it is quite suitable as a dietary component.I feed it daily but it is always fed with supplementation elsewhere in the diet.

[wagga]

Googled calcium to phosphorus ratios. Depending on soil types and fertilisers used the ratios can vary but corn is about 1:10.
Basically, as I know it, P needs to bind to a Ca molecule for the body to use it. Therefore each gram of P ingested the birds body must match it to a gram of Ca before the P can be absorbed into the blood stream. If no other Ca is given the body will take it from the storage areas of the body, bone. That's why supplementing higher levels of Ca to hens prior to laying is recommended, remembering the bodies need for adequate amounts of vitamin D3 also, this should be in moderation. To much Ca in the system can be counter productive as well. Did I mention the bodies need for trace elements, that's an entire new subject.

A balanced diet has a new/true meaning in this context.

[Danny]

Googled calcium to phosphorus ratios. Depending on soil types and fertilisers used the ratios can vary but corn is about 1:10.
.

It can be as bad as 1:80 - we are aiming for 1:1.2 in the perfect world

[E Orix]

I feed corn on the cob continually through the breeding season.
You can work out which birds are feeding chicks as they are continually visiting the cobs.
The result to me is that I do not get deformed chicks so it must be ok and I will continue with it.

[Tintola]

I feed sweet corn on the cob to all my parrots and finches/canaries when they have chicks in the nest and always get strong, healthy young. So I will continue as well!

[SamDavis]

Me too. Always fed corn to everyone! Off the cob when cheap, otherwise frozen stuff. My Diamonds in particular go nuts for it.
I suspect all fruit/veg/seed would have some type of nutritional inbalance if fed in isolation. A balanced diet is the key.