Are there any grains or seeds besides corn which some Ohiki can have problems with? Are any grains or blends particularly favored? I read somewhere that millet may be a problem to birds that are sensitive to corn, but I can't find where I read that. My birds are on a diet with a little corn and they seem fine, but I'd rather just make up my own mix that leaves out anything that can be a problem because I keep worrying about it.
Technically it's not a corn issue, that's just the most commonly used feed, so people just call it a corn problem.
The real problem is Gluten. The birds of Japanese origin were not raised on it, so never developed a way for their system to process it. Over time, 1.5- 2 years on a gluten based diet, it just builds up in their systems til it kills them. Here's the kicker, aside from brown rice ( Japan) all grain is a source of gluten pretty much. SO to have a gluten free diet for them you have to completely make it from scratch yourself for the most part. Just about every bagged feed is going to have it in it from the use of grains to make it.
Ongagdori are especially sensitive to this. Good thing with the American lines of ohiki is the work Toni-Marie did with them in the beginning. By doing the out cross work to add new blood into the weak lines and basically save the breed here, it also added the ability to process gluten. So long story short, or maybe too late for that, the American lines of ohiki for the most part do not have an issue with this any more. Some do still monitor what they feed, but for the most part it's no longer needed on stock we have access to. I give mine normal bagged chicken feed, so do most other breeders with them, and so far all mine are just as fine as can be. Now I dont intentionally feed strain corn or grains to them, but the main percentage of bagged feed is grain based.
If you do want to go the gluten free way, a fish based protein diet is always a good route for them or onagadori.
Hope that helped a little
