It is easy to feed budgies because it is easy to find simple foods containing all the nutrients your budgies need. A healthy diet helps keep your budgie happy and healthy for several years. So, make sure your budgies get proper nutrients every day. However, some pet bird owners find it hard to pick the best food for their budgies. That is why I did some digging, so I will share what you should feed your budgie in this article.
What Should I Feed My budgie?
The best food to feed your budgies should include vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, cheese, and even wild bird seeds. It is important to have different options and keep your options fresh. Feed your budgies with fresh and varied foods. So, keep the food fresh in the dish.
However, if your budgies do not want to eat, read this article.
How Much Should I Feed My Budgie?
Budgies can become obese if they overeat. To prevent your budgies from overeating, put your bird’s food in a shallow dish. Do you have several budgies? Put their foods in separate small dishes because some birds might not get a chance to eat if you put all the food in one dish.
It is important to prevent obesity because obese budgies can become lethargic and they can suffer health problems. Also, an obese budgie loses its streamlined appearance. But do not just feed your birds. You must make sure your birds get enough exercise daily. That is why you need to invest in a cage with enough room for your birds to exercise.
What Fruit Can a Budgie Eat?
Fruits offer budgies nutritional benefits. Budgies love fruits and they eat different types of fruits. Give your budgies a variety of fruits if you want to know what your budgies like. Once you know their favorite fruits, feed them these fruits regularly. Here are some of the fruits your budgies can eat.
Banana – Budgies love bananas because they are soft and sweet. Give your budgies bananas and other fruits. Bananas are readily available and it is easy to prepare bananas. You just cut the banana into slices and put the sliced pieces into a food dish.
Mango – Give your budgies a fresh mango. Slice the mango into half. Cut around the large seed. Place the slices on a shallow dish, plate, or tray. Once your budgies stop eating the mango slices, remove them immediately because they can spoil quickly.
Pineapple – Pineapples are healthy and delicious for birds. Pineapples help ease digestion, boost immunity, protect vision, strengthen bones, and contain disease fighting antioxidants. You can also feed your budgies the skin of pineapples because the skin is safe for the bird to eat.
Oranges – Feed your budgies oranges in summer months because oranges can hold a lot of water, so they can keep your budgies hydrated in summer months. Also, oranges are a great source of natural vitamins. Cut an orange into slices and give your budgies these slices.
Grapes – Some budgies love grapes because they are very sweet. Grapes can give your budgies a quick energy boost because they contain high levels of fructose. This is why you do not want to feed your budgies with grapes daily. You can use grapes as a treat for your budgies.
Kiwi Fruit – Kiwi fruits contain vitamin C, which is necessary for healthy blood vessels, muscles, and bones. That is why kiwi fruits are necessary for bone growth and the maintenance of your bird’s bone strength. Also, kiwi fruits can improve the immune system and the eyesight of your budgies.
Melon – There are different types of melons, such as cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and watermelon. Melons are great for the digestive tract of your birds because they are packed with fiber. Also, they are high in Vitamin C, so they can help improve the immune system of your budgies.
What Seeds Can You Feed Budgies?
It is important to feed your budgies seed because seeds are high in starch, fat, and energy. However, do not give your birds these seeds daily because seeds are low in vitamins and amino acids. That is why an all-seed diet is not recommended. Seeds can be good treats for your birds.
Here are some of the seeds you can feed your budgies:
Safflower Seed – It is a great source of plant protein and it contains omega-3 fatty acids. It can make your budgie active because it provides plenty of calories. So, give safflower seed to your birds in moderation.
Sunflower Seed – It is a great source of protein, fatty acids, and energy. However, sunflower seeds are very addictive, so birds may love consuming them. If your birds consume too much of these seeds, they can become obese.
Canary Seed – It provides a quick energy boost for your budgies. And it can be a complete diet for your birds, even though it is too low in protein.
Millet Seed – It also provides a quick energy boost, and it is a low-fat, high-card seed. It is important for your budgie’s nails, tendons, and nervous system because it contains silica.
What Vegetables Can Budgies Eat?
Add vegetables to your budgie’s diet because vegetables contain antioxidants and nutrients, which can boost the immune system of your bird. Here are some of the vegetables you can give your budgies:
Beetroot – It is a high nutrient vegetable. Cut the beetroot into small pieces and hang these pieces in your bird’s cage. Or you can just cut the beetroot into half and place it inside the cage. You can grate the beetroot for your young budgies.
Pumpkin – Offer your birds raw or baked pumpkin. But do not add human additives to the pumpkin before giving it to your birds. If your budgies are big, cut the pump into half and place it in the cage. If there are young budgies, grate the pumpkin for them.
Broccoli – Feed broccoli to your birds because it contains nutrients. You can hand fed broccoli to your budgies, especially if your budgies are tame enough.
Cabbage – You can use cabbage as an occasional treat. Cabbage contains a lot of nutrients and water, so they can keep your budgies hydrated.
Celery – Feed your budgies stalks only. Why? The leaves can harm your budgies, so cut off any leaves before giving your birds celery. Do not feed celery to your budgies daily because it contains a lot of water that can cause diarrhea in your birds.
Carrots – Carrots are rich in vitamins and many budgies love carrots because they are fun to eat. Carrots can support your bird’s optimal eye health because they contain high levels of beta-carotene.
Podded Peas – Podded peas are rich in minerals and vitamins, so they can help improve the health of your birds. You just hang them inside your bird’s cage. The best podded peas are snap or sugar snap peas or snow peas.
Spinach – Spinach is one of the dark leafy vegetables that budgies love. Spinach contains a lot of nutrients and minerals. Offer spinach as a whole leaf or chop the leaves into small pieces. You can even offer your birds the stems because they cannot harm your birds.
Can Budgies Eat Nuts?
Yes, budgies can eat nuts. Nuts are one of the safest food for birds. Birds need nuts because they are active animals. That is why they need plenty of energy to keep up with all of their daily activities, so give your birds nuts because nuts contain high calories. Also, nuts are a great source of fat, which can help keep the skins and feathers of your budgies healthy.
Here are some of the nuts your budgies can eat:
Almonds – Almonds are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and healthy types of fats. Your budgies need these fatty acids, so give them almonds.
Pistachios – Pistachios are high in protein, which is an essential part of a budgie’s diet. The protein helps budgies manage their body temperatures and to form their feathers.
Peanuts – Peanuts contain a variety of nutrients, including 24% protein, 45% fat, phosphorous, vitamin E, Vitamin A, iron, and potassium. Your budgie needs all the nutrients to survive.
Pecans – Pecans are a great source of energy for your budgies, especially during winter months. They can help fuel your birds’ bodies during the cold months.
What Foods are Harmful to Budgies?
Some foods are poisonous to birds. They are toxic to birds, so do not feed your birds these foods. Some of the foods harmful to budgies include rhubarb, avocado, tomato leaves and stems, fruit seeds and pits, mushrooms, uncooked beans, and chocolate.
Here are some of the foods harmful to budgies:
Onions and Garlic – Onions and garlic are toxic to birds. They contain sulfur compounds that can induce rupture of red blood cells, irritate the lining of the mouth of the bird, and cause ulcers. The allicin in garlic can cause weakness and anemia in birds.
Fat – Fats can make your budgies obese because birds cannot digest high-fat foods. So, do not offer your bird foods containing lots of fats. To make sure your budgie remains lean, limit fats.
Salt – Salt is not good for birds because it is toxic to birds. This is because salt upsets the electrolyte and fluid balance in the body of your birds. This can lead to kidney failure, dehydration, excessive thirst, and even death.
Chocolate – It is difficult for birds to resist foods containing chocolate. However, keep in mind that chocolate is toxic to birds, even in very small amounts. Chocolate can cause vomiting and diarrhea because they contain both caffeine and theobromine.
Caffeine – You may love caffeinated beverages, so you can be tempted to give your budgies some of your beverage. Do not give your birds caffeine because it can increase heart rate and induce hyperactivity and arrhythmias. It can even cause cardiac arrest in your budgies.
Avocado – Do not feed your budgies avocado because it contains persin that can cause weakness, respiratory difficulty, heart damage, and even death. Birds can consume some types of avocados, but it is difficult to know these types of avocados. So, it is much safer to avoid feeding your birds avocados.
Final Thoughts
What should I feed my budgie? It is easy to feed anything your budgies, but some foods can cause more problems for your birds. You must feed your budgies the best and appropriate foods if you want them to remain healthy and happy for several years. That is why a balanced diet is important. You can feed your budgies the foods mentioned above.
