How to Feed Budgies

Budgies are one of the most popular pet birds owned in the United States, and are the smallest member of the parrot family commonly kept in captivity. They are native to the Australian Outback, where their natural diet consists primarily of seeds, eucalyptus, and desert vegetation. In addition, wild budgies consume calcium-rich soil and clay, especially during breeding season. In captivity, budgies are usually fed dry seed mixtures, but these are nutritionally deficient in several vitamins and minerals and may decrease the bird's lifespan. For optimal health, pet budgies should be offered a wide variety of foods including pellets, sprouted seeds and fresh vegetables.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• High quality pelleted diet
• Micrograin sprout mix
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Clean drinking water
• Cuttlebone or mineral block

1. Feed your budgie a high quality pelleted diet as the primary food source. The ideal pellet for a budgie is low in fat (4 to 8 percent) with a moderate protein content (12 to 14 percent). Budgies generally prefer very small pellets. These are readily available and marketed specifically for budgies, canaries and other small birds. Most budgies will eat approximately 1 tablespoon of pellets each day.

2. Offer your budgie a variety of small sprouted seeds. Sprout mixtures for birds are available at specialty bird stores and online retailers, or you can make your own sprout mix using tiny grains from a health food store. When choosing a sprout mix, look for one that is made entirely of very small seeds, such as millet, quinoa, alfalfa and sesame. Larger sprouting seeds, such as whole corn, peas and beans, are likely to be ignored by the budgie. Most budgies will consume about 1/2 tablespoon of sprouted seeds each day.

3. Give your budgie fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Most budgies enjoy broccoli, leafy greens, corn, apples and carrots. Try offering large pieces of cut produce that your budgie can nibble. To prevent spoilage, all moist foods should be removed from the cage after a few hours.

4. Provide your budgie with clean, fresh water at all times. If you are using a water bowl, check it several times a day and replace it if it has become soiled. To prevent contamination, you can use a glass water bottle designed for birds instead of a water dish. Water bottles should be cleaned and refilled daily, and separate bathing water should be offered twice a week.

5. Hang a cuttlebone or mineral block from the side of the cage to provide calcium. Budgies have relatively high calcium requirements compared to other pet birds. Do not provide gravel or grit to your budgie, as these are unnecessary if a cuttlebone is available and can cause crop impaction.

6. Limit your budgie's consumption of high fat treats, such as sunflower seeds, nuts and fatty table foods. Choose healthy treats instead, such as unsalted popcorn, fresh corn kernels, bits of whole wheat pasta, or cut grapes. Budgies, like most Australian parrots, are quite prone to obesity if fed a diet high in fat.

Tips & Warnings

• Budgies are notoriously difficult to convert to pellets from a seed-based diet. Be patient and persistent. The process may take weeks, or even months to complete.
• If your budgie refuses to eat pellets, replacing the dry seeds with sprouted seeds will improve his diet significantly. In this case, be sure to use a sprout mixture that contains a wide variety of seeds.
• Eucalyptus branches, with intact leaves, are available for purchase at some specialty pet stores. These are a part of the wild budgie's diet, and most pet budgies relish them.
• Never change any bird's diet suddenly. Make sure that your budgie is eating the new diet before discontinuing the old.
• If you use a water bottle, make sure that your budgie has learned to use it before removing the water dish from the cage.
• Chocolate, rhubarb, avocado, coffee, uncooked amaranth, raw onions and raw garlic are toxic to all pet birds. Never give these items to a budgie.