Budgie Diet

[IlikeBirds]

What is the best diet for budgies?? I’ve seen some sources say that dry seeds should only be a small part of their diet, but some sources say that a budgies main or “staple” food should consist of a good seed mix. How much dry seed mix should a healthy budgie need in his diet?? Along with greens, veggies, grains, fruits and nuts of course. Anyone have a good budgie food pyramid?

 

[DestinyCall]

Ask ten people how to feed your parrot and you will get ten different answers. It is a hotly debated topic, with many conflicting opinions.

Every reputable source that I have found agree that dry seed is NOT enough for long term health. All seed mixes require some degree of supplementation because seeds are good for energy and some essential fats and vitamins, but they are lacking in calcium and certain vitamins, too high in calories, and may not meet the bird's protein requirements, especially in times of stress. A good quality, fresh seed mix CAN act as healthy base diet, but it will always require significant supplementation to fill in the gaps. This can be done by offering a varied diet of leafy greens, root veggies, squash, fruits, sprouted seeds, grains, and nuts. Or by using powdered or liquid supplements, soft foods, and pelleted diets.

Many people recommend using a good quality pelleted food as your parakeet's staple food or as a complete diet. The general recommendation is that pellets should make up 50 to 80% of the bird's diet (or even 100%). Pellets are designed to be a "complete food", so if they are made correctly, they should provide a solid foundation for your bird that can be further supplemented with fresh foods and seeds as treats or training rewards.

A parrot food pyramid might look something like 50-60% balanced pellet on the bottom, 20% sprouted or germenated seeds, 15-20% green leafy veggies and chopped up mixed veggies (carrots, pumpkin, green beans, broccoli, peppers, sweet potatoes, corn, etc), 5-10% fresh fruits, and 5% dry seed mix all the way at the top.

So the idea is that most of the diet would be a good pelleted food and fresh fruits or veggies and sprouted seed. Only a small portion would be dry seeds. Note that sprouted seeds have a better nutritional profile, compared with dry seeds, but they do require a little more prep time, a few supplies, and should be served while fresh and clean. Uneaten portion must be removed from the cage promptly, since the moisture can attract mold and bacteria. This is true for fresh fruit and veggies also. Dry foods are easier, because they do not spoil as quickly, but you should still be careful to store extra bird seed in a cool dry place and check for signs of spoilage before feeding out from a new (or old) bag. The oil in seed can go rancid and both seed mixes and pelleted feed can get infested with insects or become moldy, especially if they get wet or if they are stored in a humid location. Bird food can be stored in the freezer to extend shelf life.

Regarding parrot pellets, there are many good brands available right now. I would recommend asking around to see what works for most people or do some research to decide for yourself. Ideally, you want an established brand that uses fresh healthy ingredients with no artificial dyes. Some people caution against pellets that contain soy or a high amount of corn. Pay attention to the ingredient list and don't be afraid to buy a couple different types/sizes so you can find the right pellet for your bird. Many people find it can be a challenge to transition birds away from dry seed. By offering a couple different types of pellets, you test your parakeet's reaction to the different options. You might get lucky and hit on a pellet that suits your bird's tastes perfectly. For example, some birds prefer bright, fruity pellets and other birds want big brown pellets or tiny crumble. Some birds want the pellets to be softened in water or juice. And some birds accept pellets mixed with sprouted seeds or dry seeds. Experiment a little to see what works - there are many guides available on switching from seeds to pellets since it is such a common challenge.

Personally, I like to offer a custom blend of several different high quality pellets in a variety of colors and sizes for my flock.
This allows the individual birds to "forage" for their favorite bites in the mix, but they all still get a good balanced diet, even if they are super picky, because it is all balanced and complete. In addition to the base pelleted food, I offer fresh foods daily and a rotating selection of dried greens, sprouted seed mixes, and minerals. A particular favorite forage item is oat sprays - my parakeets go nuts tearing apart the oat heads to get at the kernels. And they also love it when I offer them "fancy rabbit food" that has a mix of timothy grass and various edible leaves, flowers, and dried fruits. They scatter the hay all over, looking for their favorite treats. Sometimes, I will stuff the grass mix into a cardboard box or other destructable container to up the challenge level.

For the sprouted seeds, I will put a scoop of quality bird seed in a mason jar each night, add water, and let it soak overnight. The next morning, I rinse it with fresh water, then offer the germinated seed mix to my birds. They devour it happily and get a better balance of nutrition due to the germination process changing the seed. Whatever is left in the seed bowl at the end of the day goes to my chickens (they are hardy and ravenous). When my schedule allows, I will also let some of the seeds sprout fully and offer the birds a beautiful "microgreens" salad once or twice a week. You can use a simple mason jar or sieve with some paper towels or buy a fancy seed sprouter. Just soak the seeds overnight, then instead of feeding immediately, drain off the water and let them grow. Rinse or spray at least twice daily (more often if it is hot/dry) with clean water. This keeps the seeds hydrated AND deters mold/mildew/bacteria from growing along with the sprouts. If your seeds go sour or mold, you should rinse more frequently and be sure to drain off all the water so the outside of the seeds can dry off a little between waterings. This is usually enough to fix the problem. You can also use apple cider vinegar or a water cleanser like Aviclens to inhibit unwanted growth or move your sprouts to a cooler location. Cold sprouts will grow more slowly than warm sprouts, but the risk of mold is reduced. Seeds will even sprout in the refrigerator which can be a helpful trick if you live in a hot humid climate.

At room temp, most seed mixes will be green and leafy within one week. You can feed sprouts to your bird at any time or let them continue to grow into grass. Once leaves appear, the sprouted seeds should be moved to a sunny location, like a windowsill or offered strong artifical light. If it is too dark, your sprouts will get very tall and slender as they search for more light. Move them to a better spot to help the sprouts grow thick and green. Sprouts can be fed whole, leaf/root/seed or "trimmed" with scissors and fed out in portions, while the rest of the mass continues to grow and leaf out. My birds favor the germinated seeds and young sprouts the most. If you let your sprouts keep growing, they will eventually become grasses and can even seed out after many weeks of growth. The fresh seed heads can be fed to your birds too!

You do not need special seed or a green thumb to grow sprouts. You can even sprout "waste seed" that has been rejected by your birds or fallen to the cage floor - just be sure to rinse the seed throughly before sprouting. It is also a good idea to soak in water treated with a disinfectant, in case the waste seed has come in contact with bird poop. This is a safe method for "recycling" seed. If you find that your seed mix will not sprout for you, consider buying fresh seed or switching to a different supplier. Good seed should be fresh and viable. Dead seed lacks nutritional value and isn't worth feeding to your birds since it will be mostly "empty" calories.

Birds that are under stress, molting, or breeding/rearing chick will have different nutritional requirements from healthy birds. Generally speaking, these birds need more protein and more calcium. A sick bird is more likely to recover if it has good nutritional support. Protein is important for growing feathers and healing injuries. Calcium is vital for strong eggs and strong bones. You can increase protein by offering special foods, like eggfood or dried insects or by switching to oily seed mixes. These oily seed mixes contain more high protein oil seeds, compared with a standard parakeet blend and are often times marketed as "tonic seed" to be used to bring your bird into top condition or help them recover from stress or illness, and when they are feeding babies.

 

[noodles123]

"At room temp, most seed mixes will be green and leafy within one week. "

I keep my house pretty warm (75 F), and my humidity is in the high 50's- very low 60s...I have NEVER had a seed sprout..just saying..
I am not a fan of sprouts due to bacterial risk, even though I think I like the idea of them...and they are tasty...just not the safest IMO.

 

[DestinyCall]

"At room temp, most seed mixes will be green and leafy within one week. "

I keep my house pretty warm (75 F), and my humidity is in the high 50's- very low 60s...I have NEVER had a seed sprout..just saying..
I am not a fan of sprouts due to bacterial risk, even though I think I like the idea of them...and they are tasty...just not the safest IMO.

Have you tried watering them?

Different species of plant will require different amounts of time to germinate and grow into sprouts. Warmer conditions will speed things up and colder conditions will slow things down. On average, you can expect to see the seeds start to do something within just a few days of being soaked, if you keep them clean and well hydrated, but it will usually take a little longer (7-10 days) before they reach the "cute lil bed of sprouts" stage. Although you can buy bird seed that is intended for sprouting, I generally do not bother getting the actual "sprouting seed mix", since it is typically more expensive and I have never had any trouble getting good quality seed mix to sprout by just adding water and waiting.

Personally, I don't consider the risk of bacteria to be any greater than that associated with feeding fresh fruit and veggies. Use proper hygiene when handling the seed/sprouts, rinse well, and wash/sanitize your equipment regularly. Feed a small amount and discard any leftovers before they spoil. No different than any wet food, really.

You can refrigerate the sprouts for longer shelf life, if you make more than your birds can eat immediately, although I usually just do small batches of germinated seed, rather than full sprouts and I feed the soaked seeds immediately. Soaking is fast and easy, less fiddly compared with full sprouting, and the contamination risk is low. Soaking with a bird-safe disinfecting agent moves the risk close to zero.

 

[noodles123]

No, I haven't- I just always worry that something nasty will germinate and my bird has been captive always, so her immune system is questionable..but I have thought about growing them in my garden (just to see what would happen lol)-Interesting input though!

 

[Ivan.Vanca]

Senegal millet sprays, canary seeds, mainly grass seeds, iodine supplement, maybe occassional some natural oil with vitamine D, herbs ( chickweed, dandelion, basil leafs .... ), maybe some carrots or dried fruits ( berries ), brewing yeasts, vitamine powder, humac pro powder, maybe sometimes bee pollen. COuld use green parts of carrots.

Regarding pellelts - they will make budgie to be thirsty, but they need not recognize that and naturally drink more. Pellets are not good for kidneys and could contribute to arthritis, I think.