ENGLISH AND OTHER BUDGIE NUTRITION AND DIET
Proper nutrition is the most important facet of budgie care. Budgies want variety in their diet. While commercial formulated pelleted diets do contain all the nutrition the budgie needs, they can become boring for the budgie which can cause poor eating behaviors. Budgies that are used to a seed diet have a reputation for refusing a pelleted diet. Introducing the pellets gradually by mixing them with seeds can help prevent refusal of the pellets.
A combination of seeds and pellets can be beneficial and give the budgie variety in his diet. In addition, you can supplement a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. Budgies can be reluctant to try new foods so you will need to be persistent, offering the new food several times over the course of a few days before the budgie will finally accept it.
Spinach and broccoli, which can also help add calcium to your budgie’s diet, are excellent foods to supplement a pelleted, or combination pellet and seed diet. In addition try offering your budgie diced carrots, corn and beans, and a variety of fresh fruits, like apples and grapes. Remove the apple seeds as they can be toxic. Budgies will also like sprouted seeds.
You can provide your budgie with a cuttlebone to help supplement calcium however, oyster shell or grit should not be provided to a budgie. Grit and oyster shell could be harmful if your budgie ingests too much.
As with all birds, do not feed Nanday Conures, avocados, chocolate, coffee or salt. Chocolate and coffee contain theobromine, an alkaloid that is toxic to birds. Avocado is also toxic to birds. Foods with a high salt content are harmful to birds because they can not excrete salt.
By providing a balanced and varied diet, your budgie should not need vitamin supplements. However, if your budgie is a picky eater and will not each much fresh fruit or vegetables, you may want to add supplements to the water supply.
African Greys | Nanday Conures | Blue Fronted Parrots | Cockatiels | Caiques
Military Macaws | Harlequin Macaws | Cockatoos
