Budgie Diet Information

Seed Mixtures

In the wild budgies feed on seeding grasses. This is why they need to be given seed mixtures in captivity. Seed should make up most of the budgie diet.

There are many different seed mixes on the market. Most of them are largely made up of canary seed with some added millet. Some of the better quality mixtures include other seeds like red rape, niger and linseed, which are very nutritious. Some mixtures also include artificial grain.

Budgies also lap up some other seeds if you provide them, like sunflower seeds and wheat germ. You can also hang some seeding grasses for them to enjoy.

Budgies only eat the kernel of the seed and leave the husk. So it’s important to get into the habit of blowing the seed off the top of their seed in the food containers. It’s not unheard of for budgies to starve to death because their food is buried under a layer of husks.

Plants & Salad

Sometimes in the wild, lush green vegetation will grow where the budgies live. The budgies use these plants as an extra source of food. So your pet budgie will probably be happy to eat plants like dandelion and chickweed.

As well as those wild plants, budgies will happily eat things like apple slices and orange segments, as well as green salad leaves and grated carrot.

Of course if your budgie is a few years old and has only ever been fed on seed and millet, he may ignore any other food you provide for quite a long time. I had this happen with one budgie, he just didn’t seem to twig that apple slices or lettuce leaves were food.

Dietary Supplements

Grit is a vital part of the budgie’s diet. They need grit to help them digest food. If you don’t provide your budgie with any grit, then he may well start pecking at the sandpaper lining the bottom of his cage. This probably won’t cause any real harm, since the glue used on the sandpaper isn’t toxic, but it isn’t very hygienic.

A cuttlefish bone is an important source of calcium for your budgie. As well as being nutritious, pecking at it helps your budgie to keep his beak from getting overgrown. An overgrown beak means a trip to the vet, which probably won’t be too much fun for either of you.

Last but not least, a mineral block should be attached to your budgie’s cage where he can easily peck at it. A mineral block will give your budgie a healthy dose of the right nutrients to keep him in tip-top condition.

Food Hygiene

Your budgie’s food dish needs to be cleaned daily and filled with fresh food. You also need to make sure that it is topped up a couple of times a day, and that a layer of husks doesn’t cover the food.

Food needs to be changed often as food that is getting old will spread bacteria and attract flies. Changing food often and cleaning the dish helps to prevent diseases.

You need to buy seed in small amounts and keep it in a lidded container. Buying small amounts of food more often can be an extra hassle when you could just buy it in big sacks, I get that. But the oil in seed mixes turns rancid after a short while, and won’t be tasty or healthy for your budgie to eat.

Budgies, Budgerigars Information
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