Proper nutrition for a budgie at home

Budgerigars are unpretentious pet birds that can brighten up an ordinary and boring environment. When keeping them, it is worth considering in detail - from the place of keeping to feeding. If you want your feathered pet to be able to delight you with its chirping and cooing for a long time, then it is better to create all the necessary conditions for its residence. For this reason, it is important to first consider how and what to feed your budgie correctly. The good health of the bird, as well as its beautiful appearance, will depend on this.

Grain mixtures

The diet of a budgerigar should include grain mixtures; they are an important component. At the same time, wavy fish require a variety of types of this food on the menu. These bird breeds have an enhanced metabolism, which is able to quickly digest grain feed.

The best option would be to have 6 different types of grains on the menu at once. Veterinarians do not advise experimenting with bird nutrition or creating a menu on your own. It is better to purchase ready-made food in specialized stores, which contains the necessary useful elements.

Your feathered pet’s daily menu should include the following grains:

  • millet of various types - red, white, black, yellow. The component indicator should be 70% of the total volume;
  • oats Its volume must be at least 10%;
  • sunflower seeds, flaxseed, hemp and canary seed, wheat. The amount of grain crops should be 20%.

Many owners of feathered pets often have a question: is it possible to feed millet? Millet is a healthy product necessary for the proper development of poultry.

Millet cereals for feeding budgies must be selected carefully. A low-quality product can lead to poisoning and even death of the bird. The grain, suitable for feeding birds, has a large particle size, a uniform light yellow color and a slightly glossy surface. Cereals that are gray in color, covered with plaque and dust, of uneven size, with a musty odor, an admixture of dirt, signs of spoilage, affected by mold and pests are not suitable for feeding parrots. Millet is fed to parrots in 3 ways: in the form of dry cereal, in sprouted form and in the form of porridge.

What else can you feed your budgie at home besides grain food? Additionally, it can be mixed with boiled eggs, herbs, and fresh grass. They will saturate the food with vitamins and nutritional components.

You can read more about grain mixtures and food in the article “TOP 10 best food for budgies.”

Forbidden fruits in the “wavy” diet

Considering the fact that there are different foods in the diet of a budgerigar, some of them are strictly prohibited. These include:

  • salt;
  • sugar;
  • cones;
  • Rye bread;
  • milk;
  • human food;
  • spices;
  • onion;
  • garlic;
  • radish;
  • daikon;
  • eggplant;
  • mango;
  • papaya;
  • persimmon;
  • avocado.

Many people are sure that the twigs that birds use to grind down their beaks can be replaced with nuts. In fact, this is a rather fatty product, and therefore it must be used in minimal quantities. A properly organized diet and care for pets will provide them with the conditions necessary for a normal existence next to a person.

Fruits and vegetables

Complete and balanced feeding of budgies should include different types of fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to give them clean, so they should be washed in running water. They must be natural, without toxic chemicals.

Feed should be fresh vegetables and fruits. If they begin to rot or mold appears on their surface, then it is better not to give them to your feathered pets. They can negatively affect their health.

Among the vegetables on the menu, you can include varieties from the list:

  • fodder type carrots. The vegetable is of high value. It contains a lot of carotene. It is given raw, grated or finely chopped. Additionally, it can be combined with a boiled egg or breadcrumbs;
  • parrots love melon and pumpkin. They can also be given raw pumpkin seeds, but they should be ground;
  • cucumbers Vegetables speed up your metabolism. They can be used as part of dietary nutrition when the feathered pet is overweight;
  • tomatoes. Tomatoes contain acids and carotene. It is recommended to give budgies fully ripened tomatoes; unripe fruits contain a dangerous alkaloid element, which is dangerous not only for birds, but also for humans;
  • fresh cabbage. The leaves can be torn into small pieces, and the stalk should be cut into small pieces with a knife;
  • beet. The root vegetable contains sugar, fiber, vitamins, and microelements. The vegetable is simply necessary for birds. It can be stored for a long time;
  • Birds are allowed green peas and beans. Legumes should be fresh, soft and young;
  • Bell pepper. It has high levels of nutrients. It needs to be cut into small pieces along with the seeds.

In addition to the above vegetables, the menu should include fruits. They need to be given only fresh. They should not contain chemicals that can cause health problems for birds.

Among the fruits on the menu you can include the following types:

  • Apples are valuable to parrots. They need to be given every day;
  • pears are considered a tasty delicacy. But it doesn’t cost too much to give them;
  • a sufficient number of oranges and tangerines. Citrus fruits have high levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), so they should definitely be given to birds;
  • You can have bananas, but not a lot. They should not be given together with the skin;
  • feathered pets will happily eat peaches and apricots;
  • To boost the immune system, kiwi should be given periodically, but only without the skin.

You can read more about fruits and vegetables in the article “What fruits and vegetables can be given to budgies.”

What does a parrot eat?

The French amateur birder Jules Delon first spoke about the diet of budgerigars in his “Notes on Budgerigars” in 1845. Since then, many manuals and manuals have been published, but the basic rules of feeding have not changed - the birds' menu should be varied and contain all the necessary vitamins, microelements, proteins, fats, carbohydrates.

In the natural environment

Despite the fact that modern budgerigars are the fruit of long-term and painstaking selection, their food preferences have remained virtually unchanged. They prefer the same foods that their relatives eat in their homeland of Australia.

The main menu of wild parrots includes grains and seeds of various plants. During the period of abundance, birds peck at soft, milky-ripe seeds, but do not refuse hard, fully ripened grains.

When they succeed, they feast on fruits, berries, buds and young shoots, leaves of bushes and trees. During drought periods, the diet is supplemented with roots. Budgerigars eat insects and their larvae very rarely.

Important! Parrots love to feast on sweet palm sap. Hunters often use this. They hang cups of fermented drink on trees and wait for the birds that have flocked to the treat to become drunk and fall to the ground.


Fruits and berries

Food for budgies

However, let's move on to feeding parrots at home.

Store-bought feed

The food industry offers many varieties of ready-made dry food for birds. Parrots eat little; 1-2 tablespoons of grain mixture per day is enough for them. When purchasing, you should make sure of the quality of the food. A quality product contains:

  • several types of grain - different varieties of millet (65-70%), oats (15-20%), sunflower seeds (10-15%), canary seed, wheat, hemp, flax;
  • iodine;
  • vitamin and mineral supplements.

In the rating of food for budgies, the first lines are occupied by:

  1. Italian food Fiory and Padovan.
  2. Blends from Germany Vitakraft and JR Farm.
  3. Belgian brand Prestige Versele-Laga.
  4. A line of mixtures for parrots from the Russian manufacturer RIO.
  5. Food from the Netherlands Witte Molen.
  6. Spanish food Cunipic.


Parrot food
Important! No matter how convenient ready-made mixtures are, they cannot fully satisfy all the needs of birds. In addition to them, the diet must contain soft and green food, fruit and vegetable supplements, sprouted grains, and animal feed.

Grain and porridge

The diet of budgerigars is based on mixtures of seeds of cultivated and wild plants:

  1. Various varieties of millet (seed, yellow, gray, silver, white, red, semolina, Japanese, Senegal) and its closest relatives (sorghum, barnyard grass, mogar, chumizu). More nutritious white and red millet are preferred for wavy millet, especially at the stage of milk maturity. If possible, the birds are fed with young panicles of the plant.
  2. Sunflower seeds are one of the favorite treats for parrots. However, due to the high content of oily substances, they should not be given too much. The best option is to add seeds to the grain mixture 1-2 times a week.
  3. Oats and oatmeal are an affordable dietary food for birds, containing vitamins B and E. They are especially necessary during the period of nesting and hatching chicks. The nutritional value of oatmeal depends on the percentage of films in the grain - the fewer there are, the more nutritious the food. It is useful to give the birds sprouted and steamed oats, and oatmeal will promote good digestion for the birds.
  4. Canary seed (canary seed). It is not grown in Russia and is often replaced with rapeseed and rape seeds (cultivated and wild). In terms of protein and carbohydrate content, it is slightly inferior to oatmeal, but superior to it in fat content.
  5. Wheat and barley are high-calorie foods. Before feeding, the grain is soaked for 10-12 hours, the water is drained, left wet for another 20-24 hours, washed under running water, and stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 3 days. They love feathered and sprouted barley and wheat grains.
  6. Large grains of corn are not very suitable for small birds, but parrots peck unripe milk cobs with pleasure.
  7. Hemp seed in large quantities causes obesity, eyelid swelling, and blindness. Despite the fact that parrots love it very much, they give no more than 10 seeds at a time.
  8. Flaxseed is given as a laxative in small quantities. The salad white seed serves as a delicacy. To prevent small seeds from “dissolving” in the main feed, they are poured in small quantities into separate bowls.
  9. Peas, beans, beans , rich in protein, are soaked in water and given to the birds. Birds benefit from green pods containing trace elements and vitamins. Edible crushed peas quickly turn sour when soaked; it is better not to use them.
  10. Buckwheat grains are given in unrefined form. They are soaked like wheat or fed sprouted, with a slightly sprouted white sprout.
  11. Rice is not very popular among poultry farmers. However, sprouted or soaked grains are a good nutritious feed with a low oil content.
  12. Poppy seed mixed with grated carrots serves as an excellent preventative against diarrhea.
  13. Weed seeds are given without restrictions. You can harvest the seeds of quinoa, dandelion, nettle, alfalfa, horse sorrel, clover, and Sudanese grass.


Poppy seeds
Important! Derivatives of grain feed (bran, crushed grain) are added to wet mash, for example, to a crushed boiled egg with carrots.

Porridges - buckwheat, rice, barley, pearl barley, millet, oatmeal - will be a good help in feeding budgies. Porridge can be cooked in water or milk, made crumbly, viscous, liquid, focusing on the individual tastes of the pet. The porridge is used immediately, without leaving it for storage.

Vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits take second place in the diet of budgerigars. It is from them that birds receive most of their vitamins and microelements. Fruit and vegetable supplements are easier to digest than grains and have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. All vegetables and fruits are given raw, having first washed them thoroughly under running water, scalded with boiling water, cut into small pieces or grated on a coarse grater.

The parrot menu includes:

  1. Fully ripened cucumbers and tomatoes. Cucumbers contain iodine necessary for birds, and tomatoes contain carotene.
  2. Pumpkin, zucchini, squash. They will enrich the menu with pectin and fiber, B vitamins (1,2,5,6), A, C, E, K, PP, glucose, sucrose and fructose, and microelements (Ca, Fe, Mg, P, Zn). And pumpkin seeds will serve as a good anthelmintic.
  3. Turnip , which supplies birds with calcium and succinic acid.
  4. Bulgarian sweet and hot (rare) peppers of all colors along with seeds. It is a good supplier of B vitamins.
  5. White and red cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage (tops of leaves only), broccoli, Savoy, Brussels sprouts, collards, Chinese and Japanese.
  6. Beets (table, fodder, sugar), rutabaga, containing a lot of fiber. Beets, like cabbage, are especially useful in winter, when there are no fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits.
  7. Carrots and vitamin A. Parrots like its mixtures with a boiled egg, other raw vegetables, mineral, vitamin and medicinal supplements, and breadcrumbs.
  8. Feathers of mild onion . In winter, you can plant onions on the windowsill.
  9. Salads and spinach. They are very useful, but in excessively large portions they can cause gastrointestinal upset. The leaves are slightly withered and dried, and then fed to the birds.
  10. Potatoes , raw and boiled, in small quantities. Do not give green tubers and tops that contain the toxic substance solanine.
  11. Non-acidic varieties of apples and pears , peeled and seeded. They are used fresh, dry and boiled. Dried fruits are soaked in water for 2-4 hours.
  12. Citrus fruits , peeled. They are fed slices. This is a very valuable product for parrots. It should be added to the menu regularly.
  13. Cultivated and wild berries - raspberries, black and red currants, cherries, cherries, grapes, strawberries, wild strawberries, sea buckthorn, cranberries, lingonberries, stoneberries, blueberries, cloudberries, rowan, viburnum, bird cherry. Served fresh and dried.
  14. Kiwi and ripe bananas, peeled and cut into pieces.
  15. Watermelon and melon. They have a weak diuretic and laxative effect.
  16. Grenades. But taking into account the fact that they are contraindicated for birds with liver diseases.


Watermelon slices
Important! The introduction of exotic fruits into the diet should be treated with caution. Some of them contain substances that are poisonous to budgies.

Plants

In addition to grains, seeds of fruits and vegetables, other types of food of plant origin are also useful for parrots:

  • green mass of wild plants (dandelion, plantain);
  • of shepherd's purse, dandelion;
  • grass meal from nettle , alfalfa, clover, coniferous trees;
  • branches of deciduous and coniferous (only in winter and early spring) trees.

Animal feed

Animal feed supplies birds with protein, an important building material for the body.

These include:

  1. Boiled chicken eggs. They are useful for adult birds and chicks. During the period of nesting and feeding the younger generation, eggs are given daily. In other periods regularly, but in small quantities. To the crushed and peeled eggs add grated carrots, bran, white crackers, semolina, vitamin and mineral preparations, flour (herbal, pine, bone, meat and bone, fish).
  2. Milk and dairy products (milk powder, low-fat cottage cheese, infant formula). Pressed and crumbly cottage cheese is given in pieces; soft cottage cheese is mixed with other ingredients, the same as for a boiled egg. Powdered milk and baby food are given in small doses - 1/3-1/2 teaspoon per 100 g of egg mixture.
  3. Insects and worms (mealworms, bloodworms, grasshoppers and grasshoppers, fruit flies, chafer larvae, small grasshoppers and grasshoppers, wax moths). In small doses, dry aquarium food (gommarus, daphnia) is added to the egg mixture.
  4. Boiled meat products , minced in a meat grinder in small doses (lean muscle meat, heart, kidneys, liver).
  5. Boiled fish , thoroughly pitted.


Budgerigar
Important! Egg shells are collected, dried and used as a mineral supplement. Another method can be used - boiled eggs in the shell are cut into pieces and placed in a feeder.

What do parrots like and what should you not feed them?

Your parrot's favorite food must be selected individually. Most birds love sunflower seeds, fruits and vegetables, egg mixture, and millet.

When compiling a diet, carefully study the list of foods that are dangerous and harmful to budgies. They are contraindicated:

  • fruits (avocado, persimmon, papaya, mango);
  • spicy herbs (parsley, cilantro);
  • salt and sugar;
  • alcohol;
  • sausages, raw smoked products.

Many wild and indoor plants are especially dangerous. Their list includes more than a hundred items. Among them are acacia, anemone, arnica, anthurium, cloves, hyacinth, datura, buckthorn, cherry laurel, dieffenbachia, ivy, yew, juniper, spurge, foxglove, euphorbia, laurel, mistletoe, narcissus, foxglove, poinsettia, honeysuckle, and black elderberry.

Important! Many poultry farmers believe that small additions of white bread soaked in milk are beneficial. Opponents of baked goods point out that bread contains yeast, which upsets digestion.

What else can you give budgies?


Mine, I won’t give it to you!..
What can you feed parrots besides the above products? In minimal quantities, as encouragement and treats - nuts, acorns, chestnuts. For gourmets, you can buy special wooden sticks in stores, covered with a thin layer of honey or sugar syrup with seeds and grains glued to it.

Mineral and vitamin supplements are mandatory included in the menu:

  • special mineral stones sold in pet stores;
  • sepia (dried layer of cuttlefish shell);
  • charcoal;
  • organic sand, chalk, shell rock, corals;
  • limestone, small pebbles;
  • clay;
  • multivitamin complexes.

Important! Mineral supplements are poured into a separate feeder and changed weekly. The expiration date of the stones is indicated in the attached instructions.

Greenery

To improve the nutrition of a budgerigar, it is recommended to use green food. It is one of the main components, because greens contain important beneficial substances that improve the health and strengthen the immune system of your feathered pet.

So what kind of grass and greens can be given to budgies? The birds' diet must include the following types of greens from the list:

  • lettuce leaves;
  • tops from beets, carrots;
  • chicory salad;
  • spinach;
  • dandelion;
  • clover;
  • radish leaves;
  • chickweed;
  • plantain.

It is worth considering that there are forbidden greens that should not be included in the diet of birds:

  • tops of potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants;
  • all varieties of decorative flowers;
  • laurel leaves;
  • spurge;
  • dill.

Does the choice of feeder affect your pet's appetite?

Some breeders believe that the decoration of the cage, including the type of feeder chosen for the pet, affects its appetite. It is not known whether this is really true, however, before purchasing a bird, it is important to decide on the appearance of the feeder that will be used. They come in several types:

  • internal (usually sold immediately with the cage);
  • external open;
  • external closed;
  • floor

The latter option is currently not popular among breeders, since birds leave a large amount of debris in the cage after feeding. It is better to give preference to metal products, since they can be processed without worrying that under the influence of high temperatures they will melt or become unusable. A feeder for budgies can also be made from scrap materials.

Twigs

Many bird owners, who are often interested in the question of how to properly feed a budgie, pay attention to the fact that their diet must include branches of various trees. Branch food has several advantages:

  • parrots clean and sharpen their beaks on twigs;
  • with its help, birds improve the condition of their claws;
  • has a positive effect on health due to its fiber content and various microelements.

Preference should be given to twigs from maple, fruit trees, aspen, birch, and alder. Before giving them to your pet, they should be treated with hot water.

Tree and bush branches for a healthy beak

The diet should not be limited to grains. It is no secret that all birds love to chew on something, and this “something” is not always useful for them (wallpaper, plaster, ceiling tiles, etc.). This is why many bird owners put tree branches in their cages.

It should be noted that branches should not be picked along highways, garbage dumps and factories - such wood is not safe for a budgie to eat.

It is best to go after them to the forest or the nearest park. Preference should be given to branches of birch, alder, chestnut, and willow. You should not let chewing on branches of coniferous trees (due to the tannins they contain) and poplar (due to their absorption of toxic substances from the atmosphere).

Poultry will not mind eating bark from the branches every day:

    1) beech;
    2) ash;
    3) apple trees;
    4) hazel;
    5) raspberries;
    6) aspen;
    7) hawthorn;
    8) viburnum.

Treat your pet to a branch of viburnum (the berries themselves can also be given, but in small quantities).
For variety, the pet is offered branches of citrus trees, chestnut, rowan, pear, and viburnum. For novice breeders who have not yet learned much about what parrots eat in the wild, it is worth knowing that they should not pick branches of acacia, elderberry, or lilac, which can poison poultry.

Before giving the branches to the bird, they must be soaked in cold water for several hours and then doused with boiling water.

Porridge

When studying what budgies eat, it is worth taking into account porridges from various cereal crops. They quickly saturate the body and also fill it with useful substances.

Porridges and various cereals have some important features:

  • they contain important microelements that normalize impaired metabolism;
  • In order to make porridge, you can use buckwheat, beans, rice and others. They can be used together or separately;
  • Additionally, you can add legumes, finely chopped vegetables, fruits;
  • It is recommended to boil porridge only in water without adding salt and sugar;
  • You can store them in the refrigerator, but no more than two days.

What do parrots eat in the wild?

It is important to know what parrots and other small birds eat in their natural environment in order to provide them with everything they need at home. Wild budgerigars are nomadic birds that are found free-ranging in the arid regions of Australia.

They choose meadows and forested regions, and in rainy times they visit both farmland and suburbs. The regions where they live are very arid, so parrots may not drink water for a long time even in captivity.

In nature, small birds get:

  • seeds of terrestrial plants, shrubs and trees;
  • kangaroo grass seeds;
  • bark of trees and shrubs;
  • Exotic fruits.

In nature, parrots find vitamins in fruits, bark, and grains.
Birds fly from place to place, looking for food and sources of water. Their natural food depends on the region where budgerigars live in nature. As already mentioned, these are arid and semi-arid Australian regions, but the feeding there for small birds is very varied, nutritious and fortified.

Sprouted food

Sprouted food is nutritious, for this reason it can be used to replace grain mixtures. It contains a high level of fiber and beneficial vitamins. Due to the balanced composition, when consuming this food, the birds' immunity increases, their metabolism returns to normal, and malfunctions in the body are restored.

If you don’t know what you can feed your budgie, then sprouted food would be an excellent option. The main thing is to germinate the grains correctly:

  • It is recommended to select grains for cooking;
  • then washed under running water;
  • the grains are filled with warm water and left overnight;
  • then the grains are washed again, laid out on a saucer and covered with damp gauze, which is folded 3-4 times;
  • The gauze needs to be moistened every 4 hours;
  • after 24 hours the first shoots will appear;

The sprouted grains can be given to the parrot immediately. They can be stored for no more than 2 days.

How to feed your feathered friend if he is sick?

Budgerigars, like other living creatures, can get sick. Having learned that his pet is unwell, an inexperienced breeder will naturally begin to wonder what to feed his sick parrot. If you have to force feed a bird, you should give preference to the following products:

  • dairy-free baby cereals that do not require cooking;
  • home-made dairy-free porridge (cereals are pre-ground in a blender).

It is necessary to ensure that a sick pet eats about three times a day. The “wavy animals,” even adults, are fed with syringes. The amount of nutritional “mixture” at one time should not exceed 1.5 ml.

When wondering whether it is possible to feed budgies with millet, as well as other cereals, vegetables, fruits, and green crops, you should consult with a veterinarian or a competent salesperson at a pet store. Otherwise, there is a risk of choosing the wrong “mixture” and harming your pet’s health.

Mineral supplements

It is imperative to feed your budgie with mineral supplements. Suitable ones include the following:

  • chalk provides calcium replenishment. You can give it in a crushed state or in the form of pebbles. You need to use special chalk, most importantly not construction chalk;
  • small eggshell. It has a lot of calcium, magnesium, iron, sulfur;
  • bone flour. It contains a lot of phosphorus and calcium;
  • The feathered menu needs to be supplemented with special vitamins and minerals, which are sold in the form of complexes in any pet store.

Blitz - tips

  • mixing grains is required in accordance with the recommendations of the veterinarian, which will take into account the size and age of the bird,
  • remember that parrots are forbidden to give bread of any kind,
  • it is better to feed vegetables and fruits that are collected directly from the garden,
  • do not try to feed your pet foods that are on the list of prohibited foods for him to eat,
  • You shouldn’t skimp on specialized feeds,
  • purchase food and supplements only in pet stores,
  • Make sure there is always fresh water in the cage.

Drink

A budgerigar should always have clean water in its drinking bowl. It must be changed periodically, otherwise it will become dirty and simply unsuitable for drinking. But you need to know what kind of water to give your budgie.

It is not recommended to give boiled, raw water, or mineral water with gases to feathered pets. It must be filtered and purified. It should contain useful additives - potassium, magnesium, sodium. Additionally, you can add freshly squeezed juices, lemon juice, a decoction of chamomile, and rose hips to the water.

Water as an essential component of nutrition

It participates in all life support processes and is part of the cells and tissues of organs. The need for water increases if the bird is fed exclusively with a grain mixture, and decreases somewhat when consuming succulent feed. A budgie needs more fluid when it has fever or diarrhea.

Not only the quantity of drink, but also its quality is of great importance. The liquid consumed by the bird should be at room temperature, fresh, clean, without harmful impurities. It is best to offer the wavy bottled water without carbon. The tap water needs to be filtered and allowed to brew. It is necessary to change it daily and at the same time thoroughly clean the drinkers.


Parrot nutrition part 10. Greens for the parrot. How to grow grass for a parrot at home

Can a budgerigar eat cheese, bread and other foods?

Additionally, food of animal origin can be included in the parrot's diet. But it is rarely required to be given, at least 2-3 times a month. But during the period of molting, nesting and for feeding the offspring, protein feed should be used more often - daily.

Protein foods include:

  • cheese. It is worth using fermented milk with low fat content;
  • chicken eggs. From time to time you can give your parrots a boiled egg;
  • fish fat;
  • cottage cheese. If you have a question: can budgies eat cottage cheese, then don’t worry, this component is allowed, but in limited quantities. It is worth using non-fat, up to 9% fat content.

It is not recommended to give budgies bread in large quantities. This is due to the fact that it contains the following components:

  • yeast;
  • salt, sugar;
  • flour;
  • sometimes there may be milk;
  • can be made from rye flour.

It is best to dry bread crumbs and mix them with other types of food. They will go perfectly with the egg-carrot mixture. But at the same time, you should not abuse them; it will be enough to give them 2-3 times a month.

Water for the parrot

In addition to food, don’t forget about drinking water! You cannot pour cold water straight from the tap, it contains chlorine, and cold water can make the bird sick. Fill a container with tap water and leave it to steep for 24 hours at room temperature. Change the water in the cage at least once a day.

You can add lemon juice to the water at the rate of 1-2 drops per tablespoon. There are vitamin drops for drinking water. But remember to follow the instructions on the package.

The daily food requirement for each parrot is different, it depends on the weight and size of the bird. For large individuals, up to 50 grams of food is calculated, for small ones up to 20 grams. It is not recommended to change the composition of the feed more than once a month.

What not to feed budgies

When considering what to feed budgies, you should pay attention to prohibited foods, which under no circumstances should be included in the diet of your feathered pets. These include the following:

  • salt. The bird’s body is simply not capable of processing this product on its own;
  • spices, seasonings, herbs. They can provoke severe health complications in the bird, including its death;
  • milk and derivatives. In order for this product to be properly absorbed, enzymes are required that are absent in the body of parrots. In addition, it has a high level of fat content;
  • mushrooms. They can have a negative impact on the functioning of the digestive system;
  • chocolate. It contains sugar and cocoa. These ingredients have a stimulating effect on the bird’s nervous system;
  • You should not include certain types of vegetables in your diet - potatoes, radishes, eggplants, raw legumes.

Signs of a Healthy Bird

What does a healthy parrot look like? External signs of the disease can be determined by the pet’s behavior and appearance. A healthy bird actively eats food. If a parrot refuses its favorite treat, then you should think about its health.

These birds are very active by nature, they constantly move in their cage, chirp provocatively and all the time actively respond to the voice of the owner. A ruffled bird, especially if there is an increase in goiter, is a sign of a possibly serious illness.

The health of a parrot is related to its diet, for example, tick infestation occurs due to a poor-quality grain mixture; even twigs from trees brought home can be infected. Symptoms of the tick are characterized by redness of the wax, yellow growths on the code and deformation of the beak. Therefore, properly selected high-quality food is the key to the success of your pet’s health.

Pay attention to the condition of the parrot's feathers, beak, legs, and droppings. A healthy bird has well-groomed and clean feathers (except during the molting period), there are no growths on the legs, nodules, or plaque on the beak. The droppings of healthy individuals are not liquid.

Daily diet and more

Using only grain food is harmful to your pet, so half of the daily menu should be taken up by other foods: greens, fruits, vegetables, berries, herbs.

If you have doubts about a product, do not give it, give preference to what you know and are confident in. Do not try to give your pet everything at once; remember the characteristics of the body and the character of the individual individual.

Do not give the entire daily dose at once. Remove fresh food and uneaten perishable foods in the evening so that they do not rot or spoil in the cage.

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