What do parrots eat? What to feed budgies? Fermented milk products and other animal products

Before getting a colorful feathered friend, people think about the question, what do parrots eat? Before a bird appears in your home, you should buy everything you need to provide it with decent care and maintenance. Most often, people want to know what budgies eat, since they are the ones that are kept in most cases.

In its homeland, in tropical conditions, the budgie eats berries, fruits, and can hunt insects. It feasts on grass, cereal grains and some root vegetables.

Budgerigar

How to properly feed a budgie at home? The bird requires special care and must eat properly. The secret is that this a pet may even try to eat something that is contraindicated for him. Therefore, you need to carefully ensure that he does not eat anything unnecessary and harm his health. Otherwise, the bird may even die.

Many people choose ready-made food for budgies. It usually contains essential vitamins and useful microelements. But birds also need juicy food in the form of vegetables, fruits and berries. But sometimes birds do not accept such food because they are not accustomed to it from early childhood. Therefore, chicks need to be taught a healthy diet.

To begin with, you can grate one thing on a fine grater, for example, a carrot, and put it next to your usual food.

Start feeding your parrot, for example, with carrots

It is not difficult to find what to feed budgies other than food. Birds love cereals, which include seeds of millet, sesame, millet, barley, and flax. You can pamper your pet with pearl barley, oats, and buckwheat.

Another option is to give your parrot porridge. The basic rule: this dish should be cooked without salt and sugar and only with water. Suitable cereals are rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, corn, and wheat. You can infuse one or another easily boiled cereal in a thermos.

One parrot needs about 2 tsp. porridge. But we must remember that nutrition must be balanced to ensure the health of the wards.

A parrot needs about 20 g of food per day, small ones - less, up to 20 g.

In addition to food, parrots drink water, without which they cannot live. The water must be of high quality, preferably filtered. Never give cold or chlorinated tap water. Boiled is not advisable, as it contains no nutrients.

The pet should drink warm water, which is infused for 24 hours. A new drink should be given every day. You can drip lemon juice into it, 1-2 drops per 1 tbsp is enough. l. water. Can you enrich the water? fruit juice- 1 drop per 1 tbsp. l. or resort to vitamin drops.

The best option is to place a saucer of water in the cage for the bird to drink. Plus, she can splash around in it.

There are many things you can feed your parrot, including vegetables such as:

pumpkin;
carrot;
any cabbage (blanched will do);
tomatoes and cucumbers (fresh);
Bell pepper;
turnips, squash, zucchini;
beets (raw and infrequently, as they have a laxative effect).

It is especially useful to feed the bird cucumber, which contains iodine and improves digestion.

Don't deny your birds legumes. Useful green pea, beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas.

Parrot eats sweet pepper

Fresh corn on the cob is a sweet and healthy treat.

Before feeding the bird, vegetables must be thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water to remove harmful bacteria.

What do budgies like? For dessert, they prefer soft grains, fruits and greens.

Fruits and berries rich in vitamins are a must for feathered pets. You can treat parrots at home with the following delicacies:

A healthy dessert is apples and pears without seeds (they are harmful because they contain hydrocyanic acid) and peeled.
Bananas (without peel).
It's not bad if the parrot eats pomegranates, but only in small quantities and only in a healthy state.
Grapes rich in antioxidants are good (they need to be washed thoroughly).
Sweet cherries, cherries, and plums are given by removing the pits.
A weak laxative - watermelon - can be eaten by a parrot, but in small quantities.
Berries: rowan berries, blueberries, currants, cranberries, raspberries, lingonberries, strawberries, sea buckthorn are given as in fresh, and in dried form.
Fresh, dried or steamed rose hips are good.

Parrots get from fresh greens healthy salts, vitamins. Plants are collected for food both in the garden and in the vegetable garden, as well as in the forest and clearings.

Parrots can eat watermelon in small quantities

What you can give your parrot:

Parsley, spinach (if there are no kidney diseases).
Celery (green sprouts only).
In the summer, it’s easy to pick meadow herbs for your pet: plantain, wheatgrass, dandelion leaves and flowers, fireweed, etc. You can make flour from the herbs in the form of pollen and add it to food.

What can you give from greens in winter? The best way out- sow oat grains on the windowsill.

Sometimes at the end of winter, flying around the apartment, the pet eats the leaves of indoor plants. He may need this to replenish the supply of vitamins in the body. There is nothing wrong with this if the plant does not contain substances harmful to the parrot.

Budgerigar eats celery

The main food for poultry is a mixture of grains, millet and oats, which contain essential trace elements and amino acids. Everything else can be considered additives and a treat for the bird.

Supplements in the form of mineral mixtures will be useful for parrots, vitamin complexes, stones, which are offered in a wide range in stores:

Sepia is the crushed shell of cuttlefish. Due to the large amount of minerals it contains, it helps parrots keep their beak healthy, without bending. Sepia should be white or yellowish and smell fishy. Mineral stones are a means to prevent bone disease. The parathyroid gland also needs minerals. These additives are attached to the cell with inside so that the parrot can always peck them if desired.
Mineral organic sand. It contains crushed corals, sea shells, limestone, chalk, shell rock, and clay. This mixture is necessary so that birds can grind food in their crops. Sand can be placed in a cage in a separate feeder and changed once a week. Let this supplement be next to your pet at all times. Don't worry that he will eat it all the time - a healthy bird requires this. One parrot needs about 2 tsp. organic sand.
To obtain sufficient calcium, birds need feed chalk, which contains 40% calcium. Chalk can be crushed and mixed into organic sand or secured in the cage bars.
The parrot needs more calcium, especially during laying (the protective shell of the eggs is formed), so you can add calcium gluconate in ampoules to the water. Another source of calcium is egg shells. It is ground and mixed with sand to obtain a separate additive.
Charcoal obtained from birch is beneficial for birds. Charcoal is given along with the shell; birds also need it to remove toxins, harmful gases and heavy metal salts.

What can you feed your budgie in winter to strengthen its immune system? In addition to regular food, they provide sprouted grains rich in vitamin E. This supplement can be purchased ready-made or obtained at home. To do this, you need to soak the oats in water and then lay them out on a level place. Sometimes they are covered with glass. After 2 days in the warmth, the grains begin to germinate - the feed is ready. You just need to rinse it before treating the bird. You need to pour a little of this healthy food into the feeder, because sprouted grain quickly begins to deteriorate. Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator. The supplement should be given once a day.

Cuttlefish skeleton and crushed shells are an ideal mineral food for parrots

In the cage, the bird not only eats, but also grinds down its beak. To do this, you need to prepare cherry or rowan branches. You should have 2 feeders - for grain and fruits (vegetables). Perches should be placed away from feeders to prevent droppings from falling into the feed.

The condition of the parrot depends on the quality of food, its appearance, well-being. Therefore, when buying food, you need to make sure that the grains are smooth and shiny. Food with mold or an unpleasant musty odor is unacceptable.

Before feeding your budgerigar millet, you need to pay attention to the fact that the grains are in the husk, which helps to preserve healthy fats. It is worth saying what you should not feed budgies. These products are in this list:

Salt, which is part of human dishes, poses a mortal danger to birds. You cannot feed them chocolate or milk. What is a delicacy for a person is evil for a feathered pet. Protein food is given with caution. Feeding boiled eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, and small insects should be rare.
Birds feed on pumpkin and sunflower seeds (cannot be given fried). But here we must observe moderation. If a bird eats more of these seeds than necessary, it may develop diarrhea. From an excess of such food, the intestinal mucosa becomes inflamed, caused by the production of large amounts of bile.
It is necessary to stop feeding the bird potatoes, garlic, onions, radishes, and celery. It doesn’t matter that your pet is not averse to tasting these bitter and tart fruits, you shouldn’t follow his lead. Otherwise, food poisoning cannot be avoided.
Not all fruits and berries are good for a parrot. The list of undesirables includes persimmons, mangoes, avocados, papaya and some tropical berries.
There is a risk of obesity and digestive disorders from eating nuts. Hazelnuts, cashews or walnuts will not harm you if you enjoy these foods only once a month.
Among the greens that are beneficial for parrots, there are exceptions. These include those that have a spicy and tart taste (acacia, bird cherry, lilac, oak).
Herbs and spices growing in the garden are not for parrots.
If indoor Tradescantia and Kalanchoe are harmless as food, then such as azalea, chlorophytum, spurge, fern, ivy are poison for a small bird.
TO junk food for parrots this includes bread, although their main food is grains.

Bread is contraindicated for a parrot

A healthy parrot can be distinguished by external signs: bright plumage, cheerful disposition. He has sparkling eyes, the bird sings, and doesn’t mind flying. If your feathered pet is lethargic, sleeps more, does not want to eat or bathe, then most likely he is sick.

Choose only high-quality food

How to choose high-quality dry food? It all depends on the composition of the mixture. A high-quality product consists of millet (65%), oats (20%), the rest is sunflower seeds, flax, and hemp. When purchasing a grain mixture, you need to make sure that the manufacturer is reliable, and that the food itself is hermetically sealed and contains a description of the composition.

You cannot feed parrots with food that has been stored incorrectly, otherwise insects may appear in the mixture. This product is not for your pet's delicate intestines.

Fungal and bacterial infection can cause another dangerous disease - goiter inflammation. And in this case self-treatment may harm the parrot's health.

If a feathered pet feeds the right food, he will delight his owners for a long time with his singing and love of life.

The budgerigar is a sweet and talkative bird that can conquer even the hardest heart. Parrots are common pets due to their unpretentiousness and lack of special care. But if a small living creature appears in your house, you must understand that you are now responsible for it. The first thing you should provide for a new family member is a cage. It should be spacious and bright. Parrots like to be in the middle of the room so that there is room for them good review. Do not leave the cage near heating devices or in drafts - the bird may get sick.

As for feeding the parrot, it should be balanced. In nature, parrots feed on grains, plant seeds, herbs, vegetables and fruits, small bugs and insects. The bird's diet must satisfy its needs for vitamins, minerals, and microelements. Proper and varied nutrition ensures a parrot a healthy and long life.

When and how much to feed your parrot

The amount of dry food for a parrot is 2 teaspoons per day. Sometimes juveniles may consume more. But remember that you cannot overfeed the bird - give it no more than three spoons per day. If the bird eats all the food given to it in the first half of the day, do not feed it all in the morning. The fact is that a parrot has a fast metabolism and being without food for a long time can be dangerous. If you are leaving for several days, do not immediately pour the entire portion of food into the feeder for all the upcoming days of your absence. The bird will first eat everything, and then will suffer from hunger, and may even die. In this case, it is better to buy a special feeder that dispenses the required amount of feed at a certain time. But this is still automatic and it may not work. Therefore, it is safest to give the parrot to friends for a while or ask one of your relatives to feed the pet.

When giving your parrot dry food, try to pour the next portion only when the feeder is empty. Often parrots eat only their favorite grains, while others remain untouched. But in order for your pet to receive all the necessary microelements, its diet must be varied.

Drinking bowl for a parrot

In addition to nutrition, pay attention to water for the bird. A special drinking bowl must be installed in the cage. Do not use simple cups - the bird will simply knock it over, the parrot itself will be left without water, and the cage will become damp. Special drinking bowls that are attached to the bars of the cage are difficult to turn over; the parrot will always be able to drink if necessary. Clean water bowls regularly and do not leave them under sunlight– various microorganisms can begin to develop in the water. Do not wash the drinker with detergents - simple rinsing is usually sufficient. You can give your pet boiled water or special bottled water for children.

In addition to water, you can treat your pet to juice from vegetables and fruits that are allowed for your bird. It is strictly forbidden to give milk to birds - the parrot’s body does not produce lactose, which is necessary for digesting dairy products. If you give a bird milk, it may develop stomach problems.

It is best to install two feeders in the parrot's cage - one for dry food, the second for fresh fruits and vegetables. So what should you feed your bird so that its body does not experience any deficiency?

Corn. This is the basis of nutrition for any bird. Food for parrots can be bought ready-made at a veterinary store. Typically, more than half of this composition includes various types of millet - white, black, red and yellow. In addition to millet, there are hemp seeds, flax seeds, canary seeds, and wheat. Many owners give birds seeds, making a big mistake. Sunflower seeds, as well as nuts, are very fatty for poultry. Food for a parrot should consist of even and smooth grains, without damage or wormholes. Check the expiration date of the product - old grains lose their nutritional properties. You can check the quality of the grains by soaking them in water. Bad seeds lose their viability. If your food has not sprouted, you should not feed such a product to the bird.
Greenery. In addition to basic nutrition, you need to treat your parrot with green plants. This may be carrot or radish tops, some houseplants, grass from the garden. It is better to collect greens away from roads - this way less will get into the grass harmful substances. Budgerigars love to feast on dandelions, lettuce, spinach, clover, plantain, fireweed, and string. But it is better to refuse spicy herbs - dill, cilantro and parsley are not recommended for giving to the bird. Some plants are given to the parrot as medicine. For example, chamomile is suitable for diarrhea, coltsfoot for pneumonia and rhinitis, and a decoction of plantain is prepared for immunity. Don't cut the selected greens into pieces, just hang a bunch from the ceiling of the cage. Parrots love to choose what they like.
Berries, fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits, vegetables and berries are necessary condition For balanced nutrition. However, not all parrots are accustomed to such food and may often refuse it. Here it is important to find the key to your pet’s preferences. Some parrots prefer to peck the whole fruit, while others like it when the berries are cut into cubes. Still others generally eat carrots only if they are grated. Parrots can be given pineapple, banana, cherries, peaches, apricots, grapes, watermelon, blackberries, raspberries, pears, and apples. Favorite vegetables include squash, corn, cabbage, beans, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, beets and turnips. When giving your pet vegetables or fruits, clean them from the core, seeds and hard skin.
Minerals. Special substances, without which not a single parrot can survive, should also be present in your pet’s diet. Give your bird crushed egg shells - they are rich in calcium. Also periodically place special chalk (not construction chalk) in the cage, charcoal, bone meal. Sometimes a parrot needs to be given lemon juice And Apple vinegar, diluted with water. For good digestion, the animal's cage must contain organic and inorganic sand. The mineral stone will not only be used to sharpen the beak, but also as a source of minerals. Sepia, the skeleton of a cuttlefish, will help provide the parrot with all the necessary minerals. This powder contains most of the necessary additives. In addition, sometimes you need to add a drop of honey to your pet’s water - this will boost your bird’s immunity. Once a month, dilute your bird’s diet with cottage cheese and fish oil, a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Porridge. This is another favorite delicacy of birds that they cannot refuse. The porridge should be cooked without salt, sugar and butter. It’s better not to cook the cereal, but to soak it in boiling water.
Wheat sprouts. Another necessary ingredient for feeding parrots is wheat germ. It contains a huge amount of vitamins that can compensate for even serious deficiencies. Sprouted wheat is convenient because it can be grown at home even in winter, when there is practically no greenery. This is how you need to grow wheat. Take a handful of selected grains and rinse them slightly warm water. Place a piece of gauze on a flat and fairly deep plate and pour the grains onto it. Fill the grains with water so that they are slightly covered with liquid. Leave in a warm place. Rinse the grains every 4-6 hours. Within 24 hours the wheat will sprout and the delicacy is ready to eat.
Twigs. The parrot loves to chew everything around, offer him branches and twigs of trees. The sticks must first be soaked overnight and then poured boiling water over them. This will protect your pet from pathogenic bacteria and infections. The twigs of cherry, viburnum, apple, linden, birch and rowan will not only keep your pet occupied and sharpen its beak. Wood contains nutrients, also necessary for the bird.

This is the basis of the diet not only for the budgerigar, but also for many other feathered pets. But in order to protect a new family member from illness and even death, you need to know what to protect the bird from.

What not to give to a parrot

Here are a few items to avoid.

Parrots should not be given fruits such as mango, avocado, persimmon and papaya.
Budgies should not eat any nuts.
The following types of plants are very poisonous for parrots: anthurium, begonia, heather, hyacinth, gladiolus, buttercup, lily of the valley, kalanchoe, fern, snowdrop, spathiphyllum (female happiness), ficus, tulips. Also, do not feed your parrots the tops of tomatoes, potatoes, or bell peppers.
Parrots should not be given milk.
Parrots should not eat spices, salt and sugar. If not a large number of While sugar is still allowed (in preparing porridge for chicks of budgies), salt is considered a real poison.
Don't feed the bird from your table. No fried or oily foods, pasta, etc.
The parrot should not be given fresh pastries or bread in general. The maximum that can be allowed is white bread crackers in small quantities.
Chocolate, sweets, and cookies are also of no use to your pet. They can lead to various diseases feathered

Do not forget about these prohibited points if you wish your pet a long and healthy life.

A balanced diet for a bird is the basis for its longevity, health and mood. If you do everything correctly, the bird will constantly delight you with its talkativeness and cheerful trill. Take care of your pets, because you are responsible for them.

Video: what to feed a parrot besides food

Found it on the Internet. Maybe it will be useful to someone) It turns out that he can do a lot))

Now let’s learn more about what to feed budgies.

I ask for a tackle)

Feeding grains

So, the main food is grains, or even better, a mixture of flax seeds, sunflower seeds (just not fried, otherwise your pet will not survive it), and oat grains. It’s easier to buy a ready-made mixture in special pet stores. It is inexpensive, but contains useful microelements and everything your pet needs. At the same time, be sure to ensure that the packaging is not damaged and the quality of the product is good. If there is mold or bad smell- Don’t even think about giving this poison to a bird. A budgie eats about two teaspoons of food per day. Do not pamper him with all kinds of delicacies, otherwise he will begin to be capricious when it comes to food. But there is one important point- Feeding your parrot this alone is not enough. Pets need fresh fruit and vegetable supplements. Here it is worth taking a closer look: what to feed budgies besides food?

Vegetables

Before eating them, be sure to wash the vegetables under running water. clean water and make sure that they are natural without any toxic chemicals.

Fodder carrots. Healthy and valuable food that contains carotene. Raw, very finely chopped, grated food is mixed into the food, served with a boiled egg or breadcrumbs.
Pumpkin, melon. Raw pumpkin seeds finely crushed.
Watermelon. Be careful with this, as it may have a laxative effect. Although if the parrot is dear to you, then nothing can be done; its body also needs cleaning.
Cucumbers. Speed up metabolism. If your parrot has become fat from a sedentary lifestyle and rich food, offer him more cucumbers. It is very desirable that they are not purchased and fresh.
Tomatoes. Contains carotene and acids. We need well-ripened fruits! Unripe ones contain a toxic substance - an alkaloid, which, by the way, is unsafe for humans.
Beet. These are sugar, fiber, vitamins and microelements. It keeps well, you can stock it up for future use and store it all winter.
Corn. It’s better when it’s milky, the grains are tender, very soft. Rich in starch.
Green peas, beans. Give not canned ones. The grains should also be still milky and soft.
Cabbage. Necessary in the diet. Small leaves can be given without cutting; the stalk is cut smaller.
Spinach, salad. Wonderful food, rich in vitamins. Give a little, in small portions, otherwise again you will have to clean up after the bird more than usual.
Sweet pepper. Rich in vitamins. Finely cut into pieces along with the grains.

Celery, radishes, onions, garlic - not recommended due to their high content essential oils and too strong taste.
Eggplants contain an alkaloid.

Fruits

Wash fruits too with running water; they should be ripe, not rotten and well ripened.

Be sure to remember that you cannot give budgies:

Avocado, mango, persimmon - lead to poisoning
Nuts - you can’t have too many of them, they are too fatty. 1-2 pieces are allowed walnut once a month.

Greenery

It is advisable to include it in the parrots’ diet every day. If you live outside the city, then collect the herbs yourself, without fear that they are saturated with exhaust gases or other harmful substances.

Clover, grapevine, nettle leaves (scalded hot water), beet and carrot tops, plantain, tree branches with green buds or young leaves.

All fragrant and spicy herbs such as parsley, hyssop, dill, cilantro with pungent odors.

And what else to feed budgies at home?

Parrots will definitely choose something to “gnaw” on - baseboards, wallpaper or anything else that seems edible to them. Therefore, it is better to immediately put branches of bushes or trees in their cage, preferably fresh ones. Just don’t rush to give your beloved parrot these branches right away. Put them in first cold water for 5 hours, then scald with boiling water to destroy possible ticks or other dangerous insects that may be hiding in the bark.

Branches of apple, currant, pear, cherry (pay attention that the resin does not get in!), linden, birch, aspen, chestnut, rowan, hawthorn, viburnum.

Conifers, oak, lilac, poplar, acacia

House plants

On our windowsills there can easily be plants that are very dangerous for parrots. Therefore, you will have to either get rid of such flowers or somehow isolate them so that a curious bird does not try to taste them.

Safe for budgies:

Crassula (a popular money tree), tradescantia, bamboo, roses, aloe, hibiscus, rheo, chrysanthemums, indoor palms.

Dieffenbachia, snowdrops, foxglove, ranunculus, arum, chlorophytum, heather, azalea, rhododendron, tobacco, fern. These plants are simply dangerous to your pet's life.

Minerals for budgies

Mineral supplements are also added to the feed, such as:

Sprouted grains and protein feeds are also added to food:

Fish fat. It is high in vitamins D and A, phosphorus and iodine.
Cottage cheese. Definitely low fat, fresh and crumbly. It is a source of protein and lactic acid.

Porridge

It is allowed to feed parrots with boiled porridge at least every day. Almost any grain will do. Remember a few features - do not cook them in milk, do not need sugar, butter, salt and seasonings. It will be just bland porridge, it is much healthier for the birds. Soybeans, beans, buckwheat are used, corn grits, rice, wheat, pearl barley. Pieces of vegetables, fruits, and herbs are allowed.

What to feed budgerigar chicks?

Newborns are prepared with liquid porridges - semolina, wheat. With added sugar (a little bit), crushed eggshells and a drop fish oil at the rate of 1 drop per teaspoon of porridge. Small chicks are fed from a syringe, 3-5 ml per chick for each feeding. They don’t need a lot of water; it is already contained in the liquid porridge.

What should you not feed budgies?

Salt is poison for poultry. Suffice it to say that the parrot's consumption of salt in pure form will lead to fatal consequences. Even a small portion can be disastrous.

Milk is bad for them. These birds have a special organism and it does not produce the enzyme that digests lactose, so drinking milk is fraught with stomach diseases. Vegetable and fruit juices are better.

Chocolate is also a strong poison for many animals, and especially for these little birds. What is a great delicacy for us is a deadly poison for them.

And most importantly, your pet should not eat according to the principle: “We eat everything, well, we give it to the bird. What’s on our table, let him eat, he can.” It is forbidden. Neither fatty, nor fried, nor salted, nor smoked foods are strictly allowed if you care about the health and life of your beloved parrot. Your pet’s body is designed completely differently, and what you think is tasty can simply poison it and even kill it. Listen to our advice and your pet will be cheerful, cheerful and grateful for the caring attitude towards him.

Almost any pet store sells special grain mixtures for parrots. It is better to choose food in transparent packaging, so you can assess the quality. And from opaque packaging, you need to choose those in which the grains are stored in a vacuum (without air and other gases). Otherwise, be prepared for the fact that the products may not be the best best quality or completely moldy.

If you want to combine food yourself, use only high-quality millet and oats. Grains are the basic food for birds; they determine the correct functioning of digestive system, so your pet should always have access to them. The following ratio is recommended:

yellow millet – 50%;
red – 25%;
white – 15%;
oats (peeled) – 10%.

In the process of determining what to feed your budgie at home, you must remember that the diet must include sprouted grain: it contains healthy vitamins E and B2. You can easily prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to place the grains on the bottom of the container (in one layer) and fill with warm water so that it slightly covers the grains. It will be great if you can refresh the liquid in the container and wash the grain every four hours. Within a couple of days the sprouts will be noticeable, they will be tiny - only 2 mm in length, but it is at this stage that the grains are most useful for parrots. Wash and dry them before feeding.

Make sure that they do not become moldy or overgrow, as such sprouts lose their valuable properties.

What else can you feed your budgie? First of all, these are vegetables, fruits and herbs. Young birds are often wary of such food, but if you cut vegetables and fruits into small pieces or grate them, your pet will definitely appreciate them!

Before feeding, be sure to rinse fruits and greens with running water!

Vegetables

Parrots love them very much, and what’s more: it’s tasty and healthy! They contain many vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, so you should include such foods in your diet throughout the year.

Your pet will benefit from vegetables such as carrots, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, zucchini, etc. You can also feed parrots turnips and various types cabbage, but first you need to pour boiling water over them.

Greenery

Do not feed birds dill, green onions, as well as tops of eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. - these greens are harmful to them!

When you are planning what to feed your budgie, be careful with parsley. It is suitable only in small quantities. But horse sorrel, arugula, celery (not roots), carrot and radish tops can and even should be included in the diet! In the summer, pamper your birds with strawberries (both berries and leaves will be a great choice), plantain, leaves and flowers of clover, etc. Plants for feeding your parrot should be collected away from highways and factories, in areas with clean, healthy soil.

You can also add spinach to the diet, but not much, and only if the bird does not have kidney disease.

If you have indoor plants or bouquets of flowers in your home, do not let your parrot eat them: they are dangerous!

To prevent your pet from experiencing a shortage of greens during the winter months, you can grow grains and vegetables at home right on the windowsill. It's not difficult, but the benefits will be enormous!

Fruits

Among other things, budgies should be fed fruits and berries at home. It is recommended to include in your diet bananas, apples and pears (the seeds and cores must first be removed), peaches, pineapples, kiwis, peeled oranges, tangerines and lemons, as well as some grapes. Among the berries that will be useful are pitted cherries, raspberries, strawberries, strawberries. You can also feed your pets melon and watermelon, but it is better in the summer season.

In the winter months, include dried fruits in your parrot's diet: raisins, dried apricots (steamed), dates, etc., as well as frozen berries, for example, lingonberries and blueberries are useful.

You cannot feed birds persimmons, mangoes, papaya, avocados, or any nuts!

You can already see how varied the diet is, but that’s not all! They will also be happy to taste porridge, cooked or steamed in boiling water. It should be cooked only with water; you cannot add butter, salt or sugar. Use only high-quality cereals, and never feed your parrot porridge. instant cooking, it contains additives that are harmful to birds.

The last key point in the question of what you can feed budgies is mineral nutrition, which should always be freely available in the pet’s cage. So what is it like and what is its benefit? For example, chalk saturates the body with calcium, mineral stones containing iodine and seaweed provide useful trace elements, sepia is used by parrots to sharpen their beaks, organic sand allows you to control the condition of the digestive system (it should be given no more than once a week), etc.

Choose only special high-quality fertilizers and never use inorganic sand, it will harm the bird!

Ready-made, high-quality balanced food for budgies is another way to organize ideal diet. Their composition is carefully selected to suit the pet’s needs, and there is no need to purchase additional vitamins and mineral supplements.

So, now we know what to feed a budgie, what it can and cannot eat. If you want to please your pet with a new treat, but you don’t know whether it’s possible to give it, or you have questions regarding mineral nutrition, be sure to consult with a specialist!

Now it may seem that there is a lot of information and it is easy to get confused in it, but in practice you will easily learn it. Let your parrot always be full and happy!

In their natural habitat, parrots feed mainly on semi-ripe seeds. But since the owners of exotic birds do not have the opportunity to collect seeds in the Australian wild, they feed their parrots with substitute food. In the process of their domestication, these birds have fully adapted to feed substitutes, consuming which they receive all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

According to their origin, all food is divided into plant and animal. Plant foods, in turn, include grains, soft, green, as well as vegetables and fruits, and animal foods - insects and their larvae, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken boiled egg and so on.

The owner needs to know that daily norm food for small species of parrots - about 20 g of grain mixture, medium - 30 g, large - 40–50 g. However, the amount of food that the bird will eat depends on its age, well-being, physiological state, temperature environment and many other reasons.

Grain mixture

As the main food for your parrot, you need to give a good grain mixture consisting of the following components:

canary seed;
yellow millet;
Senegalese millet;
Japanese millet;
oat groats;
sowing seeds;
hemp.

Seeds of various herbs can be included in the diet of parrots without restrictions. Birds happily eat both the seeds of wild weeds and the seeds of most cultivated forage crops.

Derivatives of grain feed also include products that are obtained during their processing: bran, crushed grain, etc.
Some fanciers periodically introduce sprouted grains or semi-ripe panicles of rice into the parrots' diet. This food is high in nutrients and low in fat.

Parrots are reluctant to eat bran in its pure form, so it is advisable to include it in wet food mixtures, for example, in a mixture of grated carrots and chopped boiled eggs.

Green food

Most experts believe that parrots, in addition to grain food and food made from sprouted seeds, also need green food (leaves of edible plants).

As green food, it is good to give parrots such plants as shepherd's purse, dandelion, chickweed, chickweed, sorrel, sorrel, holly plantain, sour plantain, wormwood, cross, young nettle, valerian, chickpeas, carrots and celery, as well as unripe oats or millet.

When feeding birds greens, you must ensure that they are not treated with chemicals used to kill weeds. IN winter time It is best to feed parrots green oats grown on the windowsill.

Parrots should not be given parsley, dill, green onions and buttercups. All these plants are poisonous to birds.

Soft food

Soft (protein) food should be given to parrots mainly during the laying and raising of chicks, but small amounts of this food can be given to birds several times a week.

Commercially available ready-made soft food usually contains a sufficient amount of proteins, since egg powder and dried insect larvae are necessarily added to it.

To prepare soft food yourself, you can use buns, crackers or breadcrumbs soaked in water or milk as a base. White bread. After softening, the mass should be squeezed out and various components should be added in small quantities, for example, baby formula, yeast, wheat germ, glucose, crushed eggshells, minerals, soy flour, etc.

And to increase the protein content in both home-prepared and purchased food, you can add a hard-boiled egg to it.

Soft food is prepared only for one feeding, as it spoils very quickly. In the warm season and during the period of feeding chicks, the mixture must be changed several times a day (the prepared mixture should be in the feeder for no more than 3-4 hours).

Vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits are natural source vitamins, minerals and valuable fiber and therefore must be present in the diet of parrots of all types. Birds can be fed most fruits consumed by humans: apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, bananas, etc. As for vegetables, parrots should be given carrots, cabbage and spinach.

Vegetables and fruits must be thoroughly washed before feeding to birds. In addition, you should remember that you should not feed your parrots fruits that contain excess nitrates and pesticides.

Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices diluted with boiled or drinking water are very useful for parrots.

Owners of loris parrots should pay attention Special attention inclusion of a variety of juices in the diet, since such food is the most natural for birds of this species.

A good vitamin food for parrots are citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons). It is not recommended to give birds citrus fruits with peel, as they contain a lot of essential oils. It is better to feed citrus fruits to parrots in slices.

Apples and pears contain many minerals, sugars and vitamins, so these fruits should be present in the diet of parrots all year round. Moreover, apples and pears are suitable for feeding to birds in raw, boiled and dried form. Dried fruits should be pre-soaked for 2-4 hours and then given to pets.

Among the berries in the diet of parrots, you can include raspberries, cherries, strawberries (strawberries), currants, rowan berries, grapes and bird cherry.

Bananas are a nutritious food. They contain little protein, but they are high in carbohydrates. Bananas should be given to parrots without the peel, cut into pieces 1–2 cm long.

You cannot include melon and watermelon in your parrots' diet. Such food can cause severe intestinal disorder, often resulting in death.

Tomatoes, which can also be given to birds, contain carotene. Parrots are reluctant to eat the pulp of tomatoes, preferring to peck the seeds.

Potatoes, which contain a lot of starch but few vitamins and microelements, can be given to parrots in small quantities, both raw and boiled.

Large doses of potatoes are harmful to parrots. You can give no more than 1 teaspoon of a mixture of potatoes and carrots 2-3 times a week.
Beetroot and carrots are very useful vitamin foods. They can be included in the diet of birds only in raw form, grated and mixed with other ingredients (boiled egg, crackers, etc.).

Turnips are significantly inferior to carrots and beets in terms of the content of vitamins and minerals, but many lovers include them in the diet of their pets.

Cabbage is rich in vitamins and microelements and is therefore good food for parrots. Cabbage can be given to birds only raw, cutting the leaves into small pieces.

Chestnuts, acorns, nuts

Chestnuts and acorns are rich in carbohydrates and minerals, but birds must first be accustomed to this food. Chestnuts and acorns should be given to small parrots in crushed form.

One of the favorite foods for parrots of all types are nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, etc.), but since they are very nutritious and contain a large amount of fat, their share in the bird’s diet should not exceed 5–7%.

Nuts should be given to small and medium-sized parrots in crushed form.

Animal feed

It is known that in their natural habitat, parrots happily eat various insects. Therefore, pets from time to time need to be given food of animal origin, which includes insects (mealworms, crickets), cottage cheese, milk, eggs and meat.

Many lovers give their parrots low-fat, fresh, non-sour cottage cheese, as well as white bread soaked in milk. In addition, a hard-boiled egg is an excellent source of animal protein, which can be given to birds along with grated carrots (dried nettle, alfalfa, finely chopped lettuce and dandelion are sometimes added to the mixture).

Meat contains a large amount of animal protein, and therefore this type of food should be handled with extreme caution. In other words, meat food should not be introduced into the diet of parrots unless absolutely necessary. If such a need arises, then the share of meat in the bird’s diet should be minimal. For this purpose, it is best to use liver, which is rich in vitamins and mineral salts. Meat products, before giving them to parrots, must be boiled and minced.

One of the most complete foods of animal origin, containing, in addition to protein, many vitamins and mineral salts, is boiled egg. Chicken eggs are an indispensable food for chicks of all types of parrots. For adult birds, a boiled chicken egg should be included in the diet during periods of preparation for the nesting season and feeding the chicks, as well as during molting.

The source of protein, calcium and phosphorus is meat and bone meal, which should be included in mineral supplements or added to the egg mixture (3 g of flour per 100 g of mixture). Low-fat cottage cheese and dry or skim milk are suitable for the diet of parrots. If the cottage cheese is crumbly, then it can be given to the birds in pieces, but if not, then you should mix it with breadcrumbs and grated carrots. Milk can be included in the egg mixture (0.5 teaspoon per 100 g of mixture).

Parrots readily eat mealworms (large mealworm larvae), which are a source of animal protein. However, the amount of this food in the birds’ diet should be limited (10–20 larvae no more than 2 times a week).

Bloodworms (mosquito larvae), well known to fishermen and hobbyists aquarium fish, some hobbyists use it as food for parrots. In terms of protein and mineral content, bloodworms are not a very nutritious food, so its amount in the birds’ diet can not be limited.

Many lovers include various insects in their pets’ diet: wax moth, grasshoppers, chafers, fruit flies, etc. In addition to the main food, various mineral supplements should be included in the diet of parrots. Usually, mineral food is given to parrots in separate feeders, into which the mineral mixture is poured and periodically replaced with a new portion (at least once every 14–15 days).

Vitamins and minerals

Organic compounds called vitamins are vital for the parrot's body. A lack of vitamins leads to a decrease in the viability and resistance of the bird’s body, and also negatively affects its reproductive abilities.

The need for vitamins is different for each individual, so any bird owner sooner or later faces the question: what vitamins and how much should his pet consume daily.

The composition and amount of vitamins that a bird should receive largely depend on the state of its body, as well as on the conditions of its maintenance and feed ration.

If it is difficult to establish how many and what vitamins a pet needs at a certain time, then you need to familiarize yourself with certain rules taking vitamins by a parrot in various situations.

When feeding a bird with grain mixtures, it is necessary to give it a multivitamin preparation 1–2 times a week in the amount specified by the manufacturer. When hatching eggs and molting, it is advisable to increase the dose of vitamins. In addition, during preparation for the period of incubation of eggs, it is necessary to give the female additional vitamin E before laying the first egg.

Antibiotics strongly absorb vitamins. Therefore, treating birds with the use of such medications involves simultaneous administration of an increased dose of vitamins.

As vitamin supplements, you can use special fortified mixtures of domestic or imported production. For example, almost all pet stores sell food for different types parrots treated with a special fortified composition.

Microelements are contained in feed plant origin in sufficient quantities, and since the parrots’ need for them is negligible, as a rule, healthy birds do not need additional mineral supplements containing microelements during the non-breeding period of life.

Macronutrients, especially calcium and phosphorus, are needed by parrots in larger quantities than micronutrients. Therefore, the diet of birds must necessarily contain food of animal origin with high content calcium and phosphorus, as well as various mineral additives (chalk, salt, clay and eggshells).

Water

Water is the most important component of any living organism and takes part in all life support processes, absorbing nutrients, dissolving them and distributing them throughout the body. The need of parrots for liquid depends on many factors - such as ambient temperature, body temperature, food ration, etc. Water that has stood in a drinking bowl for more than 24 hours poses a great danger to the health of a parrot.

Parrots should be given settled or filtered tap water or well water. In areas with poor water quality, water must be boiled before giving it to birds. The best option There will be bottled table water.

When included in the diet of parrots mineral water it should be remembered that it should not contain carbon dioxide. A decisive factor for the well-being and health of parrots is compliance with the rules of water hygiene. The water in the drinking bowl must be changed every day. In this case, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the drinking bowls.

When adding liquid or powdered vitamins to water, it is necessary to change it every 10–12 hours, since all vitamin preparations contain substances that promote the rapid proliferation of bacteria.