Vitamins are essential for budgies, like any other pet. Budgies need vitamins for healthy molting, breeding season activities, producing vibrant sounds, longer lifespan, and overall strong condition.
Due to the small size of the budgies’ bodies, they can quickly show signs of vitamin deficiency and can quickly catch diseases.
Therefore, it is important for budgies to get their vitamins from food or to take vitamin supplements under veterinary supervision.
Where Do Budgies Get Their Vitamins In Nature?
A proper wild budgie diet includes 10% protein (insects etc.), 25% greens, fruits, and berries, and 65% seeds (grass seeds, etc.).
Therefore, budgies get their vitamins from insects, fruits, vegetables, and seeds in nature.
What Are Common Causes of Vitamin Deficiency in Budgies?
Vitamins are essential for a healthy budgie body. For this reason, lack of adequate vitamins in the nutrition of budgerigars causes many problems.
The common causes of vitamin deficiency in budgies are listed as follows:
- Arthritis
- Fatty liver disease
- Coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis),
- Heart disease
- Pododermatitis
- Sinusitis
- Conjunctivitis
- Nasal discharge
- Sneezing
- Swelling around the eyes
- Difficulty breathing
- Increased drinking and urinating
- Poor feather quality
- Feather picking
- Anorexia
Do Budgies Need Multi-Vitamin Supplements Such as Vitamin Drops and Powders?
Healthy budgies that are fed an appropriate diet do not need vitamin supplements.
However, at certain times of the year, the budgies may need to take vitamin drops and powders due to the changing hormonal and physical changes.
Budgerigars may need to take vitamin supplements in situations and reasons such as:
- In case of vitamin deficiency in budgies fed only seeds
- If budgie doesn’t like fruits
- To quickly regain health during and after illness, leg, or wing breakage
- After surgery
- To helping stress
- Boosting the energy level during the breeding seasons
- Molting season
When Should We Give Vitamin Supplements to Budgies?
Before giving vitamin supplements to budgies, a veterinarian’s advice should be obtained.
Budgerigars are tiny birds that are easily and quickly affected by external and internal factors.
Therefore, a veterinarian’s advice and instructions for use of vitamin supplements become even more important.
Budgies can take vitamin supplements when they are sick, after illness, in case of a deficient diet, during the breeding season, during molting season, and after veterinary advice.
Which Vitamins Are Good for Budgies?
Vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, and B-complex vitamins are good vitamins for budgies to maintain a healthy life. Besides these important vitamins, budgies may need other vitamins as well.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a critical fat-soluble vitamin for budgies. Besides, vitamin A acts as an antioxidant in the budgie’s body.
Budgie Vitamin A Benefits
Vitamin A benefits for budgies can be listed as follows:
- Increases appetite
- Strengthens digestion
- Strengthens the body against parasites and infections
- Improves eye health and eyesight
- Helps to hear better
- It takes care of bone and mucus membranes
Symptoms of Vitamin A Deficiency in Budgies
Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in budgies can be listed as follows:
- Extreme thirst
- Sneezing
- Runny nose and blocked nasal cavities
- Eye swelling and discharge
- Difficulty breathing
- Watery stools
- Poor appetite
- Unhealthy feather quality or plucking
- Uropygial gland (preen gland or the oil gland) problems
- Depression
- Diarrhea
Where Can Budgies Get Their Vitamin A?
Budgies can get their vitamin A from:
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Red chili peppers
- Squash
- Mango
- Papaya
- Spinach
- Broccoli leaves and flowers
- Collards
- Cantaloupe
- Turnip leaves
- Endive
- Butter
- Liver
- Egg yolks
- Beets
- Dandelion greens
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Corn
- Lettuce
- Summer squash
- Bananas
- White potatoes
- Apples
- Grapes
- Oranges
B Vitamins
B vitamins are an essential group of vitamins used in many biological processes in the body of budgies.
Budgie Vitamin B Benefits
Vitamin B benefits for budgies can be listed as follows:
- Boosting overall energy against stress
- Acceleration of recovery
- Improving cognitive functions
- Maintaining neurological functions
- It is vital in metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
- Preventing slow growth and muscular dystrophy
- Healthy hatching
Symptoms of Vitamin B Deficiency in Budgies
Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency in budgies can be listed as follows:
- Weak legs
- Weight loss
- Nervous disorders
- Loss of brain muscle coordination
- General weakness and fatigue
- “Star gazing” behavior
- Poor feathering
- Anemia
- Gizzard erosion
Where Can Budgies Get Their Vitamin B?
Budgies can get their vitamin B from:
- Insects
- Soil
- Egg yolks
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for budgies for many reasons. Usually, vitamin D is produced with help of the natural sunlight and vitamin D precursors.
Budgie Vitamin D Benefits
Vitamin D benefits for budgies can be listed as follows:
- Absorb and metabolize calcium and phosphorus
- Regulate blood calcium levels
- Strong bones
- Prevents deformities of either internal organs or bones
- Nervous system functions
- Mood management
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency in Budgies
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in budgies can be listed as follows:
- Rickets in baby growing budgies
- Osteoporosis
- Poor eggshell quality
- Abnormal skeletal development
- Leg weaknesses
- Ruffled feathers
- Soft and pliable beaks and claws
- Loss of equilibrium
- The small size of the thorax
- Easily broken weak bones
Where Can Budgies Get Their Vitamin D?
Budgies can get their vitamin D from:
- By vitamin D production with vitamin D precursors and natural sunlight
- Egg yolks
- Butter
- Insects
- Liver
- Seeds
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is generally known for providing vitality in budgies. Besides, vitamin E act as an antioxidant in budgies body.
Budgie Vitamin E Benefits
Vitamin E benefits for budgies can be listed as follows:
- Provides improved and healthier reproduction
- Improves overall health of baby budgies
- Improved egg production
- Improved egg fertility
- Increases the chances of eggs hatchling.
- Improved sperm motility, conception rate
Symptoms of Vitamin E Deficiency in Budgies
Symptoms of vitamin E deficiency in budgies can be listed as follows:
- Muscular dystrophy
- Muscle weakness
- Ataxia
- Paralysis
Where Can Budgies Get Their Vitamin E?
Budgies can get their vitamin E from:
- Wheat germ and oil
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Peanut butter
- Whole grains
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C often acts as a life booster in a budgie’s body in many ways.
Budgie Vitamin C Benefits
Vitamin C benefits for budgies can be listed as follows:
- Takes part in collagen synthesis and carnitine
- Act as antioxidant
- Involves in mineral metabolism
- Required for varying hormonal activities
- Provides resistance to stress
- Stimulates the functioning of leukocytes
- Has an important role in the production of antibodies
Symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency in Budgies
Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency in budgies can be listed as follows:
- Nasal discharge
- Sneezing
- Periorbital swelling
- Conjunctivitis
- Dyspnea
- Polyuria and polydipsia
- Poor feather quality
- Feather picking
- Anorexia
Where Can Budgies Get Their Vitamin C?
Budgies can get their vitamin C from:
- Broccoli
- Parsley
- Pumpkin
- Peppers
- Kiwi
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blackcurrants
- Citrus fruits
- Brussels sprouts
Do Budgies Need Vitamin C?
Yes, budgies need vitamin C every day. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Therefore, budgies can’t store vitamin C in their bodies. As a result, budgies need to take vitamin C into their bodies every day.
Can Budgies Overdose on Vitamins?
Yes, budgies can overdose on vitamins. For example, excessive intake of vitamin A causes side effects such as liver disease, bone abnormalities, and reproductive problems.
In addition, excessive intake of vitamin D causes vitamin D toxicity that causes nausea, vomiting, weakness, hypercalcemia, and kidney failure.
What Are the Vitamins for Breeding Budgies?
Budgies need more vitamins during breeding seasons than normal seasons. Besides, they have more physical and hormonal activities in breeding seasons.
Both male and female budgies need more vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin C in breeding seasons.
Budgie owners should supplement with vitamins as the vet recommends, when their budgie enters breeding season and when they are sure the budgie is malnourished.
Yes, budgies need sunlight to produce vitamin D in their body naturally.
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