What can we give to budgie, if run out of bird seed? [List inside!]

Here is a list of foods you can give your budgie when you run out of bird food/seed at home:

• Carrot
• Parsley (Not recommended for birds suffering from calcium deficiency problems.)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower leaf
• Lettuce (Excessive consumption causes diarrhea.)
• Cabbage (Excessive consumption causes diarrhea.)
• Black Cabbage (Excessive consumption causes diarrhea.)
• Turnip leaves (Excessive consumption may adversely affect bone development.)
• Spinach (Excessive consumption can negatively affect bone development.)
• Beet leaf (Excessive consumption may adversely affect bone development.)
• Celery stalk
• Cucumber
• Tomato (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Pepper (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Apple (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Plum (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Peach (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Apricot (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Cherry (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Strawberry
• Orange (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Tangerine (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Quince (Seeds can have a toxic effect.)
• Pineapple (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Melon (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Watermelon (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Mulberry (Seeds can have a toxic effect.)
• Pear (Seeds can be poisonous.)
• Banana, banana peels
• Boiled potato
• Boiled egg
• Boiled rice
• Boiled corn
• Boiled rye
• Boiled wheat
• Boiled oats
• Cucumber
• Flying insects, insects (flies, aphids, etc.)
• Flour worm
• Cooked meat, cooked chicken (in small quantities)
• Worms
• Maggots
• Branch millet
• Quinoa
• Lentil
• Broad beans
• Pea
• Hazelnut
• Almond

❗ The above-mentioned foods should be maximum 20%-25% of the bird’s daily food intake. Pet budgies must be fed budgie foods for enough and balanced protein, vitamin, mineral intake.

Some foods can have a detrimental effect on budgies under certain conditions. Please pay attention to these conditions.

Some new budgerigar owners find this sufficient when they feed their budgies a ready-made bird food made up of seeds only.

In their natural environment, seeds are only a small part of a budgerigar’s diet.

A seed-only diet is deficient in protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Long-term seed feeding can cause unbalanced nutrition.

You can buy pellet feeds instead of seed feeds. Cereals, seeds, fruits, etc. produced by combining nutrients. Pellet feeds; It is loved and consumed by budgies.

Birds need more than seeds and water to stay healthy. Please find out what they eat and what they do not eat as soon as you feed the budgies.

☠️ Foods you should never give your budgie, even if you have no budgie food at home!

• Chocolate (Never give it!) Study says, “Chocolate can cause sudden death of your budgie.”
• Any fruit seeds (Never give!)
• 🥑 Avocado (Never give it. The persin substance contained in avocado has a toxic effect on birds.)
• Asparagus (Never give!)
• 🍅 Tomatoes (If you have to give, give the lowest amount and without seeds.)
• Tomato leaves (Never give!)
• Eggplant (Don’t give it at all)
• Onion (Don’t give it at all)
• Olive (Don’t give it at all)
• Mushrooms
• Parsley (Not recommended for birds with calcium deficiency problems. Give the lowest amount when necessary.)
• Raw peanuts
• Raw (uncooked) beans (Never give!) (The hemagglutinin substance in uncooked raw beans poses an issue for budgies. Instead, cooked beans can be given to our little friend.).
• Alcohol (Never give it!)
• Drinks containing caffeine (☕ Coffee, tea, etc.) (Never give!)
• Fizzy (carbonated) drinks (Never give!)
• High-salt, high-salt foods (Never give!)

⚠️📢 Some foods contain seeds and leaves that are poisonous to budgies, but other parts of tomatoes can be given to budgies in smaller portions. For example, tomatoes: You can give tomatoes to your budgerigar, but the leaves and seeds are toxic to budgies.

Metabolism of budgies are quite different from humans.

Birds, especially budgies, shouldn’t be fed like humans.

Popular budgie food ingredients you can give your budgie when you haven’t budgie food at home

Here are the most used budgie food ingredients you can give your budgie if you can access.

• Yellow millet
• White millet
• Red millet
• Black millet
• Linen
• Internal oats
• Safflower (canary food)
• Niger seed

⚠️📢 Although most of the sources state that the main food source of budgies is seeds, a seed only diet for budgies can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Budgies consume insects, worms, maggots etc. in the wild life beside seeds.

❗ Seeds itself do not contain enough vitamin, mineral, protein to maintain optimal budgie health.

Bonus: 🍵 Tea recipe for your budgie!

In the video of the Salvador Budgie YouTube Channel, you can watch the preparation of herbal tea specially prepared for budgies.

You can prepare herbal tea quickly with the following steps:

1. Put celery and dill (spinach, parsley can also be used) into a brewing cup.
2. Add hot water and let it brew.
3. Remove greens from cup.
4. Give your pet budgie 2 times a week.

The benefits of herbal tea for budgies are:

• It helps the joint and skeletal system with its vitamin K content.
• The vitamin C it contains helps the immune system.
• Vitamin A it contains it increases feather health, shine, strength and improves night vision.

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Resources:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17534419/
2. https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet-health-columns/bird-toxins-teflon-avocado-lead-zinc/