What Do Parakeets Eat? A Complete Guide of Parakeets Food

Parakeets are mostly grainvores, but they also consume seeds and grasses in the wild, which explains why many of them are ground feeders. Many species can dig up different food products from the forest floor or savannah. They eat seeding grasses in much greater quantities than large parrots.

Parakeets are one of the most common pet birds all over the world. They’re relatively easy to care for, but they’re small and vulnerable to a variety of items, as some foods.

Giving your pet parakeet a variety of food options can ensure that he or she is happy and safe. To build a healthy parakeet diet, commercial foods can be supplemented with a range of other foods. A well-balanced diet will almost certainly help your parakeet live a longer and healthier life.

They also consume berries, nectar from flowers, insects, and their larvae in the wild. They also consume tree seeds, vegetables, nuts, buds, and bark, much like the larger parrot species.

As a result, an all-seed diet in captivity requires additional products to provide optimum health.

What do parakeets eat?

Parakeets eat seeds, pellets, bananas, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, among other things. All of these things help budgies in some way. Whether it’s by providing them with energy during the day or by supplementing their diet with vitamins and minerals.

There are some foods that should never be fed to a parakeet, but we’ll get into that later in this post. As a general rule, avoid feeding human-grade food to your pet birds, no matter how much they can enjoy nibbling on it.

When it comes to the perfect parakeet diet, a little goes a long way, so small amounts of each make for a diverse and healthy parakeet food list.

Fruits for Parakeets

What fruits are safe for budgies to eat? Before feeding your parakeets vegetables you must ensure that they are absolutely healthy. This means avoiding both those that contain pesticides and those that may cause digestive problems or be toxic due to their high sugar content. Buy organic fruit from a supermarket or a farmer’s market if at all necessary. Fruits can only account for around 5-10% of a parakeet’s daily diet, so don’t overfeed them. Here are some suggestions for organic fruits to feed your budgies.

• Apples
• Oranges
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Coconut
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Apricots:both apricots and mangos are high in beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A.
• Cherries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Melons
• Strawberries: you won’t have to think about extracting the seeds from strawberries because they are healthy for birds to consume.

Dried or canned fruits with added preservatives and dyes can be harmful to your bird, so you and your pal will be better off avoiding them altogether.

Vegetables for Parakeets

Parakeets are granivores, which means they eat seeds or grains as their primary food. However, since a traditional store-bought seed diet lacks any of these essential vitamins, vegetables are an essential part of their diet.

Broccoli, for example, provides important vitamins including vitamin A, B, C, and calcium to parakeets. Vitamin A, E, and K are abundant in spinach and alfalfa sprouts.

Other great vegetables to feed your parakeet include:

• Broccoli stems and florets
• Brussel sprouts
• Butternut squash – parakeets like tropical fruits.
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Bok choy
• Celery and its leaves
• Cucumber
• Dandelion – all parts including root
• Endive
• Green lettuce
• Green peas
• Kale
• Mustard greens
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Pumpkin
• Radish
• Radishes
• Raw green beans
• Spinach
• Squashes
• Sweetcorn
• Sweet potatoes
• Turnips
• Watercress

For the parakeets’ smaller beaks, vegetables must be sliced small or shredded. With practice, you’ll be able to determine which vegetables in your home a specific bird prefers.

 If you want to understand these human preferences in an aviary, you’ll need to spend a lot of time observing. Except for yam, all vegetables are fed raw (sweet potatoes which you might lightly cook for ease of handling and eating).

Nuts, seeds and insects for parakeets

Nuts are rich in nutrients, but they must be consumed in moderation.

• Acorns
• Brazil nuts
• Hazelnuts
• Horse chestnuts
• Monkey nuts – use human quality
• Peanuts – use human quality
• Pistachio
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts
• Mealworms – live or dried

The choice between pellets and seeds must be made on an individual basis. It’s also not black-and-white.Pellets come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with varying levels of quality.

Many parrot keepers offer their birds a mix of the two.Whatever grain/pellet or seed combination you choose, make sure to include fresh vegetables, a sliver of fruit, and nuts.

Since sprouted seeds and grains are alive, they provide additional nutrients such as enzymes without adding fat. If you’re a beginner, start with sunflower and mung.

Can parakeets eat seeds and pellets of other birds?

With the exception of lories and lorikeet blends, most seeds/pellets for small birds would accommodate any parakeet. Cockatiel, budgie, canary, and finch mixes are all safe for your parakeet to eat, but the latter three are very thin.

Pellets intended for large parrots, such as macaws, are incompatible with parakeets. They have difficulty manipulating them in their mouth and claws due to their larger size.

In general, you should choose food that is suitable for the size of the bird. However, both parrots enjoy chewing on wood branches and consuming flowers.

Seeds or pellets for Parakeet

When compared to larger animals, the amounts needed for parakeets are insignificant. For small birds, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon; for larger birds, up to 1 tablespoon.

What flowers do parakeets eat?

Flowers and blossoms are favorites of parakeets and parrots. These flowers are completely healthy for parakeets to eat.

• African violets
• Asters
• Bottlebrush
• Carnations
• Chrysanthemums
• Daisies
• Gardenias
• Gladiolus
• Hibiscus
• Honeysuckle
• Impatiens
• Lilac
• Magnolias
• Marigolds
• Nasturtium
• Pansies
• Petunias
• Roses
• Sunflowers and
• Violets are among their favorite flowers.

If flowers from florists or commercial outlets have been cultivated or have chemicals on them, don’t use them.

What do parakeets drink?

Clean, fresh water will be given to parakeets on a regular basis. Teas made specifically for parrots are also becoming increasingly common.

How to feed baby parakeets?

Their parents feed the chicks. Human handfeeding is a difficult task that should not be attempted unless you have prior experience or someone to assist you.

Hand-feeding chicks is done with a syringe or a teaspoon twisted at the sides to look like a parrot’s beak. A responsible breeder would never sell an unweaned chick to someone who lacked the necessary expertise.

How often do parakeets eat?

You may feed them twice a day or give them free food. It’s all up to you. If you follow a training schedule, your bird would be more excited for rewards if you practice before a meal.

In hot weather, clean fresh water must always be available and modified once or twice a day.

Why do parakeets eat their eggs?

Breeding hens need enough calcium in their diet, which can be obtained from cuttlefish bone, calcium-rich foods, or a liquid calcium supplement. If a hen is calcium deficient, she will eat her own eggs.

Occasional treats for parakeets

If given in small quantities as an occasional treat, a training reward, or as part of sharing meals together, the foods mentioned below will not harm the bird.

• Beans
• Boiled egg
• Bread
• Cake
• Chillies
• Coconut
• Meat
• Parsley
• Pasta
• Scrambled eggs
• Toast
• White rice

Human food is unlikely to be served to birds in aviaries. However, we frequently share some of our food with our pet birds. In this case, common sense should be your guide.

However, just as toddlers can gorge themselves sick on fast food, our avian toddlers can do the same. A pet bird would not be harmed by a tiny amount of the foods (a sliver, a pinch). Overdoing it can damage the liver, kidneys, and other organs.

Most Toxic Foods for Parakeets

Coffee, caffeinated tea, beer, fried food, salty food, avocado, chocolate, and dairy products can all be avoided by your parakeet.

Tips for Feeding Your Pet Parakeet

Warm fruit is also a favorite of parakeets. So heat up their food before serving it to them. Do remember to feed your bird small amounts of food. Parakeets are extremely tiny and light animals, weighing anywhere from 25 to 35 grams (0.8 to 1 ounce) on average!

They’ll have a hard time breaking away and eating a whole head of broccoli or even an apple slice if you give them both. Save them time and effort by chopping up their food so they can consume it easily.

If your parakeet is getting bored with the same meal every day, try a fruit kabob or dangle them inside their cage to keep things interesting.