Guide to Feeding Budgies (Parakeets)

It always seemed so easy. Open a package of seed, toss a little in a dish, and now and then blow off the hulls and refill. That's how you feed a budgie, right?

Sadly, this is how budgies (or "parakeets" as they're popularly known in the U.S.) have been commonly fed for decades, but it's not how they should be fed. This simple diet will keep budgies alive till roughly the equivalent of budgie middle age, at which point most die of nutritional deficiencies and related maladies.

Seed is roughly the equivalent to budgie breakfast cereal. How do you think you'd fare if you ate nothing but corn flakes and oatmeal, without fruit or milk, for the rest of your days? It's not that they're bad foods... they're just a far cry from a complete diet. Specifically, seeds are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitatmin D3, calcium, iodine, sodium, and other nutrients. They are too high in carbohydrates, some varieties are far too high in fat, and all are low in protein.

Pet food companies tried to keep things simple for pet owners (and keep the money flowing into their own accounts) by making pelletized feed, a supposed "all-in-one" food just like kibble for dogs. Unfortunately, they failed. If seed is oatmeal, pellets are like Total cereal, containing added vitamins. In theory, it should work. One vitamin is as good as another, right? Not really. Nutrients in foods are much more complicated than that. Often, natural forms of nutrients are more readily used by the body than the artificial varieties in pellets, and some nutrients can only be used by the body when eaten with certain other nutrients. Also, it seems budgies just don't fare well on pellets. No one knows exactly why, but experienced budgie-keepers have consistently reported that their birds fail to thrive and breed when fed a large proportion of pellets in their diet. They may need more moisture in their diet, they may not fare well on processed grains, or they may be sensitive to the artificial ingredients in most pellets. Whatever the reasons, budgies seem to do better on seed-based rather than pellet-based diets.

No dry food, including dry seeds and pellets, contain some important nutrients, such as antioxidants and phytonutrients, found only in fresh foods. "Fresh foods." You heard me say it, right? It may be more complicated than opening a box, but what budgies really need are a variety of fresh foods.

Think of a budgie in the wild. Budgies are nomads. They form enormous flocks and roam vast areas of semi-desert in search of food. They eat anything in season. It's true, wild budgies are seed specialists and the bulk of their diet is seed. But this isn't seed like that found in a box at the pet store. The seeds they eat include green seeds still on the plant, ripe, fresh seeds ready to begin growing, and growing seeds just beginning to sprout. These live, fresh seeds are full of nutrients not found in dried, packaged seed. And wild budgies don't stop at seeds. They'll eat bites of the leaves of the plants, nibble at exposed roots, and are happy to take advantage of plants in flower or fruit, eating the petals, nectar, pollen, fruit pulp and fruit seeds. They'll also eat small insects off the ground, grubs found in fruits, and other small invertebrates. That's a long list of stuff not found in a package.

In our homes, we can't provide the exact same foods as budgies eat in the wild, but we can offer a similar variety and do a lot better than simply dry seed or pellets.

If you can spare a few moments everyday for your pet, I highly recommend sprouting seed. Sprouts are a living, fresh food containing nutrients only living foods do, and they are lower in fat and carbohydrates, and higher in protein than dry seed. Start with the plainest budgie seed mix you can find, and rinse a few tablespoons in a fine-mesh colander. Cover with water and let soak overnight. Rinse again in the morning. They can be fed immediately -- just soaking seed overnight improves the nutritional content. Or you can really sprout them by soaking overnight, then rinse, drain and let sit to drain in a dark, dry area, such as a cupboard, or cover with a dish towel. Rinse three or four times daily and within 1-3 days the seeds ought to show little white "tails." These are the sprouts, and when they're just beginning to peak out is the ideal time to feed them. Budgies will each eat a tablespoon or two of sprouted seed everyday, and there's very few better foods they can eat.

Sprouts aren't a complete diet, either, though. They're still missing carotenoids, which are the nutrients birds' bodies use to make vitamin A, necessary for respiratory health and other vital functions. Carotenoids are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially those with red, yellow or orange flesh: think carrots, peaches, sweet peppers, winter squashes etc. Carotenoids are also found in dark leafy greens, and these are often preferred by budgies. Dark leafy greens include dark lettuces such as romaine, endive and red lettuce, as well as collards and kale, spinach, carrot and beet tops, and broccoli greens. If your yard is never sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, you can also feed your pet "wild" greens including dandelions, chickweed, purslane, plaintain and Queen Anne's lace. But it's important to learn to identify these greens correctly, as some have look-alikes that can be toxic.

Budgies can also use a little extra protein in their diets, especially if they're nesting. This can be provided by adding dry peas or lentils to their seed mix, if they like them, or offering cooked beans. Except for peas and lentils, beans must be cooked to remove mild toxins. Canned beans are okay, too, if they're rinsed quite well to remove some of the added salt.

The hardest part of feeding budgies can be getting them to eat all this good stuff. Habitual seed eaters may not even recognize other foods as food. Start with sprouts. Because they're just a budgie's regular seed, only sprouted, they're likely to be accepted. Once a bird is eating sprouts, mix in finely chopped or grated greens or veggies, or small amounts of fruit juice or slightly overripe fruit. Also try offering foods in ways that make them fun to play with -- if a bird is playing with them, he's likely to at least give them a nibble or two! Hang leaves of lettuce from the cage bars, or offer chunks of veggies on a skewer.

The most important ingredient is simple persistence. Be patient. Some stubborn birds will hold out for weeks before gaining the confidence to try something new. But offer budgies new foods everyday, different varieties in different ways, and eventually they'll give them a try.

So feeding budgies isn't quite so simple as opening a package and filling a dish. But it isn't hopelessly complicated, either. To begin with, offer a good-quality dry budgie seed to snack on. Everyday add a tablespoon or two of sprouts for each bird and all the leafy greens they'll eat. A couple of times a week, offer more variety with other fruits and vegetables, cooked beans, and feel free to share the healthiest portions of your own meals. With a little more effort and a little more variety, budgies can far longer, healthier lives.