Budgie Diet – taken from Mike Cannon's sheet.

 

 

Feeding a balanced diet.

 

 

To prevent deficiencies and decrease the amount of seed eaten, we recommend the following foods be offered. Try offering as many a possible (not all at once) but do not be surprised it your bird is only interested in a few. Many budgies will only eat the leafy greens, but these are highly nutritious.

 

 

Sunflower seeds, safflower and nuts (almonds, peanuts etc) are not part of a balanced diet as they contain a lot of fat. These may be fed in very small numbers as a treat. They should not form a significant part of a daily diet.

 

 

Suggested Major Supplements.

 

(these are added as a main part of the diet to replace seeds.

• Dark green, leafy vegetables, spinach or silver beet, endive, Chinese cabbage (bok Choy), celery, parsley, thistle, dandelion or native grasses and their seeding heads. In most cases lettuce is not recommended.
  

§ Broccoli, capsicum, tomato, and sweet corn or corn-on the cob, may be fed raw or parboiled.

 

Frozen corn okay (defrost first) or tinned (rinse well)

• Carrot, peas, beans, pumpkin and sweet potato, may be fed raw or parboiled and can be grated.
  

§ Sprouted seeds, alfalfa, mung beans, cress etc. or the normal budgie seed can be sprouted.

 

Small amounts of fruit, apple, peach, pear, plums, apricot, honeydew melon, rockmelon, mango, paw paw, grapes, cherries, mandarin, orange, nectarines. Figs raisins, sultanas, currants, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi fruit, loquat.

 

 

Avoid. Cabbage cauliflower Brussel sprouts, rhubarb leaves and avocado as they are toxic.

 

 

Suggested Minor supplements

 

(these are added as only a small part of the diet to add interest for the bird or during breeding season)

• Animal Protein supplement (Give each hen ¼ teas daily in the breeding season. Egg and biscuit mix. Boiled or scrambled egg, plain cake (ig Madeira cake) small pieces of meat or chop bone, fresh whole-grain or wholemeal bread.
  

§ Calcium source. Shell grit, cuttle bone or products such as Calcivet or Calcium Sandoz syrup.

 

§ Flowers from native trees. Grevillea, Acacia (wattle) Callistemon (bottle brush) Banksia, Eucalyptus (gum trees), Casuarina (She-oaks) Leptrospermum (tea tree) and Illawarra Flame tree.

 

Most non native trees should be avoided, 2 exceptions that may be used are Pine trees and Jacaranda.

Edited January 31, 200916 yr by KAZ

Can anyone explain why lettuce isn't recommended please?

Can anyone explain why lettuce isn't recommended please?

 

 

Very low nutritional values.

Can anyone explain why lettuce isn't recommended please?

 

Very low nutritional values.

 

It's high water content can cause the runs.

Iceburg is the worst, you can use the dark green lettuce or the red lettuce those are more nutrional. Lettuce is suggested not to be fed to rabbits either for the very same reasons.

Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks everyone.