http://www.budgieworld.net/budgie_advice.htm

WOW ....really interesting reading ...thanks

I wonder if they are fussy about the type of eucalyptus leaves they eat.... or if any old branch will do!!!

I wonder if they are fussy about the type of eucalyptus leaves they eat.... or if any old branch will do!!!

 

 

Well, koalas are terribly fussy aren't they? Don't they only eat about 4 varieties? I'll do a google search and see if I can at least find out what species are native to where budgies are native.

 

I've tried to find out. I've found references to them only eating some species (there are over 600 species of eucalypts), but can't find which ones they will eat

I've come across that site before but kind of take it with a grain of salt seeing as they're selling the products that go along with this information. I mean, all they know is that budgies didn't eat those fruits and vegetables. We already know this. We know that most of us can't provide our parrots with a diet that mimics what they eat in the wild because

 

a ) Most people don't live in same country/region as where their parrot originates from and

 

b ) There isn't enough research to tell us the specifics on a wild parrot's diet. Such as how much of what foods, which types (of eucalyptus), how long did the birds live on this diet, what problems did they have and most importantly, what ELSE did they eat and how did it benefit them?

 

To cut to my point, I think it's good to feed them native plants, definitely. But I hope that the article isn't trying to say that we should replace a variety of healthy vegetables with these leaves? I would think that a lot more research should be done before making an assumption such as this. If we go purely on how a budgie looks on the outside, we could say they do well on a seed only diet too. The damage from a bad diet usually takes place on the inside (though it sometimes presents itself in poor feather quality).

 

And again, since the site is selling these things, they're obviously going to be a little biased towards them.

Edited February 23, 200619 yr by eterri

yeah, ive come across that site before too. i didnt really know what to make of it. :budgiedance: i dismissed it because there is no way i would buy leaves and get them shipped over! i'll stick with good old veggies, i think

It does say that they are not against feeding veggies, but if they wanted to state about the leaves they could have done some more work and possible found out which sort they ate.

My dad fed his birds a diet of grasses, eucalyptus leaves & seed & his never got sick - except the odd egg bind.

His birds were continuously 1st prized champion birds that lived 10+ years.

I would pit my fathers knowledge & experience against anyone & dare anyone to say my father was wrong with the way he raised his birds!

 

To say someone don't know what they are talking just because they sell a product is stupid and ignorant and usually said by someone who is a "book expert".

 

It is smart to see a hole in the market & plug it, I would have done the same thing if I had seen it.

 

If a little more research was done by people before saying something was no good (and without even trying it themselves!) then they wouldn't be so quick to condemn something they obviously know nothing about.

 

The eucalyptus leaves are the long ones that are about 1 - 1.5 cm wide. I don't know what they are called but I have some in my back yard. Eucalyptus trees have been exported to just about every country in the world.

 

By the way - wild budgies live on average 10 years in the wild on a diet of wild grasses, seeds, eucalyptus leaves and anything else they can get their beaks on - the only things that shorten their lives are predators and drought.

To say someone don't know what they are talking just because they sell a product is stupid and ignorant and usually said by someone who is a "book expert".

That's not what I said. :ausb: I said they would be biased toward the product and I hate to tell you, but that's a fact. If you're selling a product you're going to list every single good thing you can think of and either never mention the bad or cover it up somehow. That's how businesses usually work. I'm not saying they don't know what they're talking about and I wasn't even dismissing the information they shared. I just believe that there is more to it than what was mentioned and that since they are making a living off this product, they're only going to point out the good points.

 

By the way - wild budgies live on average 10 years in the wild on a diet of wild grasses, seeds, eucalyptus leaves and anything else they can get their beaks on - the only things that shorten their lives are predators and drought.

What is "anything else they can get their beaks on" though? There are so many things we don't know about how they eat, how much, etc. I know it sounds anal to worry about that but it's important.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that wild budgies don't have to face the troubles caused to pet budgies by inbreeding. They face a different set of hurdles because of this and we have to cater their diets to prevent things like fatty tumors and vitamin deficiencies. I think it's great that your dad's birds lived that long and seemed to do so well but it would be interesting to know more of the specifics. I've seen seed-only birds live that long but upon necropsy they showed signs of malnutrition. Even an obese bird can be suffering from malnutrition. You never know.

 

I'm not saying he was wrong in how he cared for his birds. I'm just saying that just because something works for one person doesn't mean it will work for everyone. There are a lot of factors that go into it and I wish more research would be done on the little birds. But all we can do is offer a variety and try to prevent the ailments that we know are common to these particular birds. As time progresses, I'm sure we'll learn more and more about what they need. Things have changed a lot from what they used to be and we have to be open to accept that. I'm not dismissing the site, I just get skeptical when the only website that says all this stuff happens to be the one that is selling it. :hap: I'd like to know more about it, really.

i wasnt suggesting that eucalyptus is not beneficial to a budgies health either. i think if you live in australia or have access to this type of natural vegetation then i think it is a good supplement to the diet

 

i just dont see how buying eucalyptus leaves and feeding those istead, is 'better' than a veg diet. the facts in the article were very vague and it is written in a persuasive manner. I dont see the importance of shipping in eucalyptus leaves when i can go and buy organic veggies instead. simple as that.

its really hard for budgie owners who dont live in there native country to make it natural like gum tree is the mane toy r#that they used to make them and they dont egsiset hear so my budgies have to have un natural toys withch they love they are wood rope all kinds *i dont like plastic toys*

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/3298/

 

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~gupson/Looking%20After.html

Edited February 26, 200619 yr by Karen

I don't want to repeat someone in an other post regarding irresponsibility ...but I think it is irresponsible for someone to buy a budgie that doesn't give it the right diet. If you are going to buy a budgerigar, a bird that comes from Australia, you should look at feeding it it's natural diet.

 

Wouldn't that be right Eterri? or would that be a double standard!

 

 

One thing that Eucaliptus leaves give that friut and vegatables don't is an anticeptic. Which is a natural desease killer. Than may be why Karen's Dad's birds were so healthy. I think we can all learn from this. I for one will be adding more gum leaves into my aviary.

 

I am sure you can find these plants at your nearest plant nursary.

Edited February 26, 200619 yr by daz

irresponsible is the wrong word daz. it is not irresponsible to feed a good diet of seed, pellets and veggies/fruit. like i said if you have access to a gum tree then thats great - but i am not going to buy leaves and have them shipped over! by the time they have been shipped they are hardly fresh either!

 

dont eucalyptus trees take years to grow and are very large? in suburban england i have very little room for a eucalpt tree, also with bird flu looming over the channel i would be hesitant to use and kind of natural branches where wild birds have been.

 

we will never be able to replicate a natural diet as budgies in the wild are nomadic. To say that feeding eucalyptus is 'better' than feeding a veg diet is not true. both would compliment the other in a varied diet (if you have access to it).

irresponsible is the wrong word daz. it is not irresponsible to feed a good diet of seed, pellets and veggies/fruit. like i said if you have access to a gum tree then thats great - but i am not going to buy leaves and have them shipped over! by the time they have been shipped they are hardly fresh either!

 

dont eucalyptus trees take years to grow and are very large? in suburban england i have very little room for a eucalpt tree, also with bird flu looming over the channel i would be hesitant to use and kind of natural branches where wild birds have been.

 

we will never be able to replicate a natural diet as budgies in the wild are nomadic. To say that feeding eucalyptus is 'better' than feeding a veg diet is not true. both would compliment the other in a varied diet (if you have access to it).

 

You are appsolutly corect pixie in every point. It is crazy to expect that some one in another country would have the resorces or the money to give them the diet that they are acostomed to.

 

My Home

 

This is where I live. The trees at the back of the photo are gum (Eucalyptus) Trees. Yes they are tall and take a long time to grow,

 

I was actually making the point that conditions change and that what is right and easy for one person in one country is not always possible to others. We must alway take that into consideration in an International Forum like this.

 

Fruit and vegatiables were not on the list for the wild budgerigar and so in many countries they had to find a way to still give the nutriants that the birds need to be healthy and survive. That is where the fruit and vegatables came in, as an alternative.

 

It would be narrow minded of me to be serious with my last statment.

Edited February 26, 200619 yr by daz

daz you live in a beautiful area! you are very lucky!

 

and yeah now i understand that your saying (Laughing out loud)! it would be interesting to try and find out which sorts they eat, or is any type okay?

daz you live in a beautiful area! you are very lucky!

 

and yeah now i understand that your saying lol! it would be interesting to try and find out which sorts they eat, or is any type okay?

 

Thats a good question. I know that Koalas only eat a few types of gum leaves. (as Lin posted). I have been trying mine on a loacal tree and they seem to like it. I have been feeding them for a few weeks with no problems. ... But I don't know the type. I will try to find out and post it.

i know bea made her budgies some gum tree toys a while back. i think they went down a storm if i remember right?

 

i have found very little info before about sepcific types that they eat, maybe thats because they are not that fussy? just wondering if they had a favourite type.

I wonder if there is a posionous type????

 

Toxic Plants - EUCALYPTUS (DRIED, DYED OR TREATED IN FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS)

 

Safe Plants - EUCALYPTUS

 

Safe and Toxic Plants

It was not my intention to say that people should stop feeding their birds vegetables (my birds would riot if I stopped).

 

It was a rather interesting site that gave a bit of knowledge into the budgies' natural diet that I wished to share with people.

 

Budgies have no concept of family and therefore we cannot discount the notion that wild budgies do inbreed or line breed even, the statistics against such pairings happening would be too great too calculate (we actually have selective inbreeding & linebreeding to thank for some of the lovely colours we have today).

i know bea made her budgies some gum tree toys a while back. i think they went down a storm if i remember right?

 

i have found very little info before about sepcific types that they eat, maybe thats because they are not that fussy? just wondering if they had a favourite type.

Those toys have been destroyed for a very long time now, the budgies loved them! I don't think budgies are all that picky about what types of gum leaves they eat. In the wild i think they go from tree to tree in huge flocks shredding leaves and bark.

It was not my intention to say that people should stop feeding their birds vegetables (my birds would riot if I stopped).

 

It was a rather interesting site that gave a bit of knowledge into the budgies' natural diet that I wished to share with people.

 

Budgies have no concept of family and therefore we cannot discount the notion that wild budgies do inbreed or line breed even, the statistics against such pairings happening would be too great too calculate (we actually have selective inbreeding & linebreeding to thank for some of the lovely colours we have today).

 

It was interesting. With this age of modern consepts, we can always learn for the old ways.

 

As far as budgies not having a concept of family, just try close breeding and see what happens when you have young hens in the box..... As soon as they fledge the cocks become more than friendly You must becareful of this as the cocks will mistake the begging for food as something else and the chick can starve.

Randy so & so's! (Laughing out loud)

Randy so & so's! LOL

 

:ausb:

kind of an old post here, but i have a silver dollar gum tree (at least thats what its called in the US) and thats what i give mine, they love it!