Just a couple of queries i hope someone can help with.

 

Chippy (My Budgie) loves fruit and eats apple and grapefruit every day. Is this advisable or should I restrict his access to fruit?

 

I'm sure he's also an alcoholic, every time one of us has a glass of beer or wine he is on it like a shot drinking it. I'm guessing that this isn't good, but how bad is it for him? He's the same with Tea and Coffee.

 

Thanks in advance for your help

Here is a link I posted about food and poisons http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=8712

 

Fruits are okay, if they are limited they can cause runny poops

The rest that you mentioned are poisonous to birds

Also, citrus fruit can upse their tums in excess, limit to a small piece every couple of days.

Alcohol is a big no no. Also coffee isnt great. My tiel drinks tea but its decaffinated tea which is okay I guess.

 

Try him on some greens like spinach oh and some carrot.

hiya, when I was at the avian vet recently he recommended that you don't give them too much fruit as it can give them yeast problems. My budgie is the same with the wine and beer - he's getting used to being batted away now!

Definitely don't let your budgie sample your beer or coffee, it's really bad. Also, some spinach or carrot or brocolli would probably make a better daily snack for him although still give him fruit a few times a week cause obviously he likes it! :wine

I KNOW people are not going to like what I am going to say..... here goes.

I have had birds all my life, budgies & conures. They have all had drinks from my beer glass, and all have lived VERY long lifes with no medical problems. I dont feel that letting them take a drink is a problem. I certainly dont let them sit there for an hour glugging away, (Laughing out loud). Most of the time they are nibbling at the bubbles anyway. They seem to enjoy the carbonation on their tounges (sp?, (Laughing out loud))

 

now with all that said.... ((((((((((((runs off before the backlash hits!)))))))))))))

Edited March 2, 200619 yr by Thirtyfive Black

yeah I have to agree. my budgies have eaten and drinken loads of things that they aren't supposed (chocolate, beer, rhubarb etc) too and they have never had any problems - as long as they just have a wee bit. saying that, I have stopped (well cut back) on that since I joined this site!

if you are going to willingly give your budgies poisonous substances then you are risking your budgies health and ultimately life. That is up to you. but just for the record

 

rhubarb including the leaves

choclate

alcohol

and caffiene are highly dangerous to feed your budgie. budgies are only tiny creatures, it wont take much to have a really negative effect on their health.

 

really, why risk it? why would you want to do that? they can have fun eating healthy foods.

well Pixie I agree, I certainly wouldn't give it to my kids if it was harmful & I consider my pets an extended part of my kid family. (just my opinion)

if you are going to willingly give your budgies poisonous substances then you are risking your budgies health and ultimately life. That is up to you. but just for the record

 

rhubarb including the leaves

choclate

alcohol

and caffiene are highly dangerous to feed your budgie. budgies are only tiny creatures, it wont take much to have a really negative effect on their health.

 

really, why risk it? why would you want to do that? they can have fun eating healthy foods.

 

 

As I said, its not like i let them guzzle it for an hour. They have their taste, shake their heads, eat the bubbles and hop back on my shoulder.

 

Life would be pretty boring if we all ate and drank things that were only "healty" foods, no fast food, no caffeen, nothing processed etc. And i'm pretty sure that 99.9% of us have eaten, AND fed out children this. So NO, I dont consider it "taking a risk" its a little bit of fun for them. (should I take away the pack of cigs from the birds to ) (Laughing out loud)

I dont feel that letting them take a drink is a problem.

It's a personal choice whether you allow it to happen but it is a fact that it's poisonous. That is why it IS a problem whether or not you want to acknowledge that. Yes, we give our kids junk food. We give our budgies junk food on occassion too (and by junk I mean millet and seed sticks and things of that nature). Do you let your kids dabble in the cabinet where you store your cleaning products/chemicals?

 

And let's not forget that our budgies are tiny in comparison to us. They also have very little blood in their bodies. What would be a tiny sip to us is a much bigger dose to a budgie. You should see the miniscule dosage of medication that I've had to give Pixel these past two weeks. You wouldn't think it could help at all and it's a pain to measure out.

 

I will never ever understand why some people have to see something bad happen before they go "Oh, maybe it's true after all!" What makes it even worse is that this is beer we're talking about. Something that isn't beneficial or designed for animals to begin with.

 

In the end, I know you will do what you want to do with your birds and there is nothing anyone can do to change this. But I did want to say all this purely because I hate the thought that others might come across this and think that alcohol is okay for birds.

 

Alcohol is not okay for birds, period. They can live through it, sure. Maybe there won't be any outward signs of problems but maybe one of these days it will make them ill. And let's not forget that not only can birds not tell us when they're feeling bad, they HIDE when they're feeling bad. Why does a bird have to die before some people will acknowledge that something was wrong with it? Maybe it's not led to any VISIBLE or OBVIOUS problems for you in the past but that doesn't mean it never will.

Edited March 2, 200619 yr by eterri

Terri, I've had birds for over 25 years. And everyone of them have lived long and healthy lives. We all know its not good for them, but if you read on forums, appleseeds are poisonous too. I dont see birds in the wild cutting out the seeds with their little pocket knives. (not that birds have a 6 pack stashed in their nest either) I KNOW that they are little, and I am NOT filling their water dish with booze. I just dont think that people should think "oh my gosh, my bird landed on my glass and took a drink, now it will drop dead"!

Now to be truthful. Alchole is very bad for birds, especially my birds...If I catch any of my birds near my beer.....I'll KILL them!!!!!

Now to be truthful. Alchole is very bad for birds, especially my birds...If I catch any of my birds near my beer.....I'll KILL them!!!!!

 

toooo funny daz!!!

Oh gosh Daz, this is not supposed to be funny, but I just took a visual of that in my mind and bursted out :(Laughing out loud):

 

Terri, I completely agree with you. In fact, so much that my home including my cleaning products, personal care and everything I use in my home are safer, made with natural ingredents, and refuse to put toxins in our home. The fact is that people are visual and until it happens to them, they won't change and it is sad, I have changed my thought processes over the years and have decided it is always best to be pro-active in any situation if you can.

 

Thirtyfiveblack, you have made a good point, because I am sure if my bird drank part of my beer or anything I would think they would drop dead. : I also believe that budgies in the wild have more instinct into what is good and what is bad, I have been reading a budgie book and it says that they are nomadic and will always find the places where it will rain so they can breed. They don't know how they do it but the budgies can sense the location of where it will rain, anywhoo...

 

Thanks everyone for the great points!

To sum up.... I am not saying, pour your bird a pint! (thats for daz) but dont freak out if they do take a drink. Most birds i've had take a taste, shake their heads and leave. Coco on the other hand will eat the bubbles (expecially champagne, but thats NOT acceptable, its mine)

so what your saying is don't dunk the poor budgie in

:angel1:

Well i HAVE taken the pack of cigs away, can he atleast have a "bubbly" bath???

(yes thats a joke, i dont smoke, (Laughing out loud))

Edited March 2, 200619 yr by Thirtyfive Black

they have you wrapped

they have you wrapped

I think an even better rule of thumb is to make sure you don't actually allow them to have it. If you're drinking it and they have a tendency for getting into it, put them up till you're done. If they get into it accidentally then yeah, no need to panic. Just keep an eye on them and maybe give the vet a call just in case you need to take them in. You never know.

 

Daz..

put them up till you're done.

 

 

Gesh, they'd never come out!!!

Edited March 3, 200619 yr by Thirtyfive Black

In that case, maybe we should delve into the dangers of playing with birds while drunk.

 

In that case, maybe we should delve into the dangers of playing with birds while drunk.