Parakeets are one of the most common birds that we can find in homes, these outgoing animals are widely recognized as excellent companions in many parts of the world. And we know that as a pet you have to provide the best care, so we will explain in detail what do parakeets eat?
Parakeet feeding
These friendly birds, also called parrots, are characterized by their great ability to adapt to the domestic environment, their good nature, friendly and social. In addition, they look very colorful and striking with their beautiful plumage, so it is not surprising that many people would love to have a friendly parakeet as a pet in their home.
The feeding of these birds must be healthy and varied and can start from seeds, birdseed, oats, leaves, fruits, vegetables to arachnids and insects. Next, we teach you more in depth what do parakeets eat.
To maintain the good health of our parakeet, we must provide them with a healthy and balanced diet, but at the same time varied. This will help us keep your body in optimal development. At the same time, we must include in the daily diet foods that provide the nutrients, vitamins, proteins and minerals that its small body needs to maintain an adequate and active wildlife.
It is important that we know what food our nice friends need, so as not to offer them a poor or inadequate diet. Since if it is low in calories it can harm your body, causing a deficit of vitamins and nutrients. Let us always remember that their diet must be varied and complete, adapted according to the species and its energy requirements.
A very important factor in determining what parakeets eat is what foods we can provide them with for a better quality of life. At the same time, prepare the organism before the possible parakeet diseases. In addition, a good diet will always be reflected in the external appearance of our pet such as its plumage, its vitality and character. In general, and according to their habitat, parakeets carry a very varied diet based on seeds, fruits, arachnids and insects, as well as water.
what do parakeets eat?
Lo what do parrots eat or parakeets is very varied, and their diet should be based on balanced amounts. The menu of these adorable animals can be divided into the following quantities:
- 50% food for parakeets
- 20% fruit
- 20% vegetables
- 10% of other food
daily fruits
Fruits are always a fundamental part of people's healthy and balanced diet, to maintain good health and improve quality of life. The same happens with parakeets, the daily consumption of fruits helps them and provides good physical and energetic performance. In addition, to improve the quality of life and give them a better physical appearance, without forgetting that they are sources of vitamins and minerals, the ideal would be the combination of at least three fruits daily. Only natural fruit juice can be offered from time to time and can be any of these:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Pin
- Pear
- Tangerine
- Orange
- Kiwi
- Apricot
- Grenada
- Pineapple
- Papaya
interdaily fruits
Excessive consumption of some fruits should be avoided, as they could negatively harm your health due to such high levels of sugar. However, one way that our parakeet can consume them in a moderate way is two or three times a week, these fruits are:
- Grapes
- Melon
- Cherries
- Peach
- Banana
- Mango
- Medlar
Vegetables and daily vegetables
With regard to vegetables, we can include them in the diet of our parakeet since most of them provide fiber, vitamins and a good energy value. The following vegetables can be supplied daily without any restriction:
- Artichoke
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Chard
- Cauliflower
- Green shoots
- Green, red, yellow and orange paprika
- Radish
- Celery
- Carrot
Vegetables and interdaily vegetables
As with fruits, there are some vegetables that need to be reduced. These will be provided two to three times a week:
- boiled potato
- Lettuce
- boiled sweet potato
Special food for parakeets
These feeds for parakeets basically make up 50% of their diet, and with this special food we offer all the necessary components. Well, the ingredients are at the same level of proportion. In this way, we ensure that you are ingesting all the nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of your body.
This type of food is composed of cereals, fruits, vegetables and vegetable oils. Also, it contains vitamins and minerals previously selected to maintain the good health of our bird. When selecting a parrot feed, we must take into account the species to which our parakeet belongs, since this type of food is adapted to the shape and size of each species.
It is recommended to choose colored feed, since they generally like it more and see it as striking. Compared to those feeds that are not colored and for parakeets they are usually boring and monotonous.
Additional foods to the diet of parakeets
As we have already noted, what parakeets eat is diverse, thus showing itself to be a versatile bird. On the other hand, there are other foods that we can include occasionally and to a lesser extent, such as the mixture of seeds. Although it is beneficial, it is not the important base for your progress, but it does help to enrich your diet such as legumes (lentils and chickpeas), cheese, yogurt, pasta, rice, bread, eggs and cake.
Likewise, in this reduced group of foods, nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios can be included. Without forgetting that this type of food or snacks is only part of 10% of your diet, and should be eaten occasionally.
Forbidden food for parakeets
Parakeets or parrots have long become pets in the home of many people, due to their great sympathy and beautiful plumage that make them look happy and colorful, however, what stands out the most is their great ability to interact with birds. people. However, when we have a parakeet as a pet and a member of the family, we must be aware of what we eat on a daily basis.
Since there are multiple foods and drinks that we offer you, and without realizing it, they deteriorate your health and organism. Its habitual consumption can be toxic and terminal, as it is not tolerated by its digestive system, causing death in some cases. There are many foods that parakeets eat, which they should not like tomato. Here are some of them:
coffee and chocolate
They are foods that are prohibited in the diet of birds, including parakeets due to their high caffeine content. When this type of food is consumed by a human being, it does not affect their digestive tract, as long as it is consumed in a moderate way, but when we give it to consume or include it in the feeding of birds, it becomes harmful and very toxic for the birds. their health.
Since it is found as a toxic substance in chocolate, this is theobromine. Its ingestion produces alteration in the organism of any bird such as hyperactivity, diarrhea, dark stools, convulsions, cardiac arrhythmias, regurgitation and even death. If due to some mistake or domestic accident this were to happen, it is advisable to take our parakeet to the vet for a check-up. In addition, to administer some medication that manages to interrupt the effects caused by the intake of these foods.
onion, garlic and parsley
This type of food contains a high level of aromatic sulfuric compounds, which although they are widely used by humans to give seasoning and good taste to the food we consume daily. In birds, it causes a breakdown in red blood cells, which can be destroyed and cause a type of hemolytic anemia. To prevent this type of disease that causes weakness in the body, we should not offer these vegetables for any reason.
Avocado or avocado
It is another of the foods rich in protein and natural oil that benefits human health, but harms parakeets and birds. This contains a toxin derived from its fatty acid called persin, which can alter the cardiac and respiratory systems of these birds.
Salt
If we give parrots this type of mineral to consume, they can become seriously intoxicated. This type of toxicosis due to salt intake increases thirst and generates the urge to urinate, causing states of depression, neurological excitations and tremors. Also, they cause swelling and discomfort when walking until they can cause death.
What do green parakeets eat?
They are the ideal pets for people who have no experience with any of the Types of birds, usually relate easily and very well with the human environment. They are characterized by being gentle and simple birds to care for, giving them the basic care in their health and nutrition, they will be able to lead a healthy and calm life. In general, they love to taste green leaves such as chard, dandelion or watercress, as well as nibble on some branches of fruit trees.
With this type of activity, in addition to eating, they take care of their beak and keep their body in shape, by constantly moving through the branches of the trees. Their daily diet, like that of other birds, is also based on foods such as vegetables, some of which may be grated carrots, boiled potatoes, celery, fruits such as grapes, pears, apples, and seeds such as canary seed, millet, grass seed. ripe and oatmeal.
Which provide them with vitamins, minerals and proteins to maintain a good development and healthy functioning of their organism, all this type of healthy diet will be externalized in the beauty of their plumage.
What do yellow-headed parakeets eat?
The Parakeets yellow head, they are better known in their habitat as the king parrot, it is a bird that likes to play and have fun during the day and usually rests at night. Your diet should be varied, balanced and complete, it is generally recommended that it be prepared.
These can be sunflower seeds, a mixture of different seeds, fresh legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, peas, leaving them to soak for a few hours before giving them to eat. In this way, they will not be so hard for them, vegetables can be raw but hygienically well washed such as carrots, zucchini, cucumber, Swiss chard, spinach, fruits such as apples, strawberries, bananas, oranges, pineapples, watermelons, pomegranate and kiwi.
Some of the nuts that yellow-headed parakeets eat are almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts. This type of food should be given only occasionally, as a reward or as a way to pamper them for their good behavior. It is important to include in the diet of our yellow-headed parakeet the daily consumption of clean and fresh water for good hydration.
However, like other birds, they have a list of prohibited foods for consumption, such as the intake of foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, eggs or milk. Of the latter, they can only consume some of its derivatives such as yogurt and fresh cheese. Also like fried foods, avocado, tomato, soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, cocoa, salt, dyes, condiments such as garlic, onion, parsley, and any type of candy or sweet. Because they can manage to alter your digestive, nervous and cardiac systems.
food for australian parrots
The Australian parakeet stands out among other birds, for having beautiful colored feathers, a friendly character, being very energetic and fun, as well as being very intelligent. But, what do parakeets eat? These natives of Australia feed on vegetables, fresh fruits, seeds or breeding paste, which can be obtained commercially or prepared in a homemade way. They are based on sugar-free cake and mixed with vegetables, also remember that water is essential in your daily intake.
Among the foods that we can give our Australian parakeet, we can include a variety of fruits, which can be combined in salads such as apples, oranges, papaya, bananas, pears, tangerines, among others. Let us remember that fruits are a main source of vitamins and their daily consumption provides many health benefits for our parakeets. Fruits such as strawberries, melons, grapes, among others, are not recommended to give in excess, however, their consumption can be once a week.
Some of the vegetables that we can give to Australian parakeets are carrots, celery, chard, broccoli, artichoke, radishes, seeds and cereals such as corn, rice, oats, birdseed. If we provide our pet with this type of varied and balanced diet, we could guarantee a consistent and healthy domestic life for its development and growth, as well as the proper functioning of its body. In addition, we have the guarantee that they receive the vitamins, minerals, proteins and nutrients that their body requires on a daily basis.
However, as mentioned above, like other birds, budgerigars are prohibited from eating some foods that are harmful to their body. These can be avocado, tomato, potatoes, garlic, parsley, salt, foods that contain caffeine such as cocoa and coffee. Like sweets, this type of food does not provide benefits for your body, on the contrary they deteriorate it and many times its ingestion can be fatal for the Australian parakeet.
What to do in case of poisoning symptoms?
As mentioned above, it is necessary that we take care of the feeding of our birds, providing them with adequate food for a healthy and healthy diet, which allows us to preserve and care for the proper functioning of their digestive system for a better quality of life. However, in the event of an accident or an error, in the administration of some of the foods prohibited for the consumption of parakeets, we must be attentive and alert to the symptoms, as well as the possible reaction of toxicity.
The symptoms that can indicate that our parakeet is sick are:
- That our bird begins to show little mobility
- Inapetence
- Excessive water consumption
- numb eyes
- Difficulty breathing and holding the beak open
- start to lose weight
- Isolation
- little activity
- constant bowel movements
In the presence of any of these symptoms, it is necessary to seek veterinary attention urgently and appropriately for our parakeet, in some cases these symptoms, in addition to being the product of food poisoning, may be signs of some hidden pathology that is beginning to appear. be latent. For this reason, it is necessary to take into account that the fact that our pet is a bird does not mean that they should only eat seeds because what parakeets eat is varied.
How to change the diet of a parakeet that only eats sunflower seeds?
Maintaining a healthy, varied and balanced diet is essential for our birds to enjoy good health and extend their life span, so it is our duty as pet owners to provide them with adequate food as much as possible. Therefore, to think that a parakeet is well nourished and fed by consuming only sunflower seeds is absurd, since only the consumption of these seeds does not provide the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your body needs to be healthy and energetic.
A recommendation to change this bad eating habit, which little by little we have created in our bird, by making the mistake of thinking that what parakeets eat is only seeds, it is a special feed. It turns out to be a suggestion that, although simple, generates very good results, as well as being practical. This method of extruded feed requires a lot of patience and perseverance, but we will be able to reduce on a large scale that our pet decides what to eat or not.
To do this, feed is placed instead of the seeds and we will keep it in its feeder for about 20 minutes and after that we will change it for other foods that are to its liking, including seeds mixed with another food. The idea is that the parakeet eats a little feed at least three times a day, we can help ourselves with the three hours of food a day, thus being 20 minutes for each one. In this way, it will alternate because these birds are reluctant to feed, as well as very intelligent to start consuming it quickly.
This process will be done continuously and the parakeet will be forced to consume it, since at some point it will begin to like the feed. In this way, this food will become the parrot's favorite.