If you want to give them some special treats, then these are the best foods for budgies.
Budgie food should consist of high-quality ingredients. The best foods for budgies include fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and grains. These are nutritious foods that provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Making sure that your budgie has healthy treats will help to keep them fit and healthy.
Treats that are too high in calories are great for real treats but too many and your budgie could have health problems further down the line.
Here are the 12 best treats to give your budgie to keep them happy and healthy!
Why Are Treats Important?
Budgies usually live on a diet consisting of seeds, and constantly having the same food every day can get boring for them. This is why it’s important to make sure they eat different types of foods regularly.
Treats are an excellent way to do this because they allow your budgie to have something new to try. You can even mix up the type of treats so that they don’t get bored of eating one particular kind of food all the time.
Treats are also good for keeping your budgie healthy. When you feed them certain foods, they may not be able to digest other things properly.
Some people think that giving your budgie treats will cause them to become overweight or obese, but this will only happen if you feed budgies unhealthy treats.
A budgie’s diet should be between 60-70% grain, so it is important not to overindulge your budgie with treats.
Treats provide your budgies with essential nutrients and minerals, so it is important to make sure you are feeding them the right ones.
The 12 Best Treats To Give Your Budgie
These treats are healthy and are guaranteed to please your budgie. This will help give your budgie some variation in their diet and enjoy new tastes!
1. Vegetables
Vegetables are great healthy treats for your budgie and allow them to have a lot of variation in their diet. Most of the time when budgies are given vegetables for the first time, they are unsure of the taste and may not seem very interested.
Just like humans, budgies have taste preferences, so keep trying them with different vegetables until they find a taste that they like.
Vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower are very popular with budgies, as well as greens like kale, spinach, and parsley.
If you are worried that some vegetables are too hard for your budgie, there are softer options to feed them such as pumpkin and tomatoes. However, hardness shouldn’t be a problem.
If your budgie isn’t a fan of any of the above vegetables, peppers are a very popular choice to feed them. Parakeets are very fond of peppers, even chili peppers.
These are excellent options to feed your budgies for a healthy treat.
Make sure that you remove any vegetable pieces that have been half-eaten by your budgies to make sure that they are not surrounded by any unhealthy bacteria.
2. Sprouts
Alfalfa sprouts are very easy to find at the store and can be given to your budgies as a healthy treat. Although you can buy them in the store, you can easily grow some sprouts at home to give your budgie.
You can even use some of the seed mixes that your budgies eat regularly to grow sprouts, but only if the seeds are fresh enough.
If you decide to give your budgie some sprouts, you need to make sure that they are stored correctly.
Make sure that you keep them away from light and heat sources, which could damage the sprout, and dispose of any sprouts that have become moldy.
Fresh sprouts can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but you mustn’t give your budgie sprouts straight from the fridge.
Make sure that the sprouts are well-rinsed and served to your budgie at room temperature.
3. Eggs
Eggs may seem like an unlikely treat to feed your budgie, but they are very high in protein. As eggs are so high in protein, they should be given to your budgie occasionally and cooked properly.
Giving your budgie small pieces of a hard-boiled egg will provide them with the correct amount of protein and tasty treats.
You can also feed your budgie small pieces of a bland omelet that doesn’t include any seasoning. Make sure that the omelet is cooked properly as you cannot feed your budgie raw egg.
Making sure that the omelet is in small pieces will prevent any choking hazards.
An undercooked egg is as dangerous to budgies as it is to humans, so make sure that the egg is cooked properly and is broken up into small pieces for your budgie to enjoy!
4. Pasta And Rice
Pasta and rice are popular treats for your budgie as they enjoy bland food, but you need to make sure that you cook it properly so that your budgie can enjoy their treats.
Budgies tend to stay away from food that is sticky, so washing the rice thoroughly before cooking will give it the right texture when cooked.
When you are boiling the pasta and rice, don’t add any salt to the water. As budgies prefer simple food, adding salt will create a taste that your budgie won’t be fond of.
It is also advised that you leave the pasta and rice plain, don’t add any salt on top before serving to your budgie.
If your budgie has favorite vegetables, you can give your budgie a varied diet by adding vegetables to pasta or rice. This will give your budgie some more variation in their die for another tasty treat.
5. Cuttlebones
Cuttlebones are high in calcium and also provide added benefits for your budgie when they are given to them as a treat.
They are hard and have a different texture to most of the foods that budgies are used to, so they are pleasantly surprised when they have it as a treat and enjoy playing with it too.
As cuttlebones have a firm texture, they also help to keep their beaks trimmed. It will also help to polish them to keep them clean and healthy.
Cuttlebones aren’t usually used for budgies to eat, but more for them to play with.
However, if they do eat some of it when playing, they will have a calcium-rich snack!
When your budgie is playing with the cuttlebone, they tend to nip at it and jump around. You can also attach the cuttlebone to the cage with some wire.
If the cuttlebone is left loose, your budgie could struggle to play with it if it keeps moving around.
6. Oats
Budgies also enjoy having oats as a treat and you can easily make chewy treats for them to enjoy at home. You can make the treats by combining oats and honey.
Once you have combined the ingredients, bake them in the oven for 8-10 minutes, but make sure that they are not too hard or sticky.
If you decide to make these treats for your budgie, they can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.
Make sure that they are stored in a suitable place where it isn’t too hot or too cold to make sure that they are in good condition to give your budgie.
You can also add vegetables to the oat and honey treats if you want to give your budgie an extra surprise!
7. Seed Sticks
Although budgies eat seed mix as part of their usual diet, seed sticks are available in different flavors and you can get them in almost any pet store.
Budgies love seeds, so giving them flavored seed sticks will add some variety to their diet and allow them to experience different flavors in their diet.
They are rich in essential vitamins and nutrients for your budgie and come with a hook so that you can hang it up for them to use.
The sticks are mainly made up of seeds but they can also include some berries and sometimes contain egg for added protein.
You can also find oats, wheat, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds in the seed sticks for budgies to enjoy.
8. Legumes
Eggs are a great source of protein for budgies, but it is important to mix up where they get their protein from.
Legumes like lentils, peas, and a variety of beans provide high levels of protein and are very suitable for your budgie to have as treats.
Lentils need to be soaked overnight before they are given to your budgie to make sure that they are soft enough.
Beans are high in protein but they are also high in fiber, providing more benefits for your budgie. Some beans can be poisonous to birds, so it is important to stick to certain beans that you know are safe to give to your budgie.
Adzuki beans and mung beans are good choices to give to your budgie, and you can enquire to a veterinarian about what other beans are suitable for them to have.
Green peas and black-eyed peas are popular treats for budgies, but they need to be softened before they are given as treats as you don’t want them to become a choking hazard.
You can simply boil them in unsalted water until they are soft enough to give.
9. Fruit
Similar to vegetables, budgies enjoy a wide range of fruits as they tend to snack on fruit that they would find in the wild.
However, lots of fruit has a high sugar content, so fruit should only be given to budgies in moderation.
You should also avoid giving them fruit that has high sugar content, such as grapes.
Despite fruits being very healthy treats to give to your budgie, they are very tasty and you can give them a good variety.
Berries, melon, bananas, mangoes, and apples are all excellent treat choices to give your budgies and ones that they will most definitely enjoy.
When giving your budgie fruits, it is important to make sure that they are thoroughly washed before they are given to your budgie.
Washing the fruit will get rid of any harmful pesticides on fruit that could be poisonous to your budgie.
Remove the seeds of the fruit before serving it to your budgie as some can cause your budgie to become unwell if they are ingested.
10. Millet
Millet is a very popular treat for parakeets as they tend to love it. Millet is a cereal that is very popular to give budgies, but it is very high in fat.
This means that your budgie shouldn’t have too much millet as it could affect their health. This is probably why it is so popular with budgies!
Millet is available to buy in pet stores as it is a very popular treat for budgies, but it is important to give it to them in small sections.
If you give your budgie a big stick of millet, they may fill up on that and forget about their nutrient-rich food. Small pieces of millet will be more of a treat for them instead of too much.
Most millet from the pet store comes with a hook for you to hang in their cages.
By hanging the millet on the cage, it will give your budgie the chance to burn off some extra calories by trying to reach the millet that is furthest away!
11. Nuts
Nuts provide us with lots of essential vitamins and nutrients, and it is the same with your budgie. They also make tasty treats that your budgie will love, but they are also high in fat.
This means that they cannot have too many nuts, but they are very healthy as an occasional treat.
Giving your budgie nuts that are still in the shells provides them with some exercise to try and get the but out of the shell. This can help them to get some extra exercise before eating high-calorie treats.
Almonds, cashews, and walnuts are all popular nuts to give to your budgie as a treat.
It is important to only give your budgie unsalted nuts. By giving them nuts that are covered in salt, they will be having too much sodium which could negatively impact their health.
Make sure that you clean the nuts thoroughly before giving them to your budgie.
12. Homemade Popcorn
Budgies enjoy having popcorn as a treat, but you mustn’t use store-bought popcorn to treat them. The store-bought popcorn is high in fat and sodium, so it is best to avoid them to protect your budgie and keep them healthy.
If you want to give your budgie popcorn, make it at home for them.
You can use a small bit of oil like coconut oil to make sure that the popcorn pops for your budgie, but don’t add any seasonings or salt that you disagree with your budgie’s stomach.
If you don’t want to pop the corn kernels, you can boil them in unsalted water until they are soft enough for your budgie to eat.
The kernels of corn are too hard for your budgie to eat and they could cause damage to their beaks or become a choking hazard to them.
Treats To Avoid Giving Your Budgie
As you can see above, there are lots of delicious treats that you can feed your budgie to give them a break from their usual diet. However, some foods should not be given to your budgie.
This can be due to them being harmful to your budgie and causing digestive problems for them.
Avoid Stimulating Substances
It is important to avoid giving your budgie anything that contains alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, or cane sugar. These are all harmful to your budgie and could result in them feeling sick or unwell.
These substances are not meant for your budgie to consume, so keep them away from your budgie so they can’t accidentally ingest them.
Avoid High Fat And Sugar Content
Treats that are high in sugar and fat should be kept away from your budgie, especially treats like sweets and chocolate. If you enjoy consuming these treats, you will need to keep them away from your budgie.
Your budgie may even start to crave these types of treats if they are around them too often, so don’t give in to letting them try some.
Fruits and nuts are high in sugar and fat, but they are healthy for your budgie to consume.
Make sure that you are giving them to your budgie occasionally but keeping them away from fattening and sugary treats that you enjoy having yourself.
Avoid Adding Salt
It is never advised that you add salt to any food or treats that you give your budgie. If your budgie is recovering from sickness, some people want to add some extra salt or sugar to their treats to help them feel better.
It isn’t recommended that you do this as budgies get all of their nutrients from their seed mix and healthy treats.
The Difference Between Store-Bought Treats And Homemade Treats
When you want to treat your budgie, your mind will instantly go to finding treats for them at the pet store.
However, these treats can be high in fat, so it is never a good idea to overindulge your budgie in these fattening treats.
Homemade treats are much healthier for your budgie as you are aware of what is in them and you can make them in batches.
Healthy treats are always going to taste better than unhealthy ones and they will provide lots of extra vitamins for your budgie as well as be a tasty alternative to the seed mix.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, there are lots of healthy treats that are available for your budgie to have that will provide them with extra vitamins and minerals.
Treats like fruits, vegetables, and nuts are very healthy for budgies to consume and provide lots of extra health benefits for them.
You will need to be careful that your budgie isn’t having too many treats that are high in saturated fats and sugars. This will negatively impact the health of your budgie and cause them to become overweight.
You will also need to make sure that you aren’t adding salt to your budgie’s treats either. Salted treats can lead to heart disease and other health issues.
Sticking with healthy treats will provide your budgie with new tastes and a nice change from their usual seed mix. They will love any of the tasty treats from above!
Harlan Derricks, nice to meet you. I created this online resource in the hopes of educating more people about the wonders of parrots, including their species, sizes, and more.
But I don’t just want to stop with parrots. I want to give every bird an opportunity to be marveled at and rescued by my education. If just one of my readers learned something valuable about budgies, cockatiels, or parakeets, then I’d be happy with my success.
