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Converting a Budgie
to Pellets & New Foods
In general budgies are picky eaters. For some reason these parrots
are stubborn and it takes time to incorporate new foods into their
diet. It is even more difficult as they get older. The best time
to incorporate and expose them to new foods is when they are young
such as when they are being weaned.
Many owners make the mistake of feeding their budgies only seeds.
Not only is this bad for a pet budgie, but the budgie may never
reach its full optimal health because of the lack of exposure to
more healthy foods. This lack of a varied diet for the bird will
cause serious problems in the future and the budgie can
potentially develop all sorts of ailments because of a poor diet.
For example, generally many parrots have a deficiency of vitamin A
and suffer a great deal because of this lack. Feeding a bird
pellets is a great way to supplement for this deficiency and even
more important that a bird not just be fed seeds.
Pellets should never be given to a budgie if it has not had time
to adjust to them. Many owners will make the mistake of placing
just pellets into the cage and expect their budgies to eat them.
Though an owner’s intentions are good, this can be a fatal mistake
as many budgies will refuse to eat them at first and many will die
as a result of starvation.
So how can the budgie learn to eat pellets? It is being consistent
with the bird’s healthy diet and being patient as new foods are
introduced. Many budgies will at first disregard the pellets
placed into the cage. The pellets can be placed by the food bowls
or the water dish. At first the budgie may decide to occasionally
pick at them out of curiosity. Once the budgie shows the slightest
interest with the pellets, the owner can then begin mixing a
teaspoon of pellets into its seeds on a daily basis. If the budgie
is already eating fruits and vegetables, a few pellets can be
sprinkled on top. This constant exposure with other food items
helps the budgie to identify the pellets as something that is
edible.
As the weeks pass, the ratio of pellets and seeds should gradually
change. More pellets should be added and the seeds slowly phased
out. This gradual shift will help the budgie adjust to its
pellets. The owner must remain consistent with this approach.
If the budgie is still not too keen on trying the pellets, the
owner can try a new blend of pellets. Some are shaped differently,
come in different colors, and have different taste that a bird may
prefer. It is important the owner find one that sparks the bird’s
curiosity as this will make the transition from seeds to pellets
easier. Note: some pellets may die the droppings of the
parakeet. This is totally normal and the owner should not worry.
Owners who have tame budgies may have an easier time in getting
their bird to eat the pellets and new foods because this birds are
usually very interested in what their owners eat. Many owners can
pretend to eat the pellets and the budgie will take notice. The
owner can then offer their budgie some pellets to see if they will
eat them. If the budgie does not like the consistency the owner
may wish to moisten them up a bit as this makes the pellets more
alluring and may be more edible to the bird.
Owners need to realize that all birds are different and some may
take longer than others to accept the new foods. Pellets are a
foreign food item and
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are not natural to a budgie. For this reason alone, budgies need
time to adjust and get used to the shapes and colors of pellets.
The owners who are consistent with providing their pet budgie with
healthy and new foods will eventually reap the rewards of having a
not-so-picky bird and also a more healthy and long-living bird.
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