Parakeets eat fresh fruits, vegetables, and seeds in the wild. If you would like to keep a parakeet in your home, then you should consider giving them a diet with the same level of nourishment they get from their natural habitat.
When you think about the most common fruit that is readily available, you would be thinking of that sweet yellow fruit – the banana! Now, can your parakeets eat bananas? Is it good for them? Let’s find out by reading the rest of the article!
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Table of Contents
Can Parakeets Eat Bananas?
Can your little pet bird consume this yellow fruit? YES, your parakeet can verily eat a banana, no doubt about it! The studies claim that bananas are one of the safest food for parakeets to eat.
There are a lot of fruits that these little birds are fond of, but bananas are easily one of their favorites. However, just be mindful of the number of bananas that you feed.
To feed them bananas, take the uneaten banana out. Make sure to wash them properly. It should be washed properly to guarantee safety.
Cut them into small portions that they can eat. Parakeets can lean towards the surface of the cage if you can hands-on feed them, or you can put small cut pieces of bananas in their water until rehydrated.
List of Foods I can Feed to my Parakeets
Parakeets Eat Bananas
For a healthy diet, parakeets must eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and pellets. It contains essential vitamins and minerals to their eating lifestyle.
These nutritious foods play a vital role in providing parakeets the level of energy they need. A small amount of food can maintain a strict but healthy diet.
Parakeets Eat Fruits
Parakeets love eating fresh fruits. Eating a variety of fruits each day will help them sustain their nutritional requirements.
To name a few favorites, these are apples, melons, berries, oranges, and grapes. These fruits are the source of vitamins A, C, and K. It also has minerals like potassium.
Make sure to remove all uneaten fruit after two to three hours to prevent bacteria.
Budgies Eat Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables like dandelion leaves, spinach, and sprouted seed provide minerals and vitamins such as Vitamin A that is important for a healthy pet bird.
Some of the favorite veggies of parakeets are broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, squash, and potatoes.
Parakeets Like Nuts
Nuts are the essential nutrients for parakeets that target the brain. They are rich in protein and full of nutritious elements. Be sure to remove the shell and chop the nuts.
The cover is uneasy for them to open because some nuts are large to consume. You can have almonds, pistachio, walnut, and pecan. It contains Vitamin E, minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium, and antioxidants.
Parakeets Love to Eat Seeds
Seeds are fine for parakeets as long as you limit their intake to less than 10 percent of the total dietary plan.
A seed diet contains a low level of vitamins and minerals. High-fat content seed can result in obesity. To avoid the cons of feeding seeds to your parakeets, two teaspoons of mixed seed is enough per day.
Parakeets Eat Pellets
Parakeets prefer seed foods over pellet food. It is a challenging process to shift their taste preference as they are fond of eating seed foods.
It may take several weeks to convince them to eat more pellet foods. Pellets can be made into a mash and mixed with seed.
It makes it more appealing to your parakeet during the process of food transition.
How often should you feed your parakeet?
You can provide two to three meals for a typical day (Breakfast, the afternoon meal, and bedtime). It is your choice.
Training before a meal can make parakeets more eager to eat. Since parakeets are originated from the desert, you cannot see parakeets drink water every hour.
But always provide fresh water and change it once or twice a day during the hot season. As per guidelines, parakeets can maintain a 1.5 – 2 level measure teaspoons of seeds per day.
It should only be a small part of a balanced diet. It should be enough for them to finish it throughout the day. Avoid keeping food leftovers to prevent unnecessary bacteria.
Parakeets eat a pound of birdseed each month. However, this may change based on their age and overall health condition. Always check your pet’s eating habits. If they over or under-eat, consult a veterinarian now.
What fruits can parakeets NOT eat?
When we heard the word fruits, the first thing that comes to our mind is healthy. But for creatures like parakeets, not every fruit is essential for their health and well-being.
Parakeets can have an adverse reaction to some types of food. You can eat fruits moderately without any problems.
However, some fruits can cause illness and harm to your budgies. According to a study, if the food is toxic for people and other pets, it may be forbidden to birds also.
Fruits like avocado and rhubarb are highly toxic for parakeets. It is a poison to their digestive system. Rhubarb contains oxalic acid and fatal elements that can harm the nutrients contained in the body of a parakeet.
Avoid the seed and pits of apricots, cherries, peaches as they contain cyanide-like substance that affects respiration by blocking the reduction of oxygen to water.
Avoid feeding citrus foods to your parakeets. It is abundant in citric acids that can cause stomach pains, unusual weakness, rapid and shallow breathing, and fast or slow heart rate.
Avoiding these fruits is easy as long as you are careful and responsible in your surroundings. Parakeets can fly and see these harmful fruits.
They might accidentally eat it and die unexpectedly. Always make sure that these fruits are consistently in the right place where your parakeets can’t see. It is recommended that you place them on your refrigerator or closed cabinets. The most significant part is that you know what to avoid and how you will prevent these potentially fatal mistakes when keeping parakeets as pets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you now know the answer to the question – Can Parakeets Eat Bananas? – is. As a pet bird owner, it is crucial that you are aware of the foods you are feeding to your parakeets.
As much as possible, avoid other foods that are toxic to them such as chocolates. You are in charge of taking care of your pet and that includes providing their best dietary needs.
Interestingly, they have their own comfort foods and dislikes. Parakeets can enjoy their food when they like its texture and taste. Just be careful and make sure that they eat nutritious foods. Additionally, always be cautious and avoid giving them fruits that are dangerous for them.
Always remember to be a responsible pet owner. This not only makes your budgies happy as you are making them feel the love and care they need but also, it increases the lifespan of your parakeets.
Hezekiah is a pet lover since birth, according to his parents. He started writing for the Pets Checklist in 2020. He is fond of playing with and taking pictures of different friendly animals around his neighborhood. He loves to read and write articles about pets, science, and music.
