Wild parrots. Where do parrots live in the wild? Ready grain mixture

Diet of parrots wildlife so varied that it is sometimes quite difficult to create a similar menu at home. The reason lies in the habitat of these beautiful and unusual birds. Such areas are not famous for cold winters or other dramatic climate changes. Droughts and rainy seasons are what separate the seasons in latitudes.

Free access to tropical fruits, berries, flowers and trees directly affects the health of the bird and its appearance. In search of food, parrots travel long distances depending on the time of year. They adapt to the seasonal ripening of certain fruits and plants, which is also important point in nutrition.

Photo: David Cook

When many fruits and seeds rich in vitamins appear, the breeding period begins, which coincides with the rainy season.

Due to the destruction of the birds' habitat, their extermination by local residents (the birds often damage farmers' fields or their bright feathers serve as decoration in rituals), and the capture of birds by poachers, some species of parrots are on the verge of extinction.

Also, having lost their usual diet, not all of them adapt to the changed conditions. Without receiving the required amount of useful nutrients, even if offspring arises, they may be weakened and more susceptible to disease. The survival rate of chicks decreases, which cannot but affect the number of birds in the flock.

Photo: Robin Hickmott

Therefore, the issue of balanced nutrition for parrots is extremely important in nature.

What do parrots eat in the wild?

Large species of parrots in the wild prefer to eat fruits and seeds of a wide variety of fruit trees. These fruits can be of varying degrees of maturity. Nuts (palm and brazil) also occupy a significant part of the birds' diet, as do berries, flowers, young plant shoots, insect larvae and even snails.

Photo: Roo Reynolds

Many parrots, even within their species, differ in their preferred food. This again has to do with the habitat.

In captivity, it is very difficult to bring a bird's nutrition closer to what it receives in the wild. Yes, this is not always possible. The food of wild parrots is very nutritious and is most often a fatty and high-calorie food. But birds spend a colossal amount of energy while searching for food, their flights stretch for dozens of kilometers, so the beauties are not at risk of obesity and imbalance.

In captivity, a parrot does not expend so much energy, its flights are short-lived, and some birds, unfortunately, are not given the opportunity to fly at all in accordance with their needs.

Of course, this does not mean at all that you need to switch him completely to dietary nutrition.

Photo: Robin Hickmott

It is important to maintain the ratio of grain feed and fruit and berry, fruit and vegetable additives in the diet.

Some types of parrots need nuts, but the frequency of intake should be strictly regulated by the owner.

You also need to pay close attention to what type of grain your parrot prefers, as they often choose the most tasty grains for their taste, and the rest are scattered. In this case, the bird does not receive enough nutrients, which can lead to deterioration in health.

In the wild, parrots regulate their diet independently. But it also depends on crop yields and human intervention in the birds' habitat. At home, responsibility for the health of a feathered pet lies with its owner. Properly balanced, taking into account the parrot’s geographic homeland and home conditions, will be the key to its health and longevity.

Budgerigars, bright, cheerful and quick-witted, are able to brighten up the monotonous life of a lonely person and bring excitement to the everyday life of a friendly family. It is not surprising that those who like to communicate with talkative parrots most often get “budgies”.

Description of the budgerigar

The stepped tail, growing up to 10 cm, visually enlarges the bird, whose body usually reaches 17-23 cm, by about a third. An adult parrot weighs from 40 to 45 grams.

The dominant plumage background of birds living in the wild is emerald green, but the throat and head (front) are bright yellow. Three neat black spots are visible on both sides of the throat.

Dark waves descend along the back of the head, the back of the head and the yellow back, whose lines thicken as they move to the back. The younger the bird, the more blurred the pattern.

Modern varieties of “wavy”, bred by breeders, have a variety of variegated colors and even the absence of a clear wavy pattern.

The strong curved beak, at the base of which there is a wax with nostrils, is covered with a horny layer. The horny covering is also present on the tip of the thick short tongue.

The color of the cere tells about the gender of the parrot: in an adult male it is bright blue, in a young male it is purple; in an adult female it is brown or blue, in a young female it is blue.

The parrot's beak is not the same as that of other birds: it retains mobility due to the fact that the longer upper jaw is connected to the skull by a tendon. A dark beak is observed in chicks, and a pale yellow beak with a greenish tint is observed in adult parrots.

The beak of a budgerigar performs several important functions:

With its help, birds grab and carry objects.
Used for crushing small branches, fruits, seeds and leaves.
Used for climbing trees, cage bars and enclosure mesh.
Sometimes serves as a defensive weapon.

The horny teeth inside the beak also help parrots pick/gnaw fruits and peel the husks from grains. These teeth also act as a file, sharpening the anterior area of the beak.

This is interesting! The feathers of males, located on the forehead, glow when exposed to ultraviolet rays. The more intense the fluorescent glow, the more attractive the partner is for the female.

The parrot's feet, consisting of 4 long, bent fingers, can be grayish blue or pink. Two fingers face forward and two face back, making the birds excellent at climbing trees and walking on horizontal surfaces. With its paw, the parrot grabs and lifts the desired object, including food, and holds it next to its beak.

Habitat, habitat in the wild

Australia is not only the birthplace of budgerigars (the most common parrots on the mainland), but also their main habitat.

Birds nest along the southwestern and eastern coasts (avoiding northern territories with dense forests), as well as on the nearest islands, including. Tasmania.

When looking for nesting sites, parrots choose steppe and semi-desert areas with sparse trees.

In the north of the continent, breeding of the “wavy” offspring does not depend on the time of year (only the rainy season is excluded), in the south it usually occurs in November-December.

Parrots live in flocks of 20 to several hundred birds. They fly in flocks from place to place, looking for food and water, sometimes stopping in the middle of green plains, where they eat grass seeds.

Birds easily cover vast distances thanks to high speed flight similar to the flight of a swallow. When landing, the parrot bends its wings down, like a quail.

Now the number of wild budgerigar populations has decreased significantly. Ornithologists are confident that these are the consequences of human intervention in the Australian landscape.

This is interesting! Aboriginal tribes may also be involved in the process of bird decline, giving the budgerigar the name “bedgerigas,” which translates as “fit for food.”

Budgerigar at home

To make your parrots feel comfortable, place the cage on a raised surface (level with your height) in a well-lit place. Birds need a long daylight hours: 10-12 hours in winter and 12-14 hours in summer. With the onset of late autumn, it is necessary to use additional light sources. Do not place the cage on a windowsill, as parrots get cold easily.

Cage structure

The minimum cage size for a bird to flutter freely is 25*40*40 cm. If the bird is not alone, the area of its housing is increased. It is better to take a rectangular cage, the flat top of which is easier to attach toys to.

The bottom of the cage should be solid so that the claws do not get stuck between the bars.

A comfortable cage for “wavy animals” looks like this:

at least 2 horizontal poles;
glass/porcelain drinkers (they are washed daily with hot water and soda);
two feeders: one for grains, the second for soft food.
baths with warm water (they are usually installed in the summer, removed after water procedures);
if the bird lives alone, a mirror is hung from the “ceiling”.

Important! The purchased cage and accessories are immediately disinfected by dousing them with boiling water and wiping them dry.

Moving to a new place of residence will be stressful for a parrot, so protect its peace for 2-3 weeks: avoid loud sounds, increased attention from children and pets. Talk to the bird kindly, but do not pick it up: it will decide for itself when it can trust you.

Before going to bed, cover the cage with a cloth, leaving the front wall open: this way the parrot will calm down faster and will not chirp while everyone else is sleeping.

The sun promotes the production of vitamin D in the body, so when it gets warm, take the cage with your pet to an open balcony, slightly shading it from the sheer rays of the sun.

The budgerigar moults twice a year. At this time the bird does not fly. Try to disturb her less and feed her with vitamins.

Despite the fact that wavy birds drink little, access to water must be constant. It should not be boiled, but should be passed through a filter, occasionally adding lemon juice (a few drops). You can buy proven bottled water.

To make caring for the claws easier, the perches in the cage are made of wood: if they are plastic, the claws will not wear down naturally.

The cage is cleaned daily, and general cleaning is done once a month. A clean cage can be wiped with a decoction of chamomile/wormwood.

Eating a budgerigar

It corresponds to the energy consumption of the bird. You can take ready-made mixtures consisting of oats, millet, canary grass, meadow grasses and sunflower seeds. Make sure that the factory product is fresh, without dyes or chemical additives.

Sometimes give sprouted food: oats (a tablespoon) are brewed with boiling water, filtered after half an hour. Such food spoils quickly, so the leftovers (after 1-2 hours) are thrown away.

If you are interested in the longevity of your bird, do not keep it only on grain mixtures. The following should be included in the diet:

apple, pumpkin, plums, pears, mango, kiwi, strawberries, peaches, grated beets/carrots;
lettuce leaves, dandelion, dill and spinach (in winter, ground dry nettle is added to the food);
washed branches of willow and fruit trees;
crushed cottage cheese and boiled eggs, flavored with grated carrots or beets;
honey crackers and parrot sticks (carefully) to prevent the bird from gaining excess weight.

Fresh food provided every day. As you pour in the grain mixture, remove the flakes from yesterday's portion. Vitamin supplements are needed only during molting, severe stress, illness and feeding chicks.

The list of prohibited products includes:

raw potatoes and rhubarb;
chocolate and alcohol;
milk.

This is interesting! Budgerigars can be poisoned by houseplants including delphinium, diefenbachia, snowdrop, oleander, milkweed, azalea, daffodil, amaralis bulbs, lily of the valley and asparagus berries.

For normal digestion, the parrot will need sand, which is bought at a pet store and poured into the bottom of the cage.

How long do budgies live?

Rare specimens in nature live up to 8 years: usually the lifespan of parrots is half as long. Birds die from hunger, from the teeth of predators and from natural disasters.

It is natural that, compared to their wild counterparts, domestic budgies look like Methuselahs, living up to 10-15 and even 20 years.

Parrot diseases, prevention

The most common diseases of “wavy” are:

Remember that females lay eggs even in the absence of a male.. A stuck egg can paralyze a bird's leg and cause death. Drop a little Vaseline oil into the cloaca, place a warm cloth on the bottom of the cage, and a heating pad under the bottom. If the egg does not come out, go to the veterinary office.

Important! Ticks are destroyed with ointments (novertin or aversectin), brushing the beak, cere, paws and cloaca. Vegetable oil will also work.

Birds with a cold are treated by irradiating them several times a day with a tabletop (not quartz!) 40-60 W lamp. They are given vitamins, and a chamomile infusion is placed at the bottom of the cage.

Parrot breeding

Budgerigars are fully mature for breeding at 1-1.5 years. Couples are provided with long daylight hours, temperature control, a special diet and vitamins.

For mating, which occurs in summer and autumn, birds need a nest box:

With internal dimensions – height no more than 15 cm, bottom 25*15 cm.
With a folding top to monitor the health of the brood and the cleanliness of the box.
WITH wood shavings at the bottom.
With a recess where the eggs are located.
With a perch along which the female and her chicks go down/ascend.

Especially for chicks, food (with calcium powder necessary for skeletal growth) is poured not into the feeder, but at the bottom of the nesting box.

As soon as they begin to eat on their own, remove the children from their mother, otherwise she will bite them. Remove shells and dead chicks. To prevent the female from becoming exhausted by frequent childbirth, do not allow her to give birth more than twice in a row. Simply remove the nest box.

The question of what a budgerigar's diet should be is relevant for those owners who have just acquired a feathered pet. A balanced diet plays a significant role in the life of a bird. Her health and longevity depend on him. It is advisable to study all the information on this matter in advance so as not to encounter certain difficulties in the future.

Ready grain mixture

Various ready-made mixtures are available for sale, using which the bird owner significantly saves his time. The main components of the feed should be the following grains: millet, canary seed, oats, raw sunflower seeds. There are different brands of food. Their composition may vary. Every responsible owner has the task of ensuring proper nutrition your bird, so the question may often arise: Ready-made mixtures need to be selected in such a way that they suit the taste of your feathered friend. This usually does not take much time. It is advisable to buy a mixture that the parrot absorbs with appetite.

How to choose ready-made food

When purchasing ready-made food, it is important to consider the following recommendations:

You should refrain from purchasing a mixture that contains mold, dirt and debris. Each package must indicate the expiration date of the product. This information must be studied. If you smell a musty smell, you should not buy this food.
It is advisable to purchase food in sealed containers that do not allow air or moisture to penetrate. Rotten grains and insects can rarely be found in such a mixture.
Birds should be fed after they have eaten the previous portion of food. It is necessary to ensure that the tasty components of the food are given to all parrots in the cage, and not just to the male, who chooses the best from the food.
Fresh grain of high quality, which is suitable for feeding birds, should have a natural shine. A dull surface, the presence of dark spots, an unpleasant odor and a rancid taste indicate that the food has expired.
A budgerigar needs 2 tsp per day. ready mixture. The diet of a budgerigar when it is young is slightly different. Birds need to be fed frequently, but it is important to ensure that they do not overeat.

Wet food

What other products can be included in the daily diet of parrots, besides ready-made food? Even the highest quality dry food does not provide complete nutrition for poultry. This is especially true for chicks. In order for the growing organism to develop properly, the bird’s menu needs to be supplemented with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and cereals.

Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are a source of vitamins and other nutrients. Before you give your feathered pet a slice of sweet carrots, you need to make sure that they are washed. It is advisable to feed your pets organic vegetables that were not fertilized with chemicals during the growth period. The food for budgies at home should include the following:

Carrots, turnips, and beets will definitely appeal to the feathered taste. Vegetables can be grated and mixed with boiled egg yolk. You can treat parrots with carrots in unlimited quantities.
Zucchini, pumpkin and squash are sources of fiber. The seeds of these vegetables are especially valuable. If the grains are large, you should grind them before giving them to your pet, as the bird may choke.
Tomatoes and cucumbers should also be served with seeds. It is unacceptable to feed parrots with unripe fruits, as they may contain toxic substances.
Legumes in the form of beans, corn and green peas contain a large amount of useful substances. Their grains are very soft, so parrots can get carried away with such food. In this case, in order to prevent digestive upset, portions should be limited.
White cabbage will provide the bird with important microelements. You can give your parrot both leaves and stalks. It is best to serve cabbage shredded.
Bell peppers are a storehouse of vitamin C, which your feathered pet also needs.

Proper nutrition for a budgie is a balanced menu, which should contain the above-mentioned vegetables, however, there are also those plants that are strictly prohibited to be given to the bird. It's about about radishes, radishes, garlic, onions and eggplants.

Fruits

On the budgerigar menu in mandatory fresh fruit must be present. The bird's diet should include:

Apples and pears. You can pamper your bird with this delicacy. all year round. An excellent food option for chicks.
Oranges, tangerines, kiwi. The fruits need to be peeled and given to birds in crushed form.
Grape. It should not be given in large quantities. 1 berry will be enough.
Bananas. This fruit can be considered one of the favorite delicacies of birds. However, in addition to useful substances, it contains starch and sugar in excess. Banana is a perishable product, so it should be given to parrots in small portions. As soon as the bird is full, the remaining food must be removed from the feeder.
Plums, cherries, cherries, apricots. All these fruits also appeal to budgies. They can be given either fresh or dried.

To ensure proper nutrition for budgies, it is necessary to exclude fruits in the form of persimmons, avocados, mangoes and papaya from the diet. It is also not recommended to overuse nuts, as they contain a lot of fat. Birds that live in captivity lead a sedentary lifestyle, so nuts in large quantities can cause obesity.

Grass

Fresh grass is valuable food for birds, so it is very important that it be included in the diet of a budgerigar. Greens must be given to birds daily. It is preferable that it be fresh.

There is no need to pick armfuls of all the greenery in the yard, as poisonous plants may be found among them.
Before giving your parrot freshly picked grass, you need to wash it.
IN autumn time It is advisable to refrain from collecting certain types of plants. The thing is that by winter the leaves accumulate toxins. During this period, it is best to feed the parrot with cereal seeds. It is not necessary to feed the bird chopped grass and ears of corn. They can be collected in small bunches and hung in a cage. Birds enjoy picking out grains on their own, so they must be given the opportunity to feed in this way.

Useful plants for budgies:

plantain with seeds;
dandelion flowers, leaves and seeds;
woodlice;
clover;
wheatgrass;
series;
nettle;
Ivan-tea.

In winter, when it is not possible to balance the budgie’s diet with fresh herbs, you can use indoor plants such as Kalanchoe and chlorophytum as feeding. Spices in the form of dill, parsley and cilantro are taboo on the menu of feathered pets.

Twigs and buds

Probably all owners of budgies have noticed that their pets love to chew on things. As a rule, they are happy to handle cage bars, wires, wooden furniture, and perches on which they sit. Birds especially love to peck non-rigid bark and buds. In order for the parrot to spend his time usefully and enjoy his favorite activity, the owner should take care of this and place fresh twigs in the cage.

You should not break branches near the roadway. It’s better to go to the park or to the countryside to get them. Before placing treats in the cage, you need to soak them in cold water. Then the branches must be doused with boiling water. Such safety measures will protect the bird not only from dirt and dust, but also from various infections, since there could be a wild infected bird on any branch.

Important! To clean the twigs, it is prohibited to use household detergents. Surfactants can accumulate in the bark, which is very dangerous for the life of a budgie. The bird can be pampered with twigs of linden, maple, rowan, alder, cherry, apple, viburnum, and berry and fruit bushes. Treat your bird with plants coniferous species not recommended as they contain resin which is not harmless to pet. Branches of lilac, bird cherry, oak and acacia should also be prohibited.

Porridge for parrots

Feeding a budgerigar, whose balanced diet should consist of varied and healthy foods, also includes food. If a chick is accustomed to such food from childhood, it will enjoy eating it throughout its life. The pichuga menu should include oatmeal, rice, corn, and buckwheat porridge. To prepare such a dish, you cannot use milk, salt, or sugar. Porridge should be cooked exclusively in water. As additives, you can use finely chopped herbs, vegetables or fruits. You don't need to cook the cereal for long. Just fill it with hot water and let it brew for several hours. If you don’t have time to wait, you can boil the porridge until half cooked.

For those owners who do not have the opportunity to prepare porridge for their feathered pets every day, there is one simple option. In one day you can prepare a supply of food for several weeks at once. To do this, you need to make a mixture of different cereals, mix them, boil them and place them in the freezer. This way, you can feed your pet healthy food regularly. It is important that the food is defrosted naturally, since when heated in the microwave it loses its beneficial properties.

Water for parrots

An essential condition for caring for a budgie is the constant presence of water in its drinking bowl. It is important that it is always fresh, so the owner will have to change it daily. Before pouring water, the drinker must be thoroughly rinsed. It is best to give your bird bottled water intended for children.

Mineral stone and sepia

All types of birds need minerals and trace elements. The budgerigar should also be provided with them. Eating a variety of foods is certainly beneficial for birds, but in addition, it is important to supplement the diet with mineral supplements. To do this, sepia and mineral stone must always be present in the cage. Such additives help strengthen bones, eggs and normalize the metabolism of birds.

Budgerigar: nutrition, care

Pet owners are required to take responsible care of their pets. In order for the bird to grow healthy and fully develop, the budgerigar's nutrition should be based on fresh, healthy foods. Having a great desire to treat their pet, the owners give it harmful products in the form of sweets, sausages, smoked meats and baked goods. Feeding birds with them is strictly prohibited, as they can cause irreparable harm to the health of the bird. The bird's body is not able to digest this kind of food, so all owners of budgerigars are simply obliged to study the list of foods that should not be given to their pets.

Every bird breeder should know what a budgerigar eats. The thing is that the health and general well-being of your pet directly depends on what he eats. This does not mean that he is picky about food and is not able to eat much of what you can offer him. Some types of products can cause poisoning and other unpleasant consequences in birds.

Basis of bird diet

Surely many of you know that the basis of the diet of most bird species is various grain mixtures. For example, millet should not only be the main dish of any parrot, but also dominate among other types of grains.

Thus, in any grain mixture that should be given to domesticated birds, seventy percent of the composition should be millet. The remaining thirty percent should contain oats, canary seed and wheat.

If your parrot does not eat the food offered to him, then you should immediately turn your attention to it. Most likely, you simply did not notice the low quality of the purchased mixture.

In addition, when choosing food for your pet, always pay attention to the expiration date. It is dangerous to feed your parrots old grain.

Treats for your budgie

Surely the majority of those who keep budgies or any other type of bird at home love to pamper them with all sorts of delicacies. With the beginning of spring, ripe vegetables, berries and herbs that your pets love so much appear on the shelves of many stores.

However, in addition to excellent taste, all of the above products also contain a bunch of useful ones. This vitamin supplement is the best way to maintain strength and improve the health of your pet.

So what vegetables can parrots eat? A budgie may like carrots, cabbage, apricots, apples, rose hips, melon, grapes and many other berries, vegetables and fruits.

As for greenery, the birds will certainly happily accept the grass, clover, dandelion, etc. that appears in their cage. At the same time, it is better not to give dill and any types of decorative flowers to your pet.

Similar restrictions should be applied to the list of fruits, removing avocados, mangoes, persimmons and even nuts from it. This ban is explained very simply. Some types of fruits and vegetables contain substances harmful to birds that can significantly undermine their health.

Dangerous types of products

When offering your pet any food approved for it, do not forget about a number of prohibited foods, the presence of which in the diet of a budgerigar is unacceptable. Their list includes: mushrooms, chocolate, milk, salt, sugar and various spices.

All of them, to one degree or another, have a detrimental effect on the health of the wavy, leading to disorders of its digestive system and other negative consequences.

You need to find out what to feed your budgie in advance, even before purchasing a pet. Domesticated birds, unlike wild ones, cannot take care of themselves. Therefore, feeding and caring for them fall entirely on the shoulders of the owner, because it is from him right actions The health and life expectancy of the pet depends. You will learn from this article what you can feed budgies and what you cannot feed.

Nutrition Basics

Before you start feeding your budgie, it's best to become familiar with what budgies like. Under natural conditions, on Australian territory, these birds eat mainly seeds and grains of plants, and can gnaw on the buds or branches of young trees. They will also not fly past living squirrels - small edible insects.

But what should you feed budgies at home to keep them healthy? Of course, feeding your parrot anything, especially scraps from your table, is not the best good option. Such attempts can end in failure: from failures in the coordinated functioning of the pet’s body, to...

In order to feed the bird well without such complications, you need to know how to feed your budgie correctly: what you can give and what you can’t. The budgerigar's diet should consist of the following ingredients:

feed;
twigs;
porridge;
water.

Let's take a closer look at what exactly from the above can be eaten by wavy pets.

Feed

Subspecies

Food for budgies is divided into two types: animal and plant. The first type consists of eggs, fish oil, cottage cheese and other products. Feeding budgerigars with food of animal origin should be done no more than three times a month, this type nutrition is considered additional.

You will learn from the article what you can give birds from animal food and what you cannot feed budgies.

Basis of avian nutrition

The second type of food for a wavy pet consists of many plant seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and berries. The best food for budgies is a grain mixture. It is considered the basis of any bird diet and may contain the following ingredients:

various varieties of millet;
oats;
millet;
canary seed;
flax seeds;
nougat seeds;
rapeseeds;
sesame seeds;
safflower seeds;
hemp seed;
raw sunflower seeds;
wildflower seeds.

What you can feed your budgie is up to you - there is a huge variety of grain mixtures on the bird food market. For example, food Padovan, Prestige, Kiki, Rio and others.

To choose your bird's favorite type of food, you need to first give him one brand to try. When it runs out, another one until you find one that your pet will not only eat with special pleasure, but also loudly ask for more. Also, “wavy animals” can be interested in monofeed - different grains in separate packages. For example, just oats or canary seed separately.

Now we will talk about how to feed a budgie so that it is not hungry, but also does not become obese, as well as about the quality of the grain mixture.

Daily norm of grain mixture

A wavy pet should eat no more than two to three teaspoons of food or about twenty grams per day. Young birds can eat a little more than adults, since their bodies need energy and full development, which it takes from food.

Make sure that your pet does not overeat - give him a maximum of three teaspoons per day. Don't spoil your parrot. If you notice that the food has begun to run out in the first half of the day, no longer give the bird the entire daily allowance in the morning, but stretch it out throughout the day.

A budgerigar should have regular meals. These birds simply cannot starve, because they have a very fast metabolism. Their body quickly digests and assimilates food, so they cannot go without it for more than a day. Be careful: pets usually eat the grains and leave the husks behind - do not mistake them for edible food. Replenish your parrot's food supply every day.

Selection conditions

It is preferable to choose a grain mixture or monofeed in sealed packaging: in a bag or vacuum packaging. Simple carton or loose feed do not guarantee compliance necessary conditions storage In this form, food can be spoiled.

When buying food directly from the store, be sure to check the integrity of the packaging - squeeze it with your hands. If no air comes out, then everything is fine. If you have the opportunity to see the quality of the food through the transparent parts of the packaging, take advantage of it. Don't forget to check the expiration date, which is printed right on the packaging.

Before giving your budgerigars the purchased food, pour it into a plate and examine it carefully. It should be free of mold, dark spots and traces of someone’s life activity: droppings, insects or larvae. The quality of the grain mixture is indicated by its natural color and shine. You can even taste the grains - the edible food is pleasant, slightly sweet.

Sprouted food

Sprouted grains are not only an excellent alternative to dry food, but also a very nutritious and healthy food. Sprouted food increases its biological value: content of vitamins and fiber. Thanks to this, the birds’ immunity is increased, their metabolism is stabilized, and possible disruptions in the body are restored.

Sprouted grains are especially useful in the cold season, during molting, when feeding offspring, when birds lack vital substances. You can germinate millet, millet, barley and other grain crops.

Carefully selected grains must first be washed well in running water and then filled with warm water. Preferably overnight. After this, the water is drained, the grains are washed again, poured into a suitable saucer and covered with gauze (bandage), folded in several layers. The main condition is that the fabric needs to be wet and lightly squeezed so that it becomes damp. The saucer is placed in a dark place, where it is warm.

To prevent the grains from drying out, they must be washed every three to four hours, and the gauze must be moistened. But they should not be completely in liquid. Food is given to the pet as soon as the sprouts appear white- in about twenty-four hours. Before serving, they need to be rinsed again and dried well. You can store sprouted grains in the refrigerator, but no more than two days.

Now let's look at what budgies eat besides food.

Other plant food

Treats for birds

In addition to the main food, you can also buy treats for your budgies. In pet stores, you may be offered to buy your pet wooden sticks with grains glued to them.

Experts have different opinions about the usefulness of these delicacies. Some believe that birds can be poisoned by such a delicacy, since it is not known what exactly the sticky part on the stick consists of. Others claim that thanks to these sticks the bird will be in good physical shape. After all, in order to eat, she will have to try hard.

Whether you can give them to budgies is up to you to decide. If you are in doubt, then you can buy millet or chumiza on a branch as a treat.

Twigs

In addition to food, parrots need to be given branch food. Tree branches are needed not only for caring for your pet’s claws and beak. They are also an element of complete poultry nutrition, containing fiber and various microelements.

Fruit, birch, alder, aspen, and maple twigs are suitable for poultry. Before your pet begins to feast on the twig, it must be disinfected with boiling water.

Porridge

Porridges for budgerigars contain vital substances (microelements) that can restore the bird’s impaired metabolism. To prepare porridge, buckwheat, beans, rice and other cereals are used, together or separately, with the addition of legumes, chopped fruits or vegetables.

You need to cook porridge only with a water base, without salt and sugar. Store prepared food in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

Water

Birds should always have clean water. It needs to be changed periodically to keep it drinkable. You should not give your pet raw water, boiled water or with gases. It is best to use filtered or bottled water that contains potassium, magnesium and sodium. You can add lemon juice, boiled chamomile or rose hips to it.

“Volnistika” can also be given freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices. Juices for small children are also suitable for wavy pets, the main thing is that they do not contain sugar. Such juices must be diluted with water. However, this drink has one drawback - it cannot remain in the bird’s water for a long time, as it quickly deteriorates.