Kiwifruit
The kiwifruit is native to the Yangtze River valley of northern China. The Kiwifruit is oval or oblong, fruit is up to 2-1/2 inches long, with russet-brown skin densely covered with short, stiff brown hairs. Kiwi fruit is very rich in vitamin "C". If you buy some Kiwifruit do not forget to offer at least a small piece to your budgies. Vitamin "C" is very important in the life of budgies and Kiwifruit is good source of this.
Kiwifruit - Kiwifruit cut in halves
Tip:
Wash up Kiwifruit before peeling in cold water.
Peel it.
Do not forget to remove rest of Kiwifruit after maximum 5 hours
Plum
Plum dumplings with cheese or poppy seeds and icing sugar are very popular meal in my country. I do not know if you know this delicious food but I know you can buy or pick up some plums and offer them to your sweeties who are expecting you in the cage. Except vitamins they contain kalium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
Plum Plum with stone Half of plum - you can serve
Tip:
Wash up Plums before peeling in cold water.
Cut it in halves.
Remove the stone.
Check the plum if it is not wormy.
Do not forget to remove a rest of Plums after maximum 5 hours.
Do not pick up plums at alleys alongside streets.
Plum dumplings with cheese or poppy seeds and icing sugar are very popular meal in my country. I do not know if you know this delicious food but I know you can buy or pick up some plums and offer them to your sweeties who are expecting you in the cage. Except vitamins they contain kalium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
Plum Plum with stone Half of plum - you can serve
Tip:
Wash up Plums before peeling in cold water.
Cut it in halves.
Remove the stone.
Check the plum if it is not wormy.
Do not forget to remove a rest of Plums after maximum 5 hours.
Do not pick up plums at alleys alongside streets.
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
It is a good time to go for a walk. If you go alongside the forest, throw the meadow or sit on a glade you can notice an erect perennial plant that produces one to several stems. This plant is called Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). This plant can be to 80 cm tall. The plant has innumerable white flowers and cannot be overlooked. Its fruits and flowers are popular by a lot of birds and budgies as well if they are used to eat it.
Therefore do not forget to bring healthy Common Yarrow to your budgies!
It is a good time to go for a walk. If you go alongside the forest, throw the meadow or sit on a glade you can notice an erect perennial plant that produces one to several stems. This plant is called Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). This plant can be to 80 cm tall. The plant has innumerable white flowers and cannot be overlooked. Its fruits and flowers are popular by a lot of birds and budgies as well if they are used to eat it.
Therefore do not forget to bring healthy Common Yarrow to your budgies!
Common Yarrow Common Yarrow - flower Common Yarrow - leaf
Common Yarrow - leaf (underside) - detail
Common Yarrow - flower - detail
Tip:
Common Yarrow is very popular among the budgies if they are used to eat it.
Never collect Common Yarrow near the streets, highways, agricultural areas etc. Avoid the parks in the towns and villages and all places you can await our four legs doggies excrements.
The Common Yarrow is not convenient for freezing (but it is possible).
Do not forget to wash Common Yarrow up before serving in cold water.
Common Yarrow - leaf (underside) - detail
Common Yarrow - flower - detail
Tip:
Common Yarrow is very popular among the budgies if they are used to eat it.
Never collect Common Yarrow near the streets, highways, agricultural areas etc. Avoid the parks in the towns and villages and all places you can await our four legs doggies excrements.
The Common Yarrow is not convenient for freezing (but it is possible).
Do not forget to wash Common Yarrow up before serving in cold water.
Dog Rose (Rosa Canina)
Probably everyone has seen Dog Rose (Rosa Canina). You probably have boiled the healthy tea from the fruits of Dog Rose - Rose Hips. Do you think that Rose Hips are healthy for budgies? Yes, you are right, they are.
If you meet this deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from 1-5 m you can pick up some Rose Hips. You can find Rose Hips from August to October. Rose Hips have high content of vitamin C. Therefore rose-hips are very healthy goody for your little feathered friends and certainly for you as well.
Dog Rose - twig with fruits Rose Hip - detail
Dog Rose leaf - detail Dog Rose leaf - underside - detail
Tip:
Rose Hips are very healthy for budgies – vitamin C.
Never collect Rose Hips near the streets, highways, agricultural areas etc. Avoid the parks in the towns and villages and all places you can await our four legs doggies excrements or the places with poultry concentration.
The Rose Hips are convenient for freezing.
Do not forget to wash Rose Hips or all Dog Rose twig up before serving in cold water.
Cut the Rose Hip in a half (but I let it on a twig) – then our budgie can nip the hip better.
My budgies prefer nipping of leaves and twigs.
Remove thorns from twigs before serving (recommendation - I do it)
Probably everyone has seen Dog Rose (Rosa Canina). You probably have boiled the healthy tea from the fruits of Dog Rose - Rose Hips. Do you think that Rose Hips are healthy for budgies? Yes, you are right, they are.
If you meet this deciduous shrub normally ranging in height from 1-5 m you can pick up some Rose Hips. You can find Rose Hips from August to October. Rose Hips have high content of vitamin C. Therefore rose-hips are very healthy goody for your little feathered friends and certainly for you as well.
Dog Rose - twig with fruits Rose Hip - detail
Dog Rose leaf - detail Dog Rose leaf - underside - detail
Tip:
Rose Hips are very healthy for budgies – vitamin C.
Never collect Rose Hips near the streets, highways, agricultural areas etc. Avoid the parks in the towns and villages and all places you can await our four legs doggies excrements or the places with poultry concentration.
The Rose Hips are convenient for freezing.
Do not forget to wash Rose Hips or all Dog Rose twig up before serving in cold water.
Cut the Rose Hip in a half (but I let it on a twig) – then our budgie can nip the hip better.
My budgies prefer nipping of leaves and twigs.
Remove thorns from twigs before serving (recommendation - I do it)
Blackberry (genus Rubus)
The season for picking up Blackberries has started. The plant is from the same genus as Raspberry which we introduced in the post 111 of this thread. Blackberry typically grows in forest clearings and alongside the forests or fields.
Blackberry is a perennial plant. Its stem grows vigorously to its full length of 3-6 m. The flowers are produced in late spring. The ripe fruit is black or dark purple. Unmanaged mature plants form a tangle of dense arching stems.
You probably know this plant very well. Therefore do not forget to bring a treat for your budgies from your walk in a wood.
Blackberry Blackberry fruits - detail
The season for picking up Blackberries has started. The plant is from the same genus as Raspberry which we introduced in the post 111 of this thread. Blackberry typically grows in forest clearings and alongside the forests or fields.
Blackberry is a perennial plant. Its stem grows vigorously to its full length of 3-6 m. The flowers are produced in late spring. The ripe fruit is black or dark purple. Unmanaged mature plants form a tangle of dense arching stems.
You probably know this plant very well. Therefore do not forget to bring a treat for your budgies from your walk in a wood.
Blackberry Blackberry fruits - detail
Blackberry leaf - detail
Blackberry fruit - detail
Remark:
There is unmanaged plant on the photographs above.
Tip:
Do not pick up Blackberry near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up Blackberry before serving in cold water.
Do not serve Blackberry too often - more content of sugar.
You can remove the thorns (I do it) if you serve fruits with twigs.
Remark:
There is unmanaged plant on the photographs above.
Tip:
Do not pick up Blackberry near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up Blackberry before serving in cold water.
Do not serve Blackberry too often - more content of sugar.
You can remove the thorns (I do it) if you serve fruits with twigs.
Black Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Each of us probably knows very beautifully flowering Black Elder. It is about 1,5 to 5 meters high shrub (from time to time you can see 10 meters Black Elder in height). The flowers are white to lightly yellowish. The fruit is 5 to 8 mm big black berry - so called elderberry. The Black Elder flowers from June to July.
You can find elderberries at the edges of the forests, shrubbery, according to the paths, in the gardens etc.
Ripe berries of the Black Elder (Sambucus nigra) are a healthy goody for our budgies. You can pick up ripe elderberries from August to September.
Twig of Black Elder Black Elder - fruits
Tip:
Elderberries can be frozen for winter.
Do not pick up elderberries near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up elderberries before serving in cold water.
Do not serve elderberries very often - more content of sugar.
Each of us probably knows very beautifully flowering Black Elder. It is about 1,5 to 5 meters high shrub (from time to time you can see 10 meters Black Elder in height). The flowers are white to lightly yellowish. The fruit is 5 to 8 mm big black berry - so called elderberry. The Black Elder flowers from June to July.
You can find elderberries at the edges of the forests, shrubbery, according to the paths, in the gardens etc.
Ripe berries of the Black Elder (Sambucus nigra) are a healthy goody for our budgies. You can pick up ripe elderberries from August to September.
Twig of Black Elder Black Elder - fruits
Tip:
Elderberries can be frozen for winter.
Do not pick up elderberries near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up elderberries before serving in cold water.
Do not serve elderberries very often - more content of sugar.
Remark: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Some of you sure remember we introduced Common Yarrow recently. As I want not to be any doubt around Common Yarrow I have to add Common Yarrow in its pink form. Therefore do not be affraid if you see pink flower - it is reall Common Yarrow as well.
Common Yarrow
Common Yarrow - Flower
You can see pink form of Common Yarrow above.
Some of you sure remember we introduced Common Yarrow recently. As I want not to be any doubt around Common Yarrow I have to add Common Yarrow in its pink form. Therefore do not be affraid if you see pink flower - it is reall Common Yarrow as well.
Common Yarrow
Common Yarrow - Flower
You can see pink form of Common Yarrow above.
Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum Odoratum)
Sweet Vernal Grass can be served to budgies if served in small quantities. This grass can be toxic for budgies if served in high quantities.
I do not serve Sweet Vernal Grass at all and I do not have personal experience with this species of grasses. This grass is relatively abundant at meadows, glades, along paths etc. in all Europe.
Therefore take into consideration this article (post) and be careful if you want to use this grass.
Sweet Vernal Grass
Sweet Vernal Grass - detail
Very important: Edible but with restriction (read above)
Sweet Vernal Grass can be served to budgies if served in small quantities. This grass can be toxic for budgies if served in high quantities.
I do not serve Sweet Vernal Grass at all and I do not have personal experience with this species of grasses. This grass is relatively abundant at meadows, glades, along paths etc. in all Europe.
Therefore take into consideration this article (post) and be careful if you want to use this grass.
Sweet Vernal Grass
Sweet Vernal Grass - detail
Very important: Edible but with restriction (read above)
Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense)
now it is the last time when we can collect some native grasses for our budgies. Perhaps you will succede with some last stalks of Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense). Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) can have 1 meter in height. You will hardly find lonely Timothy-grass. Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) range only in thick bunches. Flowering is dense and cylindrical in the length 2 – 8 cm. Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) is flowering from June to August.
We can find Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) at the meadows and glades and pastures and another grass locations with sufficiency of water.
Well, do not forget to pick up Timothy-grass which we just learned now. It will be excellent treat for our budgies.
now it is the last time when we can collect some native grasses for our budgies. Perhaps you will succede with some last stalks of Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense). Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) can have 1 meter in height. You will hardly find lonely Timothy-grass. Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) range only in thick bunches. Flowering is dense and cylindrical in the length 2 – 8 cm. Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) is flowering from June to August.
We can find Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense) at the meadows and glades and pastures and another grass locations with sufficiency of water.
Well, do not forget to pick up Timothy-grass which we just learned now. It will be excellent treat for our budgies.
Timothy-grass Timothy-grass - flower - detail
Wash down grasses by cold water. Cut the bottom part of footstalk and you can serve them. Rest of grasses you can store in the cup or glass with water for several days. Do not forget to cut bottom always – the stalk can be rotten there.
Tip:
Never collect grasses near the streets, highways etc. Avoid the parks in the towns and villages and all places you can await our four legs doggies excrements.
Fruit - Pear
Since just now it is good time to collecting pears it is a good time to mention this taste sort of fruit. You probably serve this well known and tasty fruit to your budgies. Therefore do not forget to pick up some pears for your budgies if you meet a pear tree somewhere. A lot of pears are on the ground next to the pear tree.
Pear Peeled pear
Slice of pear in a vegetable holder Prepared for serving
Tip:
Do not pick up Pears and near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up Pears before serving in cold water.
Peel Pears - especially if you bought Pears in the shop.
Do not serve Pears in big quantities. They contain a lot of water - watery dropping.
Pear Peeled pear
Slice of pear in a vegetable holder Prepared for serving
Tip:
Do not pick up Pears and near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up Pears before serving in cold water.
Peel Pears - especially if you bought Pears in the shop.
Do not serve Pears in big quantities. They contain a lot of water - watery dropping.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
It is the herb that can grow more then 1 meter in height. Its stalk is relatively thin distorted but rigid. The flowers are about 3 - 4 cm in diameter. They are blue and very rarely pink or white. Chicory is flowering from July to October.
Where can we find this herb? We can find Chicory at fields, meadows, glades, ditches etc. It contains glycoside bitter substance - intybin (it regulates digestive tract activity, affects liver pancreas and blood system activity). Farther Chicory contains inulin, volatile oil, choline, tanning agents and higher amount of minerals.
If you go for a walk do not forget to collect this herb with very nice flowers for your budgies. If they do not like it they use this herb as very good for climbing, pecking, hanging and chewing. But my budgies love this herb.
Chicory
Chicory flower - detail
Tip:
Do not pick up Chicory near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up Chicory before serving in cold water.
It is good to use this herb for joy of birds as well (convenient for climbing, hanging, chewing etc.)
It is the herb that can grow more then 1 meter in height. Its stalk is relatively thin distorted but rigid. The flowers are about 3 - 4 cm in diameter. They are blue and very rarely pink or white. Chicory is flowering from July to October.
Where can we find this herb? We can find Chicory at fields, meadows, glades, ditches etc. It contains glycoside bitter substance - intybin (it regulates digestive tract activity, affects liver pancreas and blood system activity). Farther Chicory contains inulin, volatile oil, choline, tanning agents and higher amount of minerals.
If you go for a walk do not forget to collect this herb with very nice flowers for your budgies. If they do not like it they use this herb as very good for climbing, pecking, hanging and chewing. But my budgies love this herb.
Chicory
Chicory flower - detail
Tip:
Do not pick up Chicory near the streets, roads, in the parks, agriculture areas etc.
Wash up Chicory before serving in cold water.
It is good to use this herb for joy of birds as well (convenient for climbing, hanging, chewing etc.)
Charcoal
Each of us should have a small medicine cabinet for our budgies at home. Our budgies can have diarrhea from time to time if you serve more fruit (an apple for example). It is not a diarrhea to all intents and purposes but watery droppings (I will explain it sometimes in one of the next chapters). But some of us can be terrified then. Therefore you can serve a pinch of Charcoal to your budgie seed mixture from time to time to turn its dropping to normal.
Charcoal for birds
Charcoal from Vitakraft
Tip:
Do not serve Charcoal very often (really from time to time). I serve Charcoal preventively once a month or less often (if there is no reason).
Serve Charcoal if you see too watery droppings. If the bird is suffering from diarrhea then contact your avian vet.
Apply a pinch of Charcoal on the surface of a bird's seed mixture.
Each of us should have a small medicine cabinet for our budgies at home. Our budgies can have diarrhea from time to time if you serve more fruit (an apple for example). It is not a diarrhea to all intents and purposes but watery droppings (I will explain it sometimes in one of the next chapters). But some of us can be terrified then. Therefore you can serve a pinch of Charcoal to your budgie seed mixture from time to time to turn its dropping to normal.
Charcoal for birds
Charcoal from Vitakraft
Tip:
Do not serve Charcoal very often (really from time to time). I serve Charcoal preventively once a month or less often (if there is no reason).
Serve Charcoal if you see too watery droppings. If the bird is suffering from diarrhea then contact your avian vet.
Apply a pinch of Charcoal on the surface of a bird's seed mixture.
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)
Members of the Cucurbitaceae family with fleshy fruit as Wikipedia says.
There is nothing to say - therefore I add the Melon without any words.
Watermelon Watermelon - in cut Slice of Watermelon - you can serve
Tip:
I do not serve melon too often - low nourishing value.
Do not serve anyhow flavoured melons (or even melons with alcohol etc.).
I do not serve others cultivars.
Do not serve cold melons from a fridge. Melon has to have a room temperature.
Members of the Cucurbitaceae family with fleshy fruit as Wikipedia says.
There is nothing to say - therefore I add the Melon without any words.
Watermelon Watermelon - in cut Slice of Watermelon - you can serve
Tip:
I do not serve melon too often - low nourishing value.
Do not serve anyhow flavoured melons (or even melons with alcohol etc.).
I do not serve others cultivars.
Do not serve cold melons from a fridge. Melon has to have a room temperature.
Beet Root (Beta vulgaris) – (Red Beet)
If you visit greengrocery you can buy one Beet Root for your budgies. Beet Root is well known for its high content of vitamins and minerals. Beetroot has long been considered beneficial to the blood, the heart, and the digestive system. I even read recently that Beet Root has been advocated as a cancer preventative and as a means of bolstering the immune system. Beet Root is rich in many important minerals and micronutrients. It means that Beet Root is very healthy for your budgies and for you as well. I do not like its taste very much but some of budgies love it.
Beet Root Slice of Beet Root - you can serve.
Tip:
Peel Beet Root before serving and cut it in the thin slices
Serve only fresh Beet Root
You can preserve fresh Beet Root in the fridge for a few days.
You have to take into consideration your budgies will have red face feathers and breast feathers after Beet Root consummation.
If you visit greengrocery you can buy one Beet Root for your budgies. Beet Root is well known for its high content of vitamins and minerals. Beetroot has long been considered beneficial to the blood, the heart, and the digestive system. I even read recently that Beet Root has been advocated as a cancer preventative and as a means of bolstering the immune system. Beet Root is rich in many important minerals and micronutrients. It means that Beet Root is very healthy for your budgies and for you as well. I do not like its taste very much but some of budgies love it.
Beet Root Slice of Beet Root - you can serve.
Tip:
Peel Beet Root before serving and cut it in the thin slices
Serve only fresh Beet Root
You can preserve fresh Beet Root in the fridge for a few days.
You have to take into consideration your budgies will have red face feathers and breast feathers after Beet Root consummation.
Why to serve veg and fruits? I know one reason - digestive enzymes.
Digestive enzymes
What is the worst situation for budgie keeper or breeder? I think everyone knows correct answer. It is ill budgie. The most diseases are caused by bad budgie nutrition or this bad diet can be initial impulse for disease development.
The budgies in the nature (wild budgies) eat raw food. It is very important because raw food is very abundant with the digestive enzymes.
What is the digestive enzyme? The digestive enzyme is so called biocatalyzer. Digestive enzymes support digestion of proteins, sugars and fats. Enzymes determine speed of chemical processes and they create harmonic accordance of chemical functions in organism.
Unfortunately seed mixtures which we get in the pet stores do not contain too much enzymes. They are eliminated during production process and they also contain artificial colors, preservatives and various chemicals (therefore I avoid granules (pellets) - but it depends on your choice). Digestive tract of our budgies contains useful and bad bacteria. Certainly it is demanded to be more useful bacteria there then bad bacteria. If there are more bad bacteria then our budgie is ill and suffers from some sort of digestive disorder or some organ failure.
What to do?
Certainly raw vegetable is very clever choice for our budgies. For example carrot is full of natural enzymes.
Remark:
You may have noticed sometimes that an avian vet advised to feed with yogurt for some time. It is an extreme solution indeed (you know budgie milk (lactose) intolerance). Why an avian vet decided to this risk step? As yogurt contain useful bacteria (acidophilus) and he wanted to achieve better ratio between useful and bad bacteria quickly. (Do not try it without direct hint of your avian vet).
It means that without various and balanced budgie diet you can expect serious health problems at your budgies – damage of immune system, problems with bones, cardiovascular problems, feather problems, tumors etc. Therefore the healthy budgie diet is decisive and fundamental for health of budgies.
Therefore serve to your budgies fruit, vegetable, sprouted seeds etc. On the other side do not forget that some sorts of vegetable have small nutrition value. Do not forget some restriction for organically grown vegetable and fruit – it was mentioned many times. Do not serve milk products (see remark above).
What is the worst situation for budgie keeper or breeder? I think everyone knows correct answer. It is ill budgie. The most diseases are caused by bad budgie nutrition or this bad diet can be initial impulse for disease development.
The budgies in the nature (wild budgies) eat raw food. It is very important because raw food is very abundant with the digestive enzymes.
What is the digestive enzyme? The digestive enzyme is so called biocatalyzer. Digestive enzymes support digestion of proteins, sugars and fats. Enzymes determine speed of chemical processes and they create harmonic accordance of chemical functions in organism.
Unfortunately seed mixtures which we get in the pet stores do not contain too much enzymes. They are eliminated during production process and they also contain artificial colors, preservatives and various chemicals (therefore I avoid granules (pellets) - but it depends on your choice). Digestive tract of our budgies contains useful and bad bacteria. Certainly it is demanded to be more useful bacteria there then bad bacteria. If there are more bad bacteria then our budgie is ill and suffers from some sort of digestive disorder or some organ failure.
What to do?
Certainly raw vegetable is very clever choice for our budgies. For example carrot is full of natural enzymes.
Remark:
You may have noticed sometimes that an avian vet advised to feed with yogurt for some time. It is an extreme solution indeed (you know budgie milk (lactose) intolerance). Why an avian vet decided to this risk step? As yogurt contain useful bacteria (acidophilus) and he wanted to achieve better ratio between useful and bad bacteria quickly. (Do not try it without direct hint of your avian vet).
It means that without various and balanced budgie diet you can expect serious health problems at your budgies – damage of immune system, problems with bones, cardiovascular problems, feather problems, tumors etc. Therefore the healthy budgie diet is decisive and fundamental for health of budgies.
Therefore serve to your budgies fruit, vegetable, sprouted seeds etc. On the other side do not forget that some sorts of vegetable have small nutrition value. Do not forget some restriction for organically grown vegetable and fruit – it was mentioned many times. Do not serve milk products (see remark above).
Vegetable - Cauliflower
Do you like a cauliflower soup? You can ask your mum, wife or grandmother to be so kind as to prepare a cauliflower soap to dinner or lunch. Perhaps a piece of cauliflower will remain for your budgies. Cauliflower is very good vegetable for our sweeties. Cauliflower is very nutritious. Cauliflower was cultivated from wild cabbage as well as kohlrabi and cabbage. If you taste raw Cauliflower then you can notice almost the same taste as kohlrabi. Cauliflower contains all important vitamins but mainly vitamin C and K.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower – serve small pieces
Tip:
Serve raw Cauliflower.
Serve succulent inflorescence.
Rinse Cauliflower carefully before serving.
Do not serve Cauliflower immediately after you take it from a fridge. It has to have a room temperature.
You can serve grated Cauliflower mixture with grated boiled egg.
Do you like a cauliflower soup? You can ask your mum, wife or grandmother to be so kind as to prepare a cauliflower soap to dinner or lunch. Perhaps a piece of cauliflower will remain for your budgies. Cauliflower is very good vegetable for our sweeties. Cauliflower is very nutritious. Cauliflower was cultivated from wild cabbage as well as kohlrabi and cabbage. If you taste raw Cauliflower then you can notice almost the same taste as kohlrabi. Cauliflower contains all important vitamins but mainly vitamin C and K.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower – serve small pieces
Tip:
Serve raw Cauliflower.
Serve succulent inflorescence.
Rinse Cauliflower carefully before serving.
Do not serve Cauliflower immediately after you take it from a fridge. It has to have a room temperature.
You can serve grated Cauliflower mixture with grated boiled egg.
I would also like to mention one
popular mistake
DIARRHEA IS CONSEQUENCE OF THE FRESH DIET - Not In The Least
If you serve fresh diet to your budgies – greens, fruit, vegetable and herbs – you can hear from all sides that this diet will cause a diarrhea. Even a lot of avian vets discourage from serving fresh diet or they recommend serving only small quantity of fresh diet.
But it is a myth according to not only my opinion. Why so many people believe it?
A normal budgie diet is built on standard seed mixture. This seed mixture contains very little of water but fresh diet contains much of water.
It means that if your budgies eat fresh diet then they consume much more water then budgies on their normal seed mixture. And water cannot be excluded from bird’s body by another way then via digestive system (intestine) because a bird is not able to perspire (diaphorase). Therefore water leaves the body in the form of urine (white part) through cloaca together with black part of droppings. Simultaneously the stool (black part) can show more fluidity.
Sometimes (if the birds consume really a lot of fresh diet) you can notice that even pure drop of urine can be extracted by the bird without any visible stool part. This is not pathologic phenomenon. But some people think that their bird is ill in consequence of too much fresh diet. This is nonsense. Higher part of liquid is beneficial for health state of birds.
On the other side if you notice fluid droppings at birds which are not eating fresh diet then there is reason for alarm and some sort of disease can exists here. The same is valid if fluid droppings are perceptible more then one or two hours after fresh diet consummation (it is in connection with short metabolism time).
popular mistake
DIARRHEA IS CONSEQUENCE OF THE FRESH DIET - Not In The Least
If you serve fresh diet to your budgies – greens, fruit, vegetable and herbs – you can hear from all sides that this diet will cause a diarrhea. Even a lot of avian vets discourage from serving fresh diet or they recommend serving only small quantity of fresh diet.
But it is a myth according to not only my opinion. Why so many people believe it?
A normal budgie diet is built on standard seed mixture. This seed mixture contains very little of water but fresh diet contains much of water.
It means that if your budgies eat fresh diet then they consume much more water then budgies on their normal seed mixture. And water cannot be excluded from bird’s body by another way then via digestive system (intestine) because a bird is not able to perspire (diaphorase). Therefore water leaves the body in the form of urine (white part) through cloaca together with black part of droppings. Simultaneously the stool (black part) can show more fluidity.
Sometimes (if the birds consume really a lot of fresh diet) you can notice that even pure drop of urine can be extracted by the bird without any visible stool part. This is not pathologic phenomenon. But some people think that their bird is ill in consequence of too much fresh diet. This is nonsense. Higher part of liquid is beneficial for health state of birds.
On the other side if you notice fluid droppings at birds which are not eating fresh diet then there is reason for alarm and some sort of disease can exists here. The same is valid if fluid droppings are perceptible more then one or two hours after fresh diet consummation (it is in connection with short metabolism time).
Vegetable – Pepper (Capsicum)
If you visit greengrocery you can buy some of sorts of sweet peppers. Peppers have a lot of cultivars in different colors, including red, yellow, green and orange. I do not use any pungent peppers for my budgies. It means we can serve Bell Peppers to our budgies (Peppers with the lack of capsicium). In my country the various cultivars of peppers are called red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper etc. and the name bell pepper is not used here.
Pepper Cut Pepper - you can serve
Tip:
Wash pepper before serving.
I serve pepper cut in stripe or you can grate pepper with carrots etc.
If you visit greengrocery you can buy some of sorts of sweet peppers. Peppers have a lot of cultivars in different colors, including red, yellow, green and orange. I do not use any pungent peppers for my budgies. It means we can serve Bell Peppers to our budgies (Peppers with the lack of capsicium). In my country the various cultivars of peppers are called red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper etc. and the name bell pepper is not used here.
Pepper Cut Pepper - you can serve
Tip:
Wash pepper before serving.
I serve pepper cut in stripe or you can grate pepper with carrots etc.