Is Your Budgie Pudgy?
by Marilu Anderson, Avian Nutrition, Care and Behavior Consultant
Phone: (503) 771-BIRD
Budgerigars - "Budgies", for short (or in American lingo, "parakeets"), are wonderful, adaptable fun little parrots who've been popular companions for many decades. Unfortunately, they also tend to be pudgy little guys who simply refuse to eat what's best for them. Native to
In our homes, budgies remain voracious eaters, but their efficient use of nutrients and confined, often inactive lifestyles make them prime candidates for obesity. In addition, they're prone to fatty liver disease and numerous tumors. This combo results often in chronic health problems and markedly shortened life spans. So, although popular pets, they're often viewed as cheap, replaceable, or "throwaway" birds, not getting the respect, proper diet, and medical attention they need and deserve. In my world view, every bird, no matter the size or price, loves life and brightens the planet for us, and as their caretakers we owe them the best care possible. Proper budgie care can mean a lifespan of 15-20 years, instead of 5-10 so often seen.I had large parrots for 15 years before receiving my first budgie, a sweet baby girl I named "Max". As a keeper of Macaws and Cockatoos, I really struggled then (and at times still do) with how to feed these little guys moderately and size-appropriately. In the words of one of my avian vets, those of us who truly work at giving our birds the best we can, often "kill them with kindness" when it comes to feeding (too much). What I've had to learn is how to give these little ones all the variety and elements they need, but in the proper tiny doses. So, if you're struggling with a pudgy budgie, let me offer some suggestions.
*Portions- Remember, a serving of anything should never be larger than the bird's head. In other words, in giving grapes to a budgie, 1/2 grape is plenty, 2 or 3 grapes is way too much! With seed, don't fill the cup 2/3 full by all means! I often describe budgie servings in "pinches" and "dabs" for these guys.
*Types of food- Unlike larger parrots, budgies really do eat mainly seed in the wild, so it's OK (and necessary even) to give some seed daily. Proper amount between 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon per day, depending on body size, activity levels and individual metabolism. You can feed a commercial good budgie seed mix or sometimes substitute spray millet - one or the other a day, not both. Spray millet allows them to forage more naturally, and is relatively low fat/high protein (for a seed). A serving, though, is about a 1" cutting off a spray - NOT the whole thing for one budgie! I sprinkle just a few organic pellets on the seed mix only once or twice per week. Small birds tend to have more liver, kidney, and gout ailments if pellets make up too much of the diet, so I feed at only about a 5-10% rate. I offer 1 teaspoon of my organic "Amber's Continental Cuizine" (my cooked food) daily for normal weight budgies and every other day for the tubby ones.
With this, I also stir in lots of finely chopped veggies. In fact, the most important element in a budgie's daily diet is veggies, which should be fed as the largest percentage of the daily rations. Use primarily lots of dark leafy greens of every type - chard, beet, carrot and radish tops, kale, dandelion, spinach, mustard, cilantro, parsley, romaine, etc., clipped to cage bars or overhead. Serve raw or steamed broccoli - budgies tend to love florets, again clipped to bars. Next, feed deep orange and colored veggies - carrot, sweet potato, winter squash, beet, rutabaga, jalapeno peppers, etc., chopped and offered in a cup. All but the peppers are best cooked to provide maximum beta carotene. Sprouts of many seeds are great and often relished. Fruit, in moderation, can be served as an adjunct every day or two - try papaya, mango, kiwi, melon, berries, pears, apples, and stone fruits.
*Diet conversion- In an ideal world, baby budgies would be weaned onto a broad diet, including all above mentioned foods, and eat everything you offer easily. But in the real world, most are weaned onto seed (it's cheap and easy), and if you adopted an adult he's probably a confirmed seed junkie, and will ignore all this new healthy stuff adamantly. Budgies are among the MOST stubborn eaters - along with cockatiels, amazons, and cockatoos, to a lesser degree. You can't "starve" a ny bird into eating right - he can literally starve to death before he'll eat what he doesn't consider "food". To help guide new eating, I stage feedings, feeding different foods at different times to minimize his choices.
A stubborn budgie with seed in his cage will ALWAYS eat that instead, so remove the seed for 3-4 hours and only offer new healthy stuff. You can bribe him by sprinkling a little seed on top, or using something he already likes, like corn or peas. Offer new foods by hand or at the dinner table while the family eats to encourage him to join in with his "flock". Lastly, don't give up after a few days - birds often have to see something over and over before they're comfortable enough to try a new food. Be sure to remove any wet or fresh foods after 3-4 hours so they don't sour and become a source of bacteria. Budgie diet conversion is more of a months long process, certainly not something that will happen in days or even weeks for most. Many budgies are more apt to nibble a piece of produce clipped onto cage bars or skewered onto kabobs before trying stuff chopped in their dish. Be creative and, above all, patient.
*Weights- The only way to be sure your budgie maintains a healthy weight is to weigh him!It's that simple. The ideal weight is often between 32-38 grams, averaging 35, based on body size. English budgies will be closer to 45 grams or more. Weigh regularly- at least monthly, though weekly is better in initial stages. For babies, sick birds, and those dieting aim for daily checks. Weigh first thing in the morning on an empty crop for most accuracy. Any gain or loss of 10% or more is significant, so 3-4 grams is all it takes for a budgie to be in danger zone. An increase means time to cut back on seed (or females could be with egg), while decrease, especially suddenly, could mean infection, kidney problems, diabetes, or too strict a diet. See your vet in that case.
Establish your budgie's ideal personal target by weighing him, then palpating the keel and chest to determine what's best for his size and body type. If the keel feels sharp like a knife blade, he's too thin. If he has visible cleavage or so much padding you can barely find the keel, he's definitely overweight. With budgies, it's OK to be on the lean side. Any weight loss plan should be done slowly to avoid damaging the liver and exacerbating an already fatty liver.
*Exercise- If you have a small, SAFE place to let your budgie fly, that's the best exercise in the world! My budgies are out for free flight in our "Tweety" room for 3-5 hours every other day. They have lots of long ladders from floor to various playstands for climbing. I encourage them frequently to fly back and forth as much as possible. One of our rescues, "Francis", came to us at 65 grams and couldn't get off the floor. Now Francis (for St. Francis) can fly 6-8 times across the room without panting and tiring. If you don't have a safe place, though, and need to keep wings trimmed, encourage climbing ropes and ladders, chasing a ball on the floor, bouncing on a bungee, and other activities. Hold your budgie on finger or perch and slowly raise your arm up and down to encourage flapping. Cages should be large enough and equipped with an array of fun toys to furthur encourage action.
*Supplements- Australian birds have a higher need for iodine and can get goiters. I offer kelp granules or powder free choice in a treat cup, and also add a pinch to their cooked "Cuizine" about 3 times per week. Because of budgie's propensity for liver problems, I use milk thistle as a prophylactic for ALL budgies. This herb helps rebuild and renew livers. All my budgies get 5-6 organic milk thistle seeds daily, while the ones who are overweight or have known liver disease also receive milk thistle tincture (preferably glycerite or low alcohol formulations). I add it to their filtered water at rate of 10 drops tincture to 1 cup water. I give my "Dried Greens/Herbs Mix" both in a treat cup free choice and a pinch on "Cuizine". It contains about a dozen organic plants to provide trace elements, beta carotene, calcium and other minerals , and healthy phytonutrients to aid immunity, digestion, and vitality.
The bottom line on budgies- give your special little ones a little extra time and love by making a plan now to ensure a long, happy, healthy life, and avoid the pudgy budgie syndrome that too many budgies fall into. Enjoy your little friends to the fullest!
*This article is dedicated to my budgie family and friends who've passed over - some due to their own pudgy issues - Max, Bruno, Pretty Bird, Pal, and Mikey - love you guys!