What fruits can budgies be given?

Many owners feed their budgies with commercially available grain feed and make a big mistake. Such a bird's diet is not predetermined by nature, and this is extremely small in order for the bird to receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals for a healthy life. Bird watchers insist that fruits should be the basis of the diet of parrots.

When you decide to tame a budgerigar, you need to understand that the happiness of owning a pet carries with it the responsibility for its health and life, since the bird depends entirely on the care and proper organization of the diet that the owner can provide. Many of us like to pamper our pets with sweets and fruits, often not realizing that forbidden fruits or berries, when eaten, can cause irreparable harm to the health, and sometimes even death of a bird. Therefore, it is necessary to stock up on a rich arsenal of knowledge in order to avoid harmful treats.

So, parrots need to be given such fruits.

• Citruses (oranges, tangerines, lemons) - a real treasure trove of vitamins, acids, fiber and easily digestible carbohydrates. Contains magnesium and potassium. Proper use: peel, as it accumulates a lot of toxins when growing the fruit, cut into small pieces, provide a supply of water next to the bird. Be careful though, fruits are allergens after all. Of all citrus fruits, tangerines are the least "insidious". First, give your pet quite a bit of treats and monitor the condition, whether there is a reaction from the body. If all is well, then citrus fruits should definitely be in the diet.
• Apples (any varieties) - contain vitamins B and C, tannins, fibers. Correct use: do not give with the peel, it must first be cut off. You also need to remove all rotten places and blackening from blows, you must definitely get the bones. For budgerigars, the daily apple limit should not exceed one-sixth of the total fruit. Apples need to be crumbled or grated. It is recommended to come up with variations of use - stew, dry or soak the fruits in water.
• Pears - contain sugars (fructose and glucose), vitamins A, P, PP, C, B1, B2, E, magnesium, folic acid, fluorine, nitrogenous substances and iron. Proper use: Cut into small squares as thick as a little finger, peeling.
• Watermelon - rich in potassium and magnesium, they cleanse the body and are undoubtedly useful for the genitourinary system of birds. The correct use is to cut into small wedges.
• Melons - just one serving of melon replaces the daily requirement for vitamin A. Melon is also rich in phosphorus, sodium, potassium and iron. They have a beneficial effect on the digestive system. The correct use is to cut into slices. Try to give to wavy friends only when melon season is on.
• Fruits and berries with a seed inside (cherry, bird cherry, cherry, plum, peaches, cherry plum, apricot) - contain a lot of fiber, sugars and vitamins. Proper use - offer stone fruits both fresh and dried. Be sure to remove the bone.
• The rest of the berries - a source of vitamin C and many other useful elements. They are simply necessary in the diet of birds. Proper use: regular or frozen (if not in season). If the berries are frozen, defrost beforehand, slightly warm. If the berries are dry, immerse them in water for a while to soften.
• A pineapple - there is a lot of manganese in the fruit, which, together with calcium, is needed to strengthen and restore bone tissues and increase their strength. The correct use is to remove the core, finely chop.
• Grape - rich in sugars and carbohydrates, calcium, B group vitamins, fiber. Proper use: You can give grapes with seeds of different varieties, avoid only sweet varieties. Giving grapes 3 times a week will be more than enough.
• Garnet - one of the most useful fruits for wavy pets. It is the leader in the content of iron, ascorbic acid, rich in vitamins B, A, PP. Correct use: starting with a couple of grains, bring the serving up to 10, but no more, so as not to get a laxative effect or an allergic reaction.
• Banana is also not poor in vitamins and minerals, everyone knows that bananas contain a lot of potassium, sugars and starch. Correct use: can be given in pieces in different variations (fresh, dried or cured). Of course, remove the peel from the banana, cut into small pieces and put in the feeder for your parrot. Do not forget about the fact that bananas are very high in calories and with constant consumption of them in large quantities or overeating, the parrot can quickly get fat. Don't assume that because your pet lives in your home and doesn't need to fly in the wild, weight isn't particularly important. Being overweight very quickly leads to heart disease and is the cause of death of budgerigars.
• Kiwi - very rich in vitamin C, helps to better absorb iron and promotes rapid healing of wounds. Kiwi also contains vitamin E, which is an excellent antioxidant, lowers cholesterol and increases the immunity of poultry. Proper use: cut into wedges, peel.
• Mango - in nature, parrots consume mango in huge quantities and feed it with the flesh of chicks. The fruit contains a lot of beta-carotene, B vitamins, as well as minerals and salts: potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, phosphorus.This king of fruits is rich in pectin and high in fiber. Correct Usage: When giving mangoes to birds, just follow all normal precautions - no unripe fruit, no moldy fruit. Although it is allowed to produce the fruit with the peel, due to the incomprehensible import conditions, it is still recommended to cut it off. The mango bone is very large, and therefore it will be unsuitable for food.

Do not forget that all fruits must be washed thoroughly, no matter where they were purchased or even grown on your site. It is very important to get ripe fruits. Dried fruit from shops, if candied beforehand, is not suitable for parrots and should not be purchased.

Very often, the owners of parrots believe that the bird itself knows best how much and what it should eat. Bird watchers nevertheless warn: even if a pet is willing to eat any food from the common table, this does not mean that he is right. Many of the foods that humans eat are not at all suitable for the budgerigar. Here are fruits that should not be given to birds under any circumstances.

Avocado - this fruit, so beloved by many, is one of the many causes of death of birds, because it contains persin, a very toxic element that leads to the death of birds. The seeds of apples and pears, seeds of plums, nectarines, apricots, peaches and large berries are very dangerous for parrots, because they contain cyanide, which is one of the most toxic substances and causes severe poisoning.

Many owners of budgies are faced with this problem and do not know what can be done so that the bird begins to eat in a variety of ways. A common reason is the feathered fear of the unknown and everything new, because most often in stores and in poultry markets, parrots are given either food or different seeds, not particularly caring how the bird feels. With this feeding regime, addiction occurs, and the feathered does not want to use anything else.

Just show your friend that you can be trusted, show by your example what fruits are delicious. If you don't like the look of the fruit, change it - make mashed potatoes, juices, dry, knead and soak the fruits.

For information on what fruits can be given to budgies, see the next video.