Diet for a Good Budgies Size

hamidpeya · Jul 5, 2020

Hi,

I hope you guys are fine, safe and doing great!

I have 2 pairs of Exi budgies around 8 months of age. And i am a bit concerned about their growth. I am currently feeding them vagi chop and mix seeds along with greens once a week. I have set up a calcium block in the cage.

Please suggest any diet, supplement or anything that I should add to their diet.

noodles123 · Jul 5, 2020

Don't add any supplements. What is in the chop you feed them? Have you tried pellets (in addition to the veg etc)?

This is kind of off topic, but I don't see much in the way of perches or toys in their cage. It could just be the angle, but do they have toys and multiple perches in there?
If the only perches you have are so evenly shaped/round like those pictured, you should get some more natural ones that have more variety in width because even though the ones you have aren't technically dowel perches, they are very uniform (like down perches) and that can lead to bumble foot because they put pressure on the same parts of the bird's feet when when they perch, and over time, this causes problems. Manzanita perches or dragon wood perches are a good start...ParrotWizard also sells a bunch of perches that are designed to fit different bird's feet and they have width variety added to prevent bumblefoot (you can also order custom-made perches if you prefer, but that is more expensive).

Even though they are small birds, you really want to make sure they have plenty of wood toys to chew on etc and a lot of space, because budgies are super active and they need a cage big enough to fit the toys while allowing them to fly around some etc. If you do buy more toys, avoid any boxes, huts, cloth hammocks, tents, or coconuts (you don't want them climbing inside or putting their heads inside of shadowy spaces)...oh- and avoid mirrors as well.

hamidpeya · Jul 5, 2020

Hey,

Thanks for the suggestion. I am feeding them mixed vegetables, including carrots, capsicum, cabbage, green chili, spinach, onion, etc.

As for the toys, I do have a few hangings, swings, ladder, etc. I usually put each pair in their individual cage during the breeding season. I was just wondering if I need to add something else in their diet as they were supposed to as grown as in the attached image. Maybe they are still growing...

noodles123 · Jul 5, 2020

Well, pellets can be a healthy addition.
Do you have a scale?
If you can get a gram scale, you can add a perch to it (subtract that when you zero it out) and then you can track weight.

It's hard to tell just from looking.
If when you feel their keel (chest area) you feel a really sharp/pointy bone that sticks out a lot, they are probably underweight.
It's hard to know if you can't touch them--it's okay if you can feel the bone sticking out some, but if it is super pointy, it's often a problem:

Gemster · Jul 5, 2020

Onion is toxic to birds whether raw or cooked, therefore I would recommend you eliminate this from your budgies diet.
Birds and other animals have all shown to be unable to cope with the sulfoxides found in onions. It only takes a small amount to cause to toxicity effects in these animals.
Although this is a controversial topic, it’s better to be safe.

hamidpeya · Jul 5, 2020

Gemster said:
Onion is toxic to birds whether raw or cooked, therefore I would recommend you eliminate this from your budgies diet.
Birds and other animals have all shown to be unable to cope with the sulfoxides found in onions. It only takes a small amount to cause to toxicity effects in these animals.
Although this is a controversial topic, it’s better to be safe.

Hey, thank you for letting me know. I will eliminate onion from the list

hamidpeya · Jul 5, 2020

noodles123 said:
Well, pellets can be a healthy addition.
Do you have a scale?
If you can get a gram scale, you can add a perch to it (subtract that when you zero it out) and then you can track weight.

It's hard to tell just from looking.
If when you feel their keel (chest area) you feel a really sharp/pointy bone that sticks out a lot, they are probably underweight.
It's hard to know if you can't touch them--it's okay if you can feel the bone sticking out some, but if it is super pointy, it's often a problem:

I would say the birds are at No.4 condition. I am taking a good care of their diet. As for the opinion, I will share the images on mix seeds i am giving them. I haven't tried pellets yet. The temperature in my area is around 45c, which is too hot. Is it good to feed pellets in these weather conditions?

noodles123 · Jul 5, 2020

I posted a list of toxic foods yesterday- I will paste the link below:
Pellets should be a part of your bird's diet in general, unless you are sure that your vegetables mixes etc are providing proper nutrition/amino acids etc (excluding eclectus parrots)
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...-can-my-gcc-eat-other-than-seeds-pellets.html

Talven · Jul 5, 2020

hamidpeya said:
The temperature in my area is around 45c, which is too hot. Is it good to feed pellets in these weather conditions?

The good old Budgie can cope with way higher temperatures than 45c. The are out of central Australia after all. They can cope with temperatures as high as 85c before the heat kills them. Budgies are tough little birds and can survive some harsh treatment. They can survive up to 6 weeks without water in the wild. Not that I would in any way suggest that they be exposed to these conditions. Lower temperatures are a little harder on them though.

Pellets are dry so temperature has no impact on them. Moisture on the other hand is a problem. Pellets are a better choice than seed as they are much lower in fat. In the wild a bird will burn a huge amount of energy so seeds are great. Lots of energy in seeds for a bird that flies huge distances. Not so good for a bird in a cage. Pellets are also supposed to be a balanced diet with all the vitamins and minerals your bird needs. Like with any pet food this is not always the case. Research any brand before you give it to your birds.

Pellets should be the primary source of food for your bird, depending on species, with fresh veg and fruit. Because pellets have added vitamins and minerals it is very important to research and find a good quality pellet. Just like with humans too many vitamins and minerals in their diet can prove toxic and potentially fatal. Personally I think about 60% pellet, 20 - 30% fruit and veg and the remaining 10 - 20% a mixture of seeds/nuts/grains etc.

One thing that you might like to try is green seed for you birds. Take a tray of potting mix and sprinkle some of your birds seed over it. Water and put somewhere birds can't get to it. Once it has grown enough to start producing seed heads offer it to your birds. Most of my birds love to have green seed to chew on.

noodles123 · Jul 5, 2020

Talven said:
hamidpeya said:

The temperature in my area is around 45c, which is too hot. Is it good to feed pellets in these weather conditions?

Click to expand...

The good old Budgie can cope with way higher temperatures than 45c. The are out of central Australia after all. They can cope with temperatures as high as 85c before the heat kills them. Budgies are tough little birds and can survive some harsh treatment. They can survive up to 6 weeks without water in the wild. Not that I would in any way suggest that they be exposed to these conditions. Lower temperatures are a little harder on them though.

Pellets are dry so temperature has no impact on them. Moisture on the other hand is a problem. Pellets are a better choice than seed as they are much lower in fat. In the wild a bird will burn a huge amount of energy so seeds are great. Lots of energy in seeds for a bird that flies huge distances. Not so good for a bird in a cage. Pellets are also supposed to be a balanced diet with all the vitamins and minerals your bird needs. Like with any pet food this is not always the case. Research any brand before you give it to your birds.

Pellets should be the primary source of food for your bird, depending on species, with fresh veg and fruit. Because pellets have added vitamins and minerals it is very important to research and find a good quality pellet. Just like with humans too many vitamins and minerals in their diet can prove toxic and potentially fatal. Personally I think about 60% pellet, 20 - 30% fruit and veg and the remaining 10 - 20% a mixture of seeds/nuts/grains etc.

One thing that you might like to try is green seed for you birds. Take a tray of potting mix and sprinkle some of your birds seed over it. Water and put somewhere birds can't get to it. Once it has grown enough to start producing seed heads offer it to your birds. Most of my birds love to have green seed to chew on.

Just keep in mind, what a bird tolerates in its natural climate is NOT the same as what a captive bird (unhabituated) can tolerate. I didn't read all of this, but wild bird's temperature tolerances shouldn't be the standard for bird husbandry unless time is given for the bird to acclimate. A sudden shift in temperature compared to that bird's norm can cause severe stress, regardless of tolerance potential in the wild (to either hot or cold).
For an indoor bird used to 23 C (75F), 18 C (65 F) would be TOO COLD if it happened suddenly. A shift of more than 10 degrees F in either direction can (but may or may not) shock/stress them out seriously...I am not saying birds cannot adjust over time (with the proper environmental supports)---but you want to do it slowly ..Granted, there are minimums and maximums for certain parrots.

hamidpeya · Jul 6, 2020

Talven said:
hamidpeya said:

The temperature in my area is around 45c, which is too hot. Is it good to feed pellets in these weather conditions?

Click to expand...

The good old Budgie can cope with way higher temperatures than 45c. The are out of central Australia after all. They can cope with temperatures as high as 85c before the heat kills them. Budgies are tough little birds and can survive some harsh treatment. They can survive up to 6 weeks without water in the wild. Not that I would in any way suggest that they be exposed to these conditions. Lower temperatures are a little harder on them though.

Pellets are dry so temperature has no impact on them. Moisture on the other hand is a problem. Pellets are a better choice than seed as they are much lower in fat. In the wild a bird will burn a huge amount of energy so seeds are great. Lots of energy in seeds for a bird that flies huge distances. Not so good for a bird in a cage. Pellets are also supposed to be a balanced diet with all the vitamins and minerals your bird needs. Like with any pet food this is not always the case. Research any brand before you give it to your birds.

Pellets should be the primary source of food for your bird, depending on species, with fresh veg and fruit. Because pellets have added vitamins and minerals it is very important to research and find a good quality pellet. Just like with humans too many vitamins and minerals in their diet can prove toxic and potentially fatal. Personally I think about 60% pellet, 20 - 30% fruit and veg and the remaining 10 - 20% a mixture of seeds/nuts/grains etc.

One thing that you might like to try is green seed for you birds. Take a tray of potting mix and sprinkle some of your birds seed over it. Water and put somewhere birds can't get to it. Once it has grown enough to start producing seed heads offer it to your birds. Most of my birds love to have green seed to chew on.

Thank you for the tips, No one in my area guided me about pellets. Giving mix seeds and greens is all the trend here. I do visit bird shop every month and no one ever mentioned to give pellets. But I will definitely try it. As of the temperature, AUS max was 50C in 1960, attached the image for the reference. The avg temperature in AUS is around 45C and we have 42C here in Pakistan.

hamidpeya · Jul 6, 2020

noodles123 said:
Talven said:

hamidpeya said:

The temperature in my area is around 45c, which is too hot. Is it good to feed pellets in these weather conditions?

Click to expand...

The good old Budgie can cope with way higher temperatures than 45c. The are out of central Australia after all. They can cope with temperatures as high as 85c before the heat kills them. Budgies are tough little birds and can survive some harsh treatment. They can survive up to 6 weeks without water in the wild. Not that I would in any way suggest that they be exposed to these conditions. Lower temperatures are a little harder on them though.

Pellets are dry so temperature has no impact on them. Moisture on the other hand is a problem. Pellets are a better choice than seed as they are much lower in fat. In the wild a bird will burn a huge amount of energy so seeds are great. Lots of energy in seeds for a bird that flies huge distances. Not so good for a bird in a cage. Pellets are also supposed to be a balanced diet with all the vitamins and minerals your bird needs. Like with any pet food this is not always the case. Research any brand before you give it to your birds.

Pellets should be the primary source of food for your bird, depending on species, with fresh veg and fruit. Because pellets have added vitamins and minerals it is very important to research and find a good quality pellet. Just like with humans too many vitamins and minerals in their diet can prove toxic and potentially fatal. Personally I think about 60% pellet, 20 - 30% fruit and veg and the remaining 10 - 20% a mixture of seeds/nuts/grains etc.

One thing that you might like to try is green seed for you birds. Take a tray of potting mix and sprinkle some of your birds seed over it. Water and put somewhere birds can't get to it. Once it has grown enough to start producing seed heads offer it to your birds. Most of my birds love to have green seed to chew on.

Click to expand...

Just keep in mind, what a bird tolerates in its natural climate is NOT the same as what a captive bird (unhabituated) can tolerate. I didn't read all of this, but wild bird's temperature tolerances shouldn't be the standard for bird husbandry unless time is given for the bird to acclimate. A sudden shift in temperature compared to that bird's norm can cause severe stress, regardless of tolerance potential in the wild (to either hot or cold).
For an indoor bird used to 23 C (75F), 18 C (65 F) would be TOO COLD if it happened suddenly. A shift of more than 10 degrees F in either direction can (but may or may not) shock/stress them out seriously...I am not saying birds cannot adjust over time (with the proper environmental supports)---but you want to do it slowly ..Granted, there are minimums and maximums for certain parrots.

When searching for the temperature management for birds, I read a simple formula that if it is hot for you, it is hot for your bird, same goes for the cold. I have setup the cages on an open environment under the shade so the birds could get fresh air and adjust with the temperatures. In summer, a celling fan runs 24/7 and in winter, an electric heater to maintain 28C. (The temperature drops to 2C in winter).

hamidpeya · Jul 6, 2020

I have attached the image of mix seeds i am feeding to my small birds. Along with it, I am using the following vitamins twice a month.

noodles123 · Jul 6, 2020

I would strongly suggest that you NOT add any supplements (powder or liquid) without strict advice from an avian vet. Their seeds are already fortified in many cases and you can end up overdosing them on vitamins which can lead to toxic reactions and organ damage in extreme cases. I am not saying they are ALWAYS bad, but without a vitamin panel, you have know way of knowing what (if anything extra) your bird needs. Very glad you are not doing this very often, but wouldn't advise doing it at all without explicit veterinary guidance. Pellets contain vitamins, as do many seeds (if fortified, plus those in there already) and then so do fruit and veg.

If you are worried about vitamins, I would try incorporating pellets into their diet along with the seeds and veg.

hamidpeya · Jul 6, 2020

noodles123 said:
I would strongly suggest that you NOT add any supplements (powder or liquid) without strict advice from an avian vet. Their seeds are already fortified in many cases and you can end up overdosing them on vitamins which can lead to toxic reactions and organ damage in extreme cases. I am not saying they are ALWAYS bad, but without a vitamin panel, you have know way of knowing what (if anything extra) your bird needs. Very glad you are not doing this very often, but wouldn't advise doing it at all without explicit veterinary guidance. Pellets contain vitamins, as do many seeds (if fortified, plus those in there already) and then so do fruit and veg.

If you are worried about vitamins, I would try incorporating pellets into their diet along with the seeds and veg.

Hey, thanks for your advice, I will stop these supplements immediately. So the conclusion is to add pellets along with everything I am already feeding them. And cut the onion from the list

fiddlejen · Jul 6, 2020

I wonder if you are asking about the bird's size or just about their Puffball Head Feathers. It looks like yours are a type of fancy show budgies, right?

If they were the plain little American Petstore Budgies, then I think they should already be full grown.

However - and I may be quite wrong about this since I cannot find my reference online - but I seem to recall when I was researching my own little petstore budgies, after I first got them, that fancy Show budgies take longer to reach their full size. ?? (One of the pictures from your first post seems to show a bunch of head-pinfeathers, so perhaps the Head Pouff is working its way in?)

The Puffball-Head picture that you linked, is yours a direct descendant? I think that just like fancy-breed show-dogs, maybe not all of them have all the more extreme show-worthy characteristics?

Also - yours does not have as much of a pouff, but when they are Shown I think they are groomed in such a way as to increase/enhance their natural Pouff.? Perhaps the one pictured, if photographed another day, might also be less pouffy?

Diet for a Good Budgies Size

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