The petite and friendly budgie is known for its vocal chirping sounds and adorable personality. Diet is an important part of the overall health and vitality of your bird. The budgie requires a simple diet with lots of supplements and treats. Fruit makes up a small portion of a budgie’s diet, but finding out which fruits are safe to feed is important. Can budgies eat apples? Yes! Apples are one of the most popular fruits for pet birds and are perfectly safe to feed budgies.
But one word of warning: Do not allow your budgie to consume the apple seeds, which are toxic to birds. Keep reading for more info!
Budgies are granivores and eat a variety of seeds, berries, fruit, and vegetables. This should make up most of their captive diet. Ensuring that you keep their diet varied will balance out the nutrients your budgie needs for growth, development, and vitality.
About 70% of the diet should be made up of high-quality grains (mainly grass seeds) which is the commercial part of the diet. 20% of the diet should consist of fruits and 10% fresh veggies. The food bowl should be continuously filled as birds are grazers and will eat when they get hungry.
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Commercial seed mix: 70%
Fruits: 20%
Veggies: 10%
Now that you understand the main dietary requirements of budgies, it is time to find out what specific fruits they can eat.
Apples are completely safe for budgies to eat, and they are quite healthy for them. Apples contain essential nutrients and vitamins that are useful for budgies. Sugar is not harmful to these birds and can help maintain a strong immune system. Apples if prepared right are gladly accepted by budgies and can quickly become one of their favorite fruits.
See also Can Budgies Eat Oranges? What You Need To Know!
One apple slice contains a lot of good vitamins for your budgie, the most important ones are:
- Large amounts of Vitamin C
- Fiber
- Polyphenols (which have numerous health benefits)
- Vitamin A
- Sugars that are beneficial for gut health
You can feed your budgie one slice of apple weekly but first check with an avian professional if your bird can handle being fed so much fruit. Some birds have gut flora problems which sugar will make worse.
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Although the flesh part of the apple is safe for budgies to consume, certain parts are not. The most toxic part of the apple is the seeds. A few seeds can be detrimental to your budgie’s health. The seeds contain traces of cyanide which is fatal to birds’ kidneys. Never leave a full apple in your budgie’s cage since they will assume the seeds are safe for them as seeds are an important part of their diet.
The skin of the apple can also be harmful. Budgies cannot chew the thick skin which can cause choking. Most of the harmful chemicals like herbicides or pesticides are located on the skin which is equally as harmful. Most budgies will not even attempt to eat the skin as the texture and taste do not appeal to them.
All apples should be organically grown and safe for human and pet consumption. Some highly processed apples can contain various growth hormones that are bad for budgies and other pet birds.
- Begin by washing the apple under hot water to remove any chemical residue.
- Peel the skin off as your budgie should not eat this part.
- Use a sharp, clean knife to slice a thin quarter of the apple. A thin slice will suffice for one adult budgie.
- Rinse the slice under some water and then place it in the cage on a ceramic plate. This makes cleaning easier for you.
See also Can Budgies Eat Oranges? What You Need To Know!
After approximately 2 hours, your budgie should be done eating the apple and it is then time to clean up the leftovers. This can be done by removing the plate and neatening the bottom of the cage.
Safe Fruits for Budgies
- Apples (no seeds)
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Pears
- Raisins
- Melons
- Mango
- Nectarine
- Kiwi
- Tropical fruits
- Blueberries
- Oranges
Unsafe Fruits for Budgies
- Lemon
- Lime
- Any type of fruit seed or pips
- Strong citrus foods
- Fruit skins
Since we have discovered that apples are safe for budgies, it is now time to see if your little friend will enjoy eating a slice. Be sure to gradually introduce fruits into their diet as wrong portions can cause diarrhea. We hope this article has helped you determine if your budgie can safely eat apples!
