I recently took in a budgie from a family that didn’t want him anymore and was planning on abandoning him. I have been reading about budgie care needs. I see that pellets are strongly recommended but I live in a very remote part of my country and can’t afford to ship pellets here. The pet store seed mix also didn’t seem great (lots of millet, sunflower seeds, peanuts). Any suggestions for a good daily seed grain and vegetable mix recipe that I could feed him? Also would I need to get a vitamin supplement for him if he’s not eating pellets?
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Diet advice and homemade daily feed mix
Zara
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Is this the only mix available? What are your options at the store?
My current seed mix is sunflower seed heavy, so I skim a load off the top before using. Then a gently shake side to side and more sunflower seeds come to the top, and I skim them off again. I save them in a jar for rewards.
I don't know why there would be peanuts in your food though, you could do with a no peanut mix.
Along side your seeds, offer fresh veggies daily, some nice romaine lettuce leaves and little pieces of carrot, pepper, etc When you have one little bird, just cut a small piece off of whatever you are eating/preparing for lunch/dinner to give them. I have a tupper in the fridge so when I'm cooking dinner at night, I save a few pieces of veg for the birds the next day (I am not a big lunch eater). You can use frozen veg - take 2 or 3 peas out of the freezer and defrost for a few minutes. Or broccoli florets, green beans - they can all be used frozen and just defrost one or two pieces as you need them to bulk up meals. I buy the little mini peppers for the birds, and they get small berries too.
Then you could offfer a calcium/vit d 3 supplement to be given so they don't lack any vitamins. Don't use the supplement all the time (daily 24/7).
edit to add, if he doesn't take to eating the veggies right off the bat, keep trying. You can also sprout some seed, this is often a good way to introduce green foods.
The pet store has four types of bird seed. One for wild birds, one for small parrots, one for medium parrots and one for large parrots. I only looked at the small parrot one. I’ll check the ingredients of the other ones next time I’m there for a no peanut option. Thank you for all the advice about sprouting seeds, veggies and vitamins I’m going to do that for the time being. Hopefully my little guy takes to the veggies.
I’m in a very very small/remote town. Birds aren’t a common pet here. Most of the pet store is for dogs and cats. The bird section is only one 1/4 of one aisle.
FYI, amazon.com is currently offering free shipping on orders totaling $35 or more. They have a variety of Budgie pellets available including Harrisons, which is in my opinion the best. If you have need of any of the gazillion items that amazon sells--including every imaginable item one needs to create a good home for a budgie-- and can cobble together a $35 order, you get your pellets for no shipping charge.
Amazon used to be free shipping on orders of at least $25. They just bumped it up to $35 a few months ago. Walmart also has free shipping on $35 and above worth of stuff.
I mix my bird food too. Main food is Volkman’s parakeet seed mix. I mix in some zupreem fruitblend pellets. Then I sprinkle some oat groats and a dried “greens mix” on top of it all. I give them romaine lettuce leaves every few days as well.
@Abudgieee, can I ask what country you in, or what name pet store (if even a franchise)?
I not buy things online often because not sure the state they come in, and then the hassle to return. Not saying I will not, like I do want to get this sometime: https://www.amazon.com/OASIS-Stress...+birds&qid=1706055545&sprefix=,aps,342&sr=8-1
Otherwise, there are a few places here I do go to when needed, because being over crowded from over-population, we got too many stores. There are some places that sell only outdoor bird stuff like Tractor Supply. I do a budgie so that not do.
One pet store(forget the name) has at least the fruit flavored pellets that are his main diet (they not have much for small birds). PetSmart also has similar. The pellets I have given him are these:
and
Just depends which store I went to at the time. He just one bird so they last a long while.
I also give him a seed mix (whatever I buy at the stores he might like, like right now till using a tropical fruit blend although he ignores the fruit) as secondary food, and food on top of the cage to foliage for. They also have pellets.
He does not go for fruits or veggies no matter how many times in the past year I tried. Pellets, seeds, millets. All he will eat.
Now and then I put in a drop of apple cider vinegar in his water.
I not buy things online often because not sure the state they come in, and then the hassle to return. Not saying I will not, like I do want to get this sometime: https://www.amazon.com/OASIS-Stress...+birds&qid=1706055545&sprefix=,aps,342&sr=8-1
Otherwise, there are a few places here I do go to when needed, because being over crowded from over-population, we got too many stores. There are some places that sell only outdoor bird stuff like Tractor Supply. I do a budgie so that not do.
One pet store(forget the name) has at least the fruit flavored pellets that are his main diet (they not have much for small birds). PetSmart also has similar. The pellets I have given him are these:
and
Just depends which store I went to at the time. He just one bird so they last a long while.
I also give him a seed mix (whatever I buy at the stores he might like, like right now till using a tropical fruit blend although he ignores the fruit) as secondary food, and food on top of the cage to foliage for. They also have pellets.
He does not go for fruits or veggies no matter how many times in the past year I tried. Pellets, seeds, millets. All he will eat.
Now and then I put in a drop of apple cider vinegar in his water.
