Help/guidance needed with feeding my newly adopted foursome of budgies

[New mom]

I'm new to budgies and this group and already am so grateful this exists and that you all share so much of your knowledge and experience! I adopted 4 adult budgies and am not breeding them fyi. They've been on an all seed diet and confined to a pretty small cage as far as I know. So I bought a much bigger flight cage and have added natural perches and toys, etc. And they were seen by an avian vet and they said they all looked good but to switch them to a pellet diet. Ha! Easier said than done as everyone here I'm sure knows. So the answer from the vet as to how to change their diet was a printed page from Harrisons on baking their packaged bird bread mix and wasn't very detailed or helpful. But I am excited to make healthy bird bread for them and have gotten them to nibble on broccoli and kale so far. But they are not eating the Harrisons high potency superfine pellets I've offered mixed in with their seed or on its own or with the veggies. I'm also starting sprouting -- soaking quinoa overnight tonight and on day 2 of a mix of brown rice, sunflower seeds, and lentils since I had them on hand. So I'm game to sprout and bake bread and make chop, etc. I just don't know how much of these various things to give them and how to wean them off the dry seed mix without stressing them out or making them lose or gain weight. Any help is so appreciated! I adore them already and love seeing them trying their new perches, toys and foods! (Also I read that Hagen budgie seed mix sprouts well, but read somewhere else that the oat groats don't sprout so am confused! Plus the Hagen mix is mostly millet and I thought that was supposed to be mainly a treat/training food???)

 

[Sunni Tiel]

Well, budgies being granivores, they need seed in their diet. An only seed diet can make them overweight, and an only pellet diet is hard on their bodies. Ideally, they should have 50/50 seeds and pellets, with at least half of everything the eat fresh veggies. that's roughly 20% seed, 20% pellets, 50-60% veggies, with the occasional fruit or egg. Sprouts are very healthy and a great addition to the diet, great job doing research for your birdies to have the best life! You're doing an amazing job.

Don't worry too much about feeding them too much, most birds know when to stop.

The millet seed is fatty, but when sprouted it's much healthier. I've never tried sprouting oat groats, but I looked it up just now and looks like it does. Someone else on here will know.

 

[Sparkles99]

Welcome! Looking forward to hearing more about your budgies.

 

[AussieBird]

Welcome to the Avenue!