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Can Budgies Eat Apples? All You Need To Know

Can Budgies Eat Apples

So you’re thinking about whether to give your little cute budgies apples or not? Wondering whether giving them the fruit with the seeds and skin may harm their health? If that’s you, this guide will answer all your questions.

Can budgies eat apples? Yes, budgies can eat apples. Apples are safe for budgies to eat and contain essential vitamins and minerals that help these birds maintain healthy bodies. However, you must remove all the seeds before giving the fruit to your pet bird. You also need to limit the quantity you feed your budgies to avoid harming their health and wellbeing.

Below, we have discussed everything you need to know about feeding apples to your budgies, including tips for preparing them correctly, what to do if your budgie doesn’t like apples, how much apple to give them, and more!

Can you feed Budgies to Apples?

Absolutely! Apples are 100% safe to feed your budgies. They’re also healthy and offer your beloved bird pet nutrients that keep their body healthy.

Can you feed Budgies to Apples

A fresh apple treat will give your bird useful nutrients like fiber, enabling the budgie’s belly to easily process it. It also carries vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and antioxidants—all of which are beneficial for your budgie’s body health.

As you already know, there are many apple varieties, the most common ones being the delicious red and the green apples. Some of these varieties are sweeter while others are tart. Some are juicier, while others have a firmer consistency. You can feed any of these varieties to your budgies.

As long as you feed the fruit to your pets moderately, the sugar it contains isn’t harmful to them. The fruit will make a good alternative to pellets, nuts, and seeds as you try to give your bird pet a balanced diet.

Budgies Eat Apples

Even when your budgies seem to have a sweet tooth, we advise you against attempting to feed him more apples than necessary (more details on how many apples to give your budgie coming up).

When feeding apples to your budgies, you also want to prepare them correctly and slice them into small chunks. This makes it easy for the budgies to eat.

The apple’s skin is safe to feed your budgies and is packed with nutrients. However, you should remove the core with all the seeds as they can become toxic to the birds.

Can you feed Budgies to Apples

Do Budgies Like Apples

Apples are sweet, and delicious fruits and budgies definitely like them. However, not all budgies are fond of apples. And this explains why some pet owners are worried that they can’t get their budgies to eat apples.

But this is normal and nothing to worry about. Sometimes your budgie may not like the apple the first time you give it to her.

Budgies Like Apples

Just go slowly introducing the new fruit to the bird instead of forcing the apple through its beak. Leave the apple in the cage and let the bird eat it at its own pace. After a few days of trying, they might start eating the apple.

If the budgie seems scared by the apple you put in its cage, just get it out and try introducing it the next day and see if it eats it. You may also try leaving the fruit outside the cage where they feel more confident and let them decide whether they want it or not.

If you had given the bird a big piece of apple, you can try cutting it into smaller pieces and see if your feathered friend will eat them.

Some folks also use the trick of sprinkling seeds the budgies eat all over the apple, making the bird eat the apple.

Budgies Like Apples

You can also try eating the apple in front of your parakeet to see if it will want to eat it. The bird might fly from its cage and start pecking on your apple.

See also:  Do Budgies Need Darkness To Sleep?- Everything You Need To Know

All in all, it’s not a bad thing when your budgie refuses to eat an apple. There are a variety of fruits that are safe for your budgies and will make good alternatives to the apples.

Health Benefits For Budgies Eating Apples

We said earlier in this article that apple packs plenty of helpful nutrients for your budgies. In this part, we get into details about the various nutrients this fruit offers and how it benefits your beloved pet bird’s body.

Health Benefits For Budgies Eating Apples

Minerals

The fruit contains essential minerals such as manganese, calcium, and phosphorous. It also includes zinc and iron in smaller quantities. Calcium is a good mineral that promotes strong and healthy bones in your budgie.

Vitamins

Apple contains high Vitamin A quantities, which helps keep your bird pet’s respiratory system healthy. Besides, it also contains smaller amounts of vitamin C, E, and K. It contains various B-vitamins, like thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, etc., all of which help a sick budgie recover quickly from illnesses.

Budgies Like Apples

Other helpful nutrients in an apple include proteins (provide energy), carbohydrates, and fiber (boost digestive function and prevent constipation). The fruit also contains small quantities of antioxidants and helps keep your beloved budgie’s cells healthy.

How many apples should budgies eat?

Giving your budgies apples without limit can be tempting if they seem to like them a lot. But this is an unwise idea since the fruit has high sugar levels, which isn’t safe for their health.

That said, we recommend giving your adult budgie just a few apple slices once a week. In simpler words, make apple an occasional treat for your budgies.

So, what are the risks of feeding too much apple to your budgie? It will simply unbalance their diet as well as their tummy. Depending on the sweetness of the apple variety, it can easily upset the bird’s stomach, resulting in watery droppings. These aren’t fun and can easily dehydrate your budgie!

How many apples should budgies eat

As you continue feeding the apple to your budgie, make sure you monitor its stool. If it appears different from what you’re used to, you may want to change the apple brand/variety to see if it helps. You can also try introducing fiber to the bird’s diet. Reducing the amount of water your budgies take may also help.

Not just apples… Generally, you should refrain from overfeeding fruits to your budgies. These types of food varieties contain higher fructose (natural sugars) than fresh vegetables, making them unhealthy to feed your budgie in high quantities.

How do you prepare Apples for budgies?

The best way to ensure you give apples to your budgies without harming them is knowing how to prepare the fruits correctly. Assuming you’re offering your budgies fresh apples, this is the simple procedure for preparing them:

How do you prepare Apples for budgies
  • Step 1. Wash the apple thoroughly: Scrub the apple skin to help remove those pesticides and other toxic substances it might have been sprayed with during growth. Some pet owners recommend removing the skin. But as long as you clean it well, it’s safe for your budgie to consume.
  • Step 2. Remove the seeds: get rid of all the fruit seeds, including the seed fragments or the core, before serving the fruit to your bird. If you own an apple corer, it will make it much easier for you to remove the core of an apple.
  • Step 3. Cut the fruit into small sizes: With the fruit completely deseeded, you can now cut it into smaller sizes to make it easier for your budgie’s small beak to handle. Simply make small apple wedges or slices, and your bird pet will thank you!
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Budgies love warm fruit as it probably reminds them of eating the food warmed by the hot summer sun while in the wild. Thus, throwing the slices or chunks of the fruit in the microwave for a few seconds is a good idea.

It is also safe to feed your budgies dried or cooked apple (just don’t add any syrup or sweetener).

How do you prepare Apples for budgies

Budgies sometimes like to dip apples in water before eating them. You can make this convincing for your budgie by placing their apple serving next to their fresh water dish.

After around 2 hours, your budgie should be done eating the apple. You can now clean up the leftovers and get rid of them. Be sure to neaten up their cage as well.

Can you feed Apples to baby budgies?

Yes, you can also feed apples to baby budgies. But in this case, you need to consider giving them softer apples so they can bite easily.

You also want to follow the procedure outlined above for preparing the apples. Rinse them thoroughly, deseed them, and cut them into tiny pieces before giving them to the young budgies.

Can you feed Apples to baby budgies

Just as with the case of adult birds, don’t get tempted to make apples a staple or daily diet for your baby budgies.

Remember, the fruit has too much sugar, which can cause health issues in your bird. Stick to offering them just a few slices of this fruit weekly!

Video of a budgie eating apples

See the two happy budgies in the video below feeding on a slice of apple being handed to them by the owner

Related questions (FAQ):

1. Can budgies eat apple skin?

The apple skin is safe and nutritious part to feed your budgies. However, it is important to properly wash it before giving the fruit to your budgie. This will help get rid of pesticides and other chemicals (unless you have an organic apple) for the sake of your pet’s health. You may consider peeling off the skin if feeding the apple to a baby budgie to minimize the possibility of choking. If you notice that your budgie doesn’t like the skin part, peeling it off is a great idea.

2. Can budgies eat apple seeds?

No! Apple seeds are toxic for budgies, and you should avoid giving them to your bird pet. The seed contains amygdalin, a compound that degrades into cyanide. Cyanide, in turn, prevents the cells from using oxygen, resulting in death. Be sure to completely remove all the seeds in an apple before serving it to your budgies.

3. Can budgies eat dried apples?

Budgies can eat dried apples as a safe and healthy snack with the same helpful nutrients as fresh fruits. But we don’t recommend feeding them as they may contain artificial flavorings and preservatives that can overwhelm your budgie’s delicate system. Also, a dried fruit usually has most of its water content removed. It has high sugar levels, which can upset your budgie’s stomach.

Can budgies eat apple seeds

Final Word

Apples are sweet, tasty treat for the baby and adult budgies. These fruits carry essential minerals and vitamins that your pet bird’s body requires to stay healthy. Make sure you give this fruit to your budgie moderately since it contains high sugar content. A few chunks of an apple once a week will do.

Before feeding an apple to your bird, wash its skin properly to remove any pesticides and chemicals on its surface. Also, remove all the seeds inside as they can be toxic to your feathered friend. Cutting the apple into small chunks makes it easy for your pet birds to eat.

Do you know if your budgies can eat bread or watermelon? Read our articles about it to learn more.

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Peter Kaestner

Hi there, my name is Peter Kaestner and I am the owner of Birdsauthority.com. As a avid bird watcher and enthusiast with a passion for ornithology, I want to share my knowledge and experience with other bird lovers through this blog. As someone who regularly participates in bird-related forums and groups online, I am dedicated to helping others learn more about these amazing creatures. However, it's important to note that while I am happy to share my expertise and advice, it is always crucial to consult with an avian veterinarian before making any decisions that could potentially impact your bird's health or well-being. Your bird's health and happiness should always be your top priority, and consulting with a professional is the best way to ensure that you are making informed decisions on their behalf. I hope that through my blog, I can help make a positive difference in the lives of birds and the people who care for them. Whether you are an experienced bird owner or just starting out, I encourage you to use this resource as a way to learn more about these fascinating animals and how to provide them with the best possible care.View Author posts