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Like most birds, fruits and veggies make up a reasonable part of their natural diet. But not all fruits are good for budgies. If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you want to know whether apples make the cut. so Can budgies eat apples?
Budgies can eat apples and they are a great addition to a balanced diet. Apples should only be fed to budgies as a treat at the most a few times a week due to the high levels of sugar in apples.
Are budgies allowed to eat apples?
Yes, budgies are allowed to eat apples as they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals which make them excellent nibbles for your budgies. As with most things, however, moderation is key. Apples have a high amount of sugar, so too much might be harmful to your bird. Small spaced servings are ideal.
Apples generally appeal to budgies, especially because of the sugar. This will not be true for every budgie though, so you should watch out and remove it from your budgie’s diet if it doesn’t seem to like it.
Not all parts of an apple are safe for budgies to consume. The seeds in particular are toxic to budgies and should not be served to them at any time.
Can budgies eat apple skin?
Yes. You do not need to peel off the skin of apples before feeding them to budgies. It is essential, however, that you thoroughly wash the skin of the fruit so you don’t end up passing harmful toxins to your budgies. This is necessary because apple skins can be festering spots for bacteria deposited during handling.
You should prioritize organically grown apples when buying fruits for your budgies. This is to avoid buying apples that have traces of pesticides or toxic fertilizers on their skins. Organic apple skins are not free from germs so they should also be cruelly washed.
Benefits of Budgies Eating Apples
Apple seeds are not good for your budgies’ health as they contain cyanide which can be quite toxic to them. With this out of the way, you should know that apples are one of the best fruits for budgies.
Apples contain many vitamins and minerals which are important in the diet of your budgies. An apple will contain the following vitamins and minerals
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Niacin
- Pyridoxine
- Riboflavin
- Thiamine
- Pantothenic Acid
let’s look at this in more detail.
Vitamin A is an essential vitamin which budgies require in high quantities to keep their respiration system in healthy function. Apples are rich in Vitamin A,C, E, and K. They also contain B-Vitamins such as pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamine, and pantothenic acid, but in relatively smaller quantities.
Apples are rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus; all these are important nutrients for your budgie. Calcium, for example, is critical for building strong bones in your budgies. Zinc and iron are other minerals found in smaller quantities.
In addition to these nutrients, apples also contain moderate quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, and antioxidants. Proteins are essential for the provision of energy while antioxidants help keep your budgie’s cells healthy.
Why you should feed apples to your budgie
You should feed apples to your budgie because
- Apples contain important vitamins and minerals.
- They provide your budgie with energy to meet its body’s needs.
- They contain minerals key in helping your budgie develop a great skeletal system.
- B-vitamins such as thiamine present in apples help increase your budgie’s resilience to disease.
- They help promote efficient respiratory function in your budgies.
- Apples are low in calories and are considered a low glycemic index food, in spite of their high sugar and carb content.
- Apples are rich in ascorbic acid which strengthens the body’s natural defenses and boosts immunity.
- Apples contain potassium which is essential for a healthy nervous system.
- These fruits also an excellent source of fiber which helps improve digestion in budgies.
- They help in the regulation of cholesterol and blood sugar levels in the body.
How should you feed apples to budgies?
Apples may come with bacteria or chemicals on their skin that might be harmful to your budgies. The first thing you should do with your apples is to wash them well. Use clean water to do this.
Slice the apples and take out all the seeds. Apple seeds are harmful to your budgies, don’t forget. Once you’ve removed all the seeds from the apples, chop them into small bits your budgies can swallow with ease.
Fresh fruits appeal to many birds, but budgies prefer their apples warm. They also have a habit of dipping fruit in water while they eat. You should heat the apples slightly in a microwave and serve them beside a bowl of water to make things optimal for your budgie.
Remove leftover apples from the cage of your budgie once they’re done eating so they don’t go bad.
Can budgies eat apple leaves and branches?
A budgie’s diet is not limited to fruits. Budgies also eat vegetables (which constitute most of their diet) and other parts of trees and plants. Budgies can eat the leaves and branches of apples, as these parts are generally safe for consumption. You should be careful when selecting these parts for your budgie though. Leaves and branches from trees sprayed with pesticides or other toxic chemicals should not be fed to budgies.
Can budgies eat apple seeds?
Apple seeds are terrible for your budgies. The seeds contain amygdalin, a compound that is usually harmless to your budgies when the seeds are eaten whole. This compound quickly degrades into cyanide when your budgies crush the seeds or break them while chewing.
Cyanide is a harmful chemical that prevents the cells from properly utilizing oxygen. It can cause death at certain doses. For budgies, this dose may be as small as a single apple seed. This is why it is essential you carefully deseed your apples before feeding them to your budgies.
Can you feed apples to baby budgies?
Baby budgies prefer softer apples because they are easier to consume. You should cut them into very small slices before feeding them. Don’t make apples a daily staple for baby budgies though. The high sugar content can be especially harmful to them when taken too frequently. Once or twice weekly is the sweet spot.
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