Is your budgie stuffing its beak with way too much food? Why is your budgie constantly eating and will it lead to illness? In this article, we’ll find out why overeating occurs in budgies.
Why Is My Budgie Eating So Much? Budgies have lightning fast metabolisms that burn energy rapidly. They need lots of millet and seed because the nutrients are low in these types of foods. Add more vegetables and protein rich foods to naturally satiate your budgie and reduce overeating.
Why Is My Budgie Fat?
A budgie is prone to becoming obese when the following conditions occur:
- Inactivity
- Stress
- Old age
- Bored
- Too much millet and seeds
- Polyphagia
Inactivity
Although the metabolism of a budgie allows them to burn energy and digest quickly, they may end up becoming inactive and this will slow everything down. Clipped wings may contribute to lack of activity, but emotional or physical symptoms are also worth noting.
Stress
Have you ever overeaten out of stress? Does a tub of ice cream help to calm you down? A stressed out budgie may attack the food without even considering hunger.
The stress builds more anxiety and adrenaline. Eating ferociously becomes a quick fix solution leading to more harm in the end which includes obesity.
Old Age
An older budgie that crosses 5+ years of age may end up with a slower metabolism. At this point, it’s important to encourage more exercise with new engaging toys in the cage.
The amount of seed should be substituted or balanced out with more veggies and protein rich foods like pellets, cheese or carrots.
Boredom
Boredom leads to lethargy and overeating because there is nothing else to do. Focus on enrichment. Provide toys, interaction and playtime with your companion. I’m sure many of us have eaten snacks when we are bored. Staying busy keeps the urge to eat incessantly at bay.
Too Much Millet And Seeds
Some budgie cages consist of deep feeding containers filled to the brim with millet and seeds. Keep seed servings at ⅙ cup a day. Both types of food have become staples in the diet of budgies, but they lack the nutrients required for the burn rate of a budgie’s energy.
This active bird wants to play and keep busy, but needs more food to do so. Unfortunately millet and seeds fatten up a budgie who depends on it for energy due to the sheer volume it takes to provide the necessary nutrition.
Polyphagia
Your budgie could possibly be diabetic. Polyphagia results in the increased hunger you are seeing in your budgie.
Look for an abnormally bloated abdomen that is prominent and common in diabetic budgies. This type of obesity is localized and not necessarily spread out over its entire body.
Is My Budgie Overeating?
You budgie may experience an imbalance in nutrition and cause it to overeat to keep up. Most budgies consume too many seeds that do not contain enough of the following nutrients:
- Vitamin A
- B12
- D3
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Protein
Reduce the seed portion of their diet to only 20% of its total daily consumption. Add in more balanced pellet blends designed for budgies.
Monitor the feces to make sure its consistent, not stringy, watery or dark green. You budgie will thank you for your effort with more energy and engagement with you.
What Kind of Foods Can I Feed My Budgie?
It’s time to reconsider seeds and millet all day long. This leads to addiction and overeating. Let’s make a few lists here and now:
Protein and Carbohydrates:
- hard boiled egg yolk
- small pieces of red meat
- pancake
- cornbread
- yogurt
- cheese
Fruits
- apples
- pears
- melon
- kiwi
- berries
Vegetables
- broccoli
- carrots
- beets
- asparagus
- cabbage
- sweet potato
- squash
- spinach
- lettuce
Always monitor what goes in and what comes out. If you notice watery feces, then switch back to seeds and millet and slowly integrate any of the foods above.
How Do I Exercise My Budgie?
You may notice your budgie flapping his or her wings on the perch. This helps to promote blood movement and it’s also great for their cardiovascular function.
- Add more toys
- Place more perches
- Get a larger cage
- Allow for more indoor flying
Budgie toys are easily found in pet stores. Rotate new ones in from time to time. The more perches there are, the more your budgie will fly from one to the other. A larger cage helps, if your space and budget allows for it.
Finally, if your budgie is able, allow for more flying to happen in your desired indoor space. Flying helps burn all the food they are consuming to prevent obesity or fatty liver disease that is common in sedentary budgies.
Do Budgies Get Fatty Liver Disease?
Unfortunately, fatty liver disease occurs when budgies eat too many seeds and not much else. The easiest fix is to add more pellets and reduce the portion of seeds to ⅙ cup per day or less.
Look for the following symptoms of fatty liver disease:
- obesity
- abnormal beak growth
- black spots on toes or beak
- bleeding
- pale or yellowish tips on feathers
A trip to the avian vet is necessary if you notice any of these symptoms. The fat cells on the liver take over and reduce the lifespan of our companions if left unchecked.
How Do I Know If My Budgie Is Eating Enough?
It’s always important to strike a balance and maintain your budgie’s optimal health by not overdoing one thing over another. You can’t just feed a budgie vegetables all day. Don’t expect your budgie to exercise or fly around all afternoon either.
The following signs indicate that your budgie is eating enough:
- Not obese or frail
- Active during the day and sleeping well at night
- 30-50 droppings a day
- bright eyes
- wings not drooping
- no black spots on beak
Do Budgies Know When To Stop Eating?
Yes. Budgies are intelligent birds that will not gorge themselves to death. They could be overeating due to stress or lack of nutrition in the seeds and millet. You can intervene by removing the food or replacing it with more hardy types of food.
The food doesn’t always have to be in the cage. You can space out feedings if you’re concerned about overeating issues. 1-2 teaspoons of pellets each day should keep the doctor away while your budgies play.
Conclusion
Your budgie will enjoy eating to replace the energy it is burning rapidly throughout the day. This means that they need more nutrition in their meals instead of overconsuming millet and seeds. Vary their diets slowly, but always monitor their droppings to make sure they are consistent and healthy.
Thanks for stopping by at BudgieRealm.com and we hope to see you again soon for another article on our favourite birds!
