Among the many things to consider when you have a budgie is what to feed it. A popular food choice among many birds is mealworms, which has led many budgie owners to wonder if this is also a viable option for budgies.
Can Budgies Eat Mealworms? The answers to this vary. Ultimately, you should talk to your avian vet about any dietary changes you make. Some people feed mealworms to their budgies, and others stay away from them. Budgies mostly eat grains, so if you do give your budgie mealworms, keep it at a minimum.
Some owners claim that their budgies love mealworms, and others say that they would never give their budgies any. There are also people who say that you don’t need to give your budgie mealworms if it isn’t breeding.
So, let’s get into further detail about whether or not you can feed your budgie mealworms.
Are Mealworms Bad for Budgies?
There are people who claim that mealworms are bad for budgies. Some people, seeing that their other birds, such as their chickens, will eat mealworms, will go to feed their budgies mealworms as well. Many budgie owners claim that their budgies love eating mealworms, while others say that their budgies will not go near them.
Mealworms won’t cause any particular harm to your budgie. So, if mealworms are something you want to try to incorporate into your budgie’s diet, you don’t have to worry about whether they are toxic and poisonous, or if they have equally terrible consequences.
In the end, it all depends on your individual budgie and its tastes.
Some people choose to breed their own mealworms, but this might seem unnerving for others. You can purchase mealworms at feed stores.
Other people who have budgies say that their budgies like dried mealworms.
Overall, a budgie’s diet consists of grains and pellets. You can also choose to give your budgie the occasional treat of fruits and vegetables. So technically, mealworms aren’t totally necessary, but you can incorporate them into your budgie’s diet every once in a while.
If you do decide to give your budgies mealworms, though, it is important to talk to your avian vet for their advice. Before making any type of dietary changes for your budgie, you should be talking to your avian vet anyways.
Discuss your budgie’s habits, its health, and other factors, which will help your avian vet to decide what is the best option for your budgie.
Protein for Budgies
As with all living things, budgies need protein in order to be healthy and to survive. The protein that your budgie gets will help it to build feathers, bones, muscles, and it will also aid in the production of enzymes and hormones for your budgie.
Some people who feed their budgies mealworms claim that they are excellent sources of protein– which is true. However, budgies will get their main sources of protein from other foods that they eat, such as plants.
They also do not need too much protein; so, if you will feed your budgies mealworms, do not give them too much or too often.
However, if you are breeding budgies, you may want to give them a little more protein than your non-breeding budgies. This is because protein aids in the production of hormones, which will help in the mating cycle.
You do want to be careful with giving too much protein, though, because it could cause more serious problems such as dehydration and issues with the liver and kidneys.
So, if you breed budgies, especially talk to your avian vet about giving mealworms as a source of protein for your budgies.
Sources of Protein for Budgies
Budgies will naturally get protein from many of the other foods that you will provide them. If you give your budgie seeds, pellets, and some variety of vegetables or fruits, this will be great for them as far as protein goes. Again, protein is essential for budgies to stay strong, but they do not need too much of it.
Here are some great foods you can give to your budgie that have a small amount of protein:
- Celery
- Oranges (Still, budgies shouldn’t eat too much of it as we explain here)
- Apples
- Grapes (Too much of it can be bad for your budgie – here is why!)
- Carrots
- Eggs (Yes, budgies and other parrots can eat eggs – More on that in our article here!)
- Peas
- Corn
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Basil
- Sweet peppers
- Cilantro
- Rosemary
- Chickweed
- Flaxseed
- Chia seed
- Cucumber (Cucumber is extremely healthy for budgies! Here is how to feed cucumber correctly)
There are, of course, many more, but these are some great options to choose from.
If you give your budgie any fruits, vegetables, or seeds that have protein, make sure that these are only offered in moderation. Do not give your budgie an abundance of these foods and don’t give these foods to them too often. Too much protein for budgies can result in an overly high libido and can lead to even more serious problems.
Other Important Nutrients for Budgies
Other than protein, there are plenty of essential vitamins and nutrients that your budgie needs to have in its diet.
Some of these include:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin E
You can provide these nutrients to budgies in a variety of ways.
Vitamin A helps budgies to digest their food and can help to fight against different parasites and illnesses. Leafy greens and sweet potatoes have plenty of vitamin A. However, there is not as much of this in your budgie’s seeds.
Vitamin B helps your budgie fight against stress and it also helps with energy metabolism. You can feed your budgie seeds or energy supplements so it can have a sufficient quantity of this vitamin.
Vitamin D3 is important in boosting calcium, overall health, and vitality. Try not to give your budgie too much of this, though. If you have your budgie’s cage somewhere that has lots of sunlight, it will get a lot of vitamin D that way.
And finally, vitamin E fights against stress and helps with immunity. Feeding your budgie seeds and nuts will help it to get as much vitamin E as it needs.
Related Questions
Can budgies eat meat? Yes. However, you should only provide meat in small quantities, because budgies don’t need as much of it. Also, if you do feed your budgies meat, make sure that it is cooked completely and that it has cooled down before you give any to them.
Can budgies eat insects? Insects aren’t necessary for budgies. However, some budgie owners do give their budgies every once in a while, and insects are something budgies would eat in their natural habitats. It’s not a required part of their routine, but if you want to feed insects to your budgie, make sure to do so only in small quantities.
If you want to feed your budgie mealworms, that’s up to you and your avian vet. It also will depend on your budgie’s tastes, as some budgies like mealworms, and others don’t. Mealworms don’t have terribly harmful effects on budgies, especially if given in smaller quantities.
It is important for your budgie to get a wide variety of nutrients, including protein. However, it does not need too much protein in order to be healthy.
