How does gravel work for budgies?

Question

I didn't know about gravel until today when I bought some, what should I do with it?

Answer 1

i dont know about budgies, but chickens and turkeys eat gravel because it just helps them mash food up in their stomachs. it sort of works like what teeth do for humans, where it helps grind up the food a little better.

Answer 2

Here you go. If you do not have a sand paper page on the bottom of the cage (where the budgie would go down and pick the sand from the paper) you can spread about a tablespoon full on the bottom of the cage. Or mix it with the food on a daily basis. Or offer a separate food container just for the gravel. ( Careful with packaging as it tends to get everywhere.) I'd put loose grave in a clean coffee-type container.
You see, budgies, and mostly all birds swallow seeds whole. They then go and peck and swallow gravel where the food is ground up in the stomach. (It's a beak and no teeth issue) The gravel is expelled in the waste. Now you know that the birds you see outside in the dirt, are probably just eating gravel.
So, your budgie needs gravel for a health diet. If it never has had it, he/she was probably chewing paper or anything else to swallow.

If you find loose gravel tedious and difficult to use, look for budgie sand paper. This is great for his/her little nails too!

Answer 3

Grit and gravel is what birds use when they do not de-shell their seeds/nuts. The gravel and grit helps them to digest it better by grinding up the shells. This is mostly for softbilled birds like chickens etc.

Budgies de-shell their seeds themselves. Too much grit (or sometimes any at all) can cause impaction and death. Budgies do not need the grit for digestion. Parrots in general don't need it. It will often do much more harm than good.

Answer 4

Take it back to the store where you bought it and get your money back.
It does them absolutely no good whatsoever.
It can even be harmful by becoming impacted in their crops, or cause obstructive gastritis. Budgies are parrots. Parrots hull the seeds they eat. They do not need it. Birds that require grit in their diet are birds such as Doves and Pigeons who eat their seed whole without cracking it open.
Here are some links:

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww58eii.htm

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3105.asp

http://holisticbird.org/diet/grit.htm

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=15&cat=1835&articleid=2652

http://www.the-oasis.org/articles/grit.php

You also didn't mention if you were giving them soluable or insoluable grit. There is a difference and some of the articles I have provided will explain the difference.
Another problem with grit is that you don't know the source of the grit that is in the box. There have been indications of heavy metal toxicity in birds who were provided grit.

It is totally unncessary and could cause harm in healthy parrots. This does not stop a lot of manufacturers from attempting to sell you a box of rocks for a handsome profit.
Your birds simply don't need it.

Answer 5

Budgies de-shell their seeds. If you doubt this, just take a look at the seed shells in their bowl when you change their food.

Gavel that's meant to eat is intended for softbills such as pigeons, doves, etc, that eat their food and seed whole. Pet sores will sell this and people will buy it, but it doesn't mean it's beneficial.

Giving too much grit to a bird such as this can cause serious problems. On the other hand, they survive very well without this so I would recommend staying away from it.

Answer 6

they need it to swollow thier food and the gravel (or grit) helps them to digest there food (usually seeds) you should sprinkle 1-3 tablespoons on the floor of the cage and 1-2 in thier food and mix it in. i always do this every three days to my budgies so you should also change the grit 2-3 times a week remeber to keep your pets cage clean!! HOPE THIS HELPS!!

Answer 7

Spread the gravel on the floor of the cage. the bird will eat it. It is VERY good for cngestion. It helps the food process properly and is very healthy for it! It also avoids stomache aches and miscomfort to the bird.

Answer 8

Budgies don't need gravel. This is something my vet agrees with me on. You should ask yours.

Answer 9

The gravel grinds the seed they it, so they can get the oils and nutrients from it. Without gravel the seeds would just pass right through.

Answer 10

Hi I guess you mean bird grit?...all birds need grit as they don't have teeth to grind up their food so the eat grit that grinds the food within the birds crop & if you have even cleaned a chicken or the likes you will have com acroos a crop which has a very hard leathery surface to it...this is made that way so the bird can grin thefood up without grinding the inside of te crop to pieces...
Regards Jake