My sister has two very healthy, seven year old parakeets in a large cage. Recently, she gave them some wild birdseed because she noticed it was a lot cheaper than a small box of parakeet seed and they took to it right away. However, since then, they have become very noticeably plumper. I couldn't believe it when I saw them. They are loud, bouncy, and happy, and do not act sick in the least, but is this weight gain unhealthy in and of itself? Should she stop the wild birdseed? I've had quite a bit of experience with keets myself, and they do eat a LOT, but don't generally get fat from it. So it's not that they're eating MORE; this has to be an effect from the seed itself. Is this bad? Again, they are acting no different; they just look much plumper.
2006-12-27 03:14:43 · 10 answers · asked by Bzl1 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
UPDATE: Thanks for the answers. She was not going to continue, I found out. And for the comment of "if she couldn't have afforded the bird she shouldn't have gotten it" I'd just like to state, um, YES, she could afford it just fine and has taken excellent care of them for years. What happened was she was out of seed, always had wild seed on hand for outdoor birds, figured "what the heck I'll try it" and noticed they loved it. It just so happened she noticed it was a cheap alternative, but NO she is not continuing because she knows the weight gain isn't right. What is it with people and nasty jabs about others they know nothing about?
2006-12-29 01:15:17 · update #1
It's not a wise idea to feed caged birds wild bird seed, because that kind of seed is designed for birds that are very active!
Parakeets eat many times their weight in food (their little bodies are hard wired to anticipate long trips and times of drought and hunger). So, while being plump for a short period of time isn't a problem, in the long run it can do damage (just like it does in any other mammal!)
Bring them back to their regular diet - and I'd suggest actually supplementing their food with nutritional pellets & healthy snacks from a reputable source, along with extra toys to get them exercising.
Here's hoping for happy, healthy & long lived birds!
2006-12-27 03:32:27 · answer #1 · answered by Dona Anya 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Woah, Did you know that most wild bird seed is sprayed with oils and chemicals to keep dust from it to a minimum??????? and also some of the wild seed is "reclamed" from the factory floor after people have stood on it then re-packed??????
Honestly, i'd tell your sister to stop this now, you can obviosly see the affects its having on them, wild bird seed is high in protein and fat for all those "active" wild birds, thats why its called wild bird seed,
If it was intended for house parrots/birds it would be sold for house parrots/birds.
It may be cheeper but in the long run it may end up costing her more if her bird gets to fat and has to have vet appointments,
Get her to switch back to parakeet seed, and provide alot of fresh fruit and veg, if not her birds are going to continue to get bigger causing all kinds of health isues, inside as well as outside.
Goodluck
2006-12-27 03:46:04 · answer #2 · answered by worldchampatpool 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First of all, you need to go back to the parakeet seed. Wild seed doesn't contain the required nutrients for the bird. Overweight birds are a problem, especially if they got too heavy to fly, because you will have to give them more time out of the cage.
2006-12-27 21:28:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is tricky to determine. If they seem happy and are responsive they probably are healthy. However, you might want to check with a vet to see if they may have problems with their thyroids because it is possible the wild birdseed is hard for them to consume.Also, if they are gaining a reasonable amount for a parakeet, they should be fine. At the very least, switch back to the other seeds and see if there is any improvement.
2006-12-27 09:02:29 · answer #4 · answered by Lily L 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It sounds like the wild bird seed has more calories than the parakeet seed. I'd switch back to the parakeet mix if they were mine. It can't be good for them to be overweight.
2006-12-27 03:17:37 · answer #5 · answered by PRS 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I will reiterate the part about wild birdseed being a very bad idea.
You can learn more about budgies at http://www.budigetalk.com.
Also, your vet can explain in depth what you should be feeding your birds and why. I suggest taking your now-heavy budgies in to the vet for a checkup and weigh-in. You can find an avian vet at http://aav.org/vet-lookup
2006-12-28 18:43:41 · answer #6 · answered by CrazyBirdMom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like she should lay off the wild bird seed. it's made for birds that are very active, so it provides them with more energy, but pet birds aren't as active and it just gets stored in their bodies.
2006-12-27 06:51:34 · answer #7 · answered by livo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Stop your sis now, this could hurt them. Its not in there natural diet. There also over eating so only so much. if your sis can't afford the pet she shouldn't have gotten the pet.
2006-12-28 13:23:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it might be cause for concern, it's good that the parakeets are happy, but maybe they're being fed too much .
2006-12-27 03:20:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I wouldn't worryabout the weight. I, however, would cut down on the amount of feeding.
2006-12-27 03:19:24 · answer #10 · answered by Veneta T 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋