Why does my budgerigar eat a lot of mineral grit if the general consensus is that they don't need it?

Question

Here's my source for saying it isn't necessary, and may be harmful: http://www.lisashea.com/petinfo/articles/bird_grit.html Any other budgie owners out there with some insights?

Answer 1

Grit is harmfull to any bird that hulls is own seed. Grit can damage the crop. If you bird is short of a mineral it will eat the grit in the attempt to get the missing mineral/s it would be far better to provide a mineral block or cuttlefish bone. A balanced diet (not a seed only diet) in general does provide enough minerals if the bird is eating the full spectrum of food provided. So if you cant improve the diet rather give the budgie a mineral block so it can help itself from a healthy source. It is better for the budgie to take from the block than you scraping the block onto the food.

Answer 2

dear friend,
I am not a budgie owner, but a newly "hatched" vet. A far as my knowledge goes, every bird or animal need minerals. especially, when it is producing (egg in case of ur budgies). so minerals especiallty calcium and iron is very important.

Now about grit. grit is not a mineral supliment, functionally. Its use is to help in digestion. (Grit goes into the gizzard of the bird when they eat it and atays there. now, gizzard is a part of the stomach and is a highly muscular structure. Its sole function is to churn the food to form a fine paste before in goes to the next part of stomach for getting digested. we DO NOT have a gizzard. So it is different from we eating grit and the birds eating grit.) the grit will eventually get powdered away and the bird usually replenish from the grit u feed. Parakeets also have a gizzard and it is there for not that dangerous to feed grit. also u neednot put ur grit on the bottom of the cage,instead put it in a small cup or something like that and that it will prevent injury .
now there are minerals which can do the function of grit also. the best example is clam shell, which is a good source of calcium.

So, now I think u are happy that ur bird is not going to be sick right? Never mind if it is eating grit. :-)

Answer 3

While not a food, grit is something people think all birds need. They do not. If it is overeaten, grit impaction can occur in the digestive system. Finches and canaries may benefit from a couple of grains of grit every couple of months, but most budgies, cockatiels, and other parrots do not need it.

The above "new vet" I hope doesn't tell his customers to give grit to birds and will read up on its harms. Get a cuttlefish bone and give it to your bird instead for calcium.

Answer 4

You should not be feeding grit, It can cause blocakge in the crop and budgies do not need it. Give them oyster shell or charcoal instead (in small amounts) and a cuttlebone (always) It is very bad to be feeding budgies grit. Stop...

Answer 5

It's eating it for the minerals. Grit provides calcium, salt, iodine, & trace minerals. I don't give mine grit, I give her scrapings from a mineral block over her food instead.

Answer 6

Well, what I know is that birds don't have a stomach like we do. They have a gizzard and need the grit to help grind up their food for digestion.

Answer 7

My bird will eat anything I put in his cage. Anything...like toys, food, whatever you put in there, they'll chew on. We have macaws, and we're very careful about what we put in there.

Do you have other toys in his cage for him too? If you put other stuff in there, remove the grit and you'll be good. He may just be eating it for lack of anything better to do.

Answer 8

The bird knows more about how much it need then your advisors!