What do parakeets eat?

Question

My mom's co-worker found an exhausted parakeet on her balcony last night. It needs a home, so I agreed to take it in - at least until it regains its strength or the original owners are found. I have never taken care of a bird before, so any good advice would be appreciated.

I have searched for information online, but it isn't 100% clear. I am going to the store in a couple of hours after I get off of work. What healthy foods do you suggest (in addition to bird seed) and how should they be prepared? Like I saw carrots suggested on a few sites. I assumed that raw is best, but then I read that parakeets eat soft foods. Would boiled carrots be better? What about bell peppers? Are they good or hard on the tummy? And I am assuming that spinach should be served raw?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the advice people. : ( Unfortunately, the bird didn't survive long enough to come to our house. My mom called to let me know as we were in the pet section picking out a bird cage.

Answer 1

Bird seed (especially packaged for parakeets) would be fine.

As treats, you may want to go with dry bread crust, a few shreds of raw carrot, pieces of crackers, and millet (it's sold in pet stores - for birds).

Don't feed the bird cooked foods. First of all they have no nutritional value for the bird. Secondly, they tend to be soft and when the bird eats, it gets stuck all over its beak. It's annoying to the bird and dangerous for it.

If you really want to treat the bird to something different, get (or read for free) one of the books at the pet store on parakeets. Unlike humans and higher order pets, most birds don't crave "variety". Unless you're talking about parrots/macaws and higher order or exotic birds like that.

Answer 2

-a good seed mix raw carrots are ok but stay away from the peppers. any added veggies should be raw and used in moderation. Also I would get some stress powder to put in the birds water. Birds are very susceptible to stress and can die from being overstressed. The stress powder is added to the water to make something like a bird gator-aide that replaces their electrolytes lost under stress.

Answer 3

Wouldn't recommend cooked foods. Cooking takes nutrients out of the food. Parakeets will eat hard stuff too. They love to chew. Be sure not to give it too many treats. There aren't all the nutrients it needs in them and you want it to eat it's seed as well.

Answer 4

parakeets need special gravel to eat because they don't have teath, they also need a bone which they use to sharpen their teeth and many parakeets like apples carrots oranges grapes, basically any raw fruit but each parakeet is an individual with individual tastes kind of like humans.

Answer 5

Parakeets do not need gravel. It's ok to give them a mixture of crushed oyster shells and charcoal (from the bird store), but they do not need gravel.

Answer 6

They can eat anything that a human eats except for chocolate.Just make sure its fresh and dont let remaining food sit and spoil.Its a process of introducing a food to it and letting him try it.It takes time because they are cautious about anything new. As he gets used to you, he will come to trust you and he will try anything. Good luck.

Answer 7

Of course bird seeds.