Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
How Do I Get My Budgies to Eat Veggies
Deb Quilligan replied
I just wanted to thank you — I ordered some millet & some budgie toys YESTERDAY — they came in the mail TODAY! Now that’s SERVICE!
I love you guys — keep up the good work.
debQ
Hi Mitch, I’ve asked this question in the groups and have gotten a lot of different opinions. I’d like to know
your thoughts on how often I can give my Quaker Parrot millet. Some say it’s a healthy grain she can have others say to give it as an occasional treat. Thank you, Diana
Greetings Diana
Millet is the McDonalds french fries of the bird world. It will put weight on a bird. Much depends on your bird’s
lifestyle – If it’s flighted and flies around your home all day it will have a higher caloric need than a bird that’s clipped and confined to a cage all day.
That said I’m not only a bird guy I’m a data guy who tests for everything Quakers should weigh 3.25 oz – 4.25 oz (100 g – 120 g) so the first thing to do is weigh your bird to determine in what part of the range your bird weighs.
If your bird is 4.5 oz it’s already overweight so millet would not be a good idea. If it’s on the light end start with clipping ¼ – 1/2 of a millet spray. You could also use it as a reward in clicker training as well.
Either way, we recommend that you weigh your bird weekly or at least bi-weekly. You’re looking for rapid changes in weight loss or gain that can signal illness but will also help you monitor weight gains from millet consumption.
Hope that helps – mitchr
She is clipped but does still fly around the house all day. The only time she’s in her cage is at night to sleep and when we’re not home. I work from home so she’s out pretty much all day every day. I need to purchase a scale and will start weighing her. You have been very helpful!