Why Budgies won’t Eat Pellets and how to get them to eat

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Ali Shahid

It is always your desire to provide the best care for your bird asIn the case of nutrition, we all know that we want to give our budgies the best options. Birds love to eat seeds, but they aren’t able to meet their requirements. Therefore, you think of giving them pellet food. But you find out that budgies won’t eat pellets. What would be the reason for that? It has been reported that a good number of budgies do not eat pellets because they do not recognize them as food, or that they are mixed in with other foods that they find tastier. It is safe to assume that budgies prefer higher fat, tasty seeds to pellets.

This article explains why budgies won’t consume pellets and how to get them to consume pellets.

Why Budgies won’t eat Pellet food

Pellets aren’t recognized as food by budgies, so they won’t usually eat them. When they’re mixed with seeds, the pellets don’t seem appealing. It is pleasing to budgies to eat seeds instead of pellets since seeds have a fatter taste.

Budgies will pick out the seeds if they have a choice, leaving behind the pellets. A lack of awareness about budgies’ dietary needs and the availability of varied, nutrient-rich foods is currently the leading cause of poor nutrition in budgies.

How to Get your Budgies to Eat Pellets

It is possible to change a budgie’s mind about pellets if it refuses them:

Gradual Switch

You should not feed your parakeet pellets one day and seed the next, as she is set in her ways when it comes to food. Almost all parrots will starve before switching to an entirely new type of food without any prompting from the owner.

It is best to mix the pellets with the seeds that your parakeet has grown accustomed to eating in a 50/50 proportion, so she will be more likely to try them out. The mixture can be placed in the food dish she normally eats from and then before you go to sleep, you should empty the food container of any food that has not been eaten.

In the morning, if your parakeet hasn’t eaten recently or if the food you put in her empty dish in the morning hasn’t been fed, she might be more likely to try the pellet.

Add Water

There are curious budgies as well as stubborn budgies. It might be necessary to go the extra mile to make the budgie taste the pellets in this case. You can also add a small amount of warm water to the seed bowl after adding about a teaspoon of pellets.

The pellets will become soft and break apart if you let the water sit for a while. Adding the regularly sized serving of seeds after your bird settles takes a few minutes. It will become difficult for your bird to pick out the pellets once they stick to the seeds.

In any case, the budgie will at least taste the pellets at this point, even if it doesn’t particularly like them. You will eventually be able to teach your budgie that pellets are also food if you are persistent.

Offer Other Foods

Your budgie should still be fed a variety of other foods to offer variety and balance to its diet, even if the pellet recommended by her veterinarian is of high nutritional value.

Besides fresh fruits and vegetables, make sure your little feathered friend gets dried fruits and vegetables like apples and grapes. Another alternative to seed is sprouted seed. It is technically a seed, so budgies who love seeds are more likely to accept it.

Watch The Food Dish

You should decrease your parakeet’s seed intake each week while increasing the number of pellets she eats while conditioning her to eat pellets. Your parakeet will be willing to eat the pellets by the end of five weeks, though this may take longer.

Each day, you should check her dish before you throw away any food leftover. The amount of seed that she eats should not be decreased just yet, because reducing it will reduce how much she will eat.

Ensure your parakeet does not throw the pellets on the cage floor or place them in the water dish if the pellets are gone from the dish. If you see partially eaten pellets or crumbs, your bird is not eating the pellets properly.

You can decrease the amount of seed you give your parakeet and increase the number of pellets when you know she is eating the pellets. Ensure that 70 percent of her diet is pellets, and the remaining 30 percent is a seed.

Avoid starving

Make sure your budgie doesn’t starve to death. The birds may not eat the pellets and instead refuse all food, even if they are healthy. A budgie that gets sick or dies could be worse than the strategy not working. You may need several months for your budgie to transition from seeds to pellets, depending on how the bird is.

During the transition period, keep an eye on the budgie’s weight and droppings. In this way, you will be sure not to negatively affect its health. If your bird is healthy, you can begin the transition to new foods.

Tips For Getting Your Budgie to Eat Pellets

• Different pellets can be experimented with. The shape, texture, and flavor of pellets can strongly affect the preferences of some birds. You might be able to find small samples of pellets at your pet store.
• Make sure the pellet you choose has fewer or no artificial flavors or colors.
• To get your bird to eat the pellets, finely grind grains and sprinkle them over his favorite seeds or treats.
• Maybe warm water can moisten the pellets. Moisturized pellets should be removed after a few hours to avoid spoilage.
• Make your bird think of the pellets as a treat by hand-feeding them.
• Enjoy your new food with your bird. If they think it’s a human treat, they will likely be more tempted by it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will budgies starve themselves if they don’t like the food?

In the event of illness, great stress, or injury, Budgies may starve themselves. Budgies with crop problems, for example, might be physically unable to eat. Loss of appetite is a symptom of a lot of illnesses.

What would be the recommended pellets for Budgies?  

The ZuPreem Natural pellets are recommended for budgies. Many of these pellets contain vitamins. ZuPreem offers a fruit blend as well as pellets, known as the ZuPreem Fruitblend Small Keet Food. A colorful, fruit-flavored meal may be the best choice for budgies who prefer colorful foods.

Conclusion

You only have to be persistent and patient if you find that your budgie will not eat pellets no matter what you do. A budgie must be taught to try new foods because she is selective about what she eats. There is a possibility that your budgie needs a different brand or type of pellet when it refuses. Pellets are usually not recognized by budgies as food, so they refuse to eat them.