Are these good for budgies...

[stillmore]

Hi All
I was wondering if Sunseeds are good for budgies or if there is another type that would be better?
Thnx's

[homebird]

I guess you are referring to shelled Sunflower seeds. They are known to be fatty. Lots of foods can be fatty & in a small bird who maybe doesn't get lots of exercise (?) this will be a very bad thing. I think even svolk's vet discouraged beans from her bird's diet on this issue.

If they like them i'd offer them as a treat only & not too many.


Here are some articles i came across - even bigger birds have to have these seeds in moderation but have lots going for them as well.

Are Sunflower Seeds for the Birds?

.......
MORE THAN JUST AN ENERGY SNACK
Sunflowers are more than just pretty plants, and their seeds are more than just a high energy snack food for your birds. They are a rich treasure of vitamins, minerals, protein, polyunsaturated fat and fiber. Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of the essential fatty acid linoleic acid, which is converted to other biologically active fatty acids that are required for optimum health. These seeds also provide an excellent amino acid profile. Sunflower seeds contain appreciable amounts of vitamin E, B complex, and are packed with minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and calcium. They also supply quick energy by releasing glycogen (a form of sugar) from the liver; and at the same time, they act as a calmative because they contain a high level of the amino acid tryptophan which has a calming effect on the brain.
.....
Sunflower seeds are available both raw and roasted, hulled and unhulled. Salted sunflower seeds should NOT be used. Raw sunflower seeds are more nutritional and have lower fat content. Sprouted sunflower seeds may also be offered to your Greys and these supply them with the addition of vitamin C, little to no fat, and a highly digestible complex carbohydrate source.
......

Seeds in Birds' Diet
Extreme as it may sound, a parrot eating most of his diet as sunflower seeds, is equivalent to a person living mostly on a diet of peanuts.
sunflower seed kernels
47.3% fat
peanuts, raw
47.5% fat
safflower seed kernels
59.5% fat
peanut butter 50.6% fat

Sunflower seeds, peanuts, peanut butter, and safflower seeds are all high fat foods that need to be restricted to a small part of the diet.

[stillmore]

Oh no! I did not mean sunflower seeds. The ones I mean are for budgies with fruit and vitamins. I was just wondering because I read on another thread that a particular budgie owner does not give her bird "sunseeds" and I was thinking she meant the ones I am feeding my bird...so I wanted to check.

[homebird]

- i don't know this kind of seed mix or is it a 'pellet'?

Yes it can all be very confusing - just try to do your best & buy fresh seed & store seed in air tight containers kept in a cool/dry/dark place.

My birds get a variety of bird seeds meant for Budgies. They also get fresh foods & some baked goods. They also have their pieces of millet for treats & fresh grass heads [Rio's bedtime treat].

[stillmore]

Yes it is a seed mix...I think I have got it covered and my Wilma is pretty healthy and happy so no worries...thanks for your time and have fun with your fids...

[Monica]

Amazon.com: Sun - Home & Garden: Home & Garden

Personally, I think it's crap....

[homebird]

Monica could you say why you think it's 'crap" ? - i've never heard you say anything like that before!

[stillmore]

thanks for your feed back Monica...could you suggest something that would be better for my bird?.

[stillmore]

I think I could do better than "crap"...

[homebird]

I imagine the problem for Monica - she's mentioned this before - if the seeds have colour or supplements on them it is a waste. The birds crack open the seeds & miss the supplements.

I look & look at Budgie seeds offered in the pet stores. A number of people have recommended Organic seeds.

here are some links i have for reference.
Totally Organics TOP Organic Bird Pellets
Foundation Formula Pellets - 100% Certified Organic Pellet - Nature's Choice Essentials 100% Certified Organic Bird Food
Budgie Butter - the choice of champions
AVIAN TRIO

recipes - also see the recipe section here!
Parrot Recipes

This link may not work any more http://www.holisticbirds.com/Hbn02/a...es/foodpp3.htm - i had some trouble with it but i'll include some quotes form my notes

The Myths & Debunking the Myths
1. Nutrition is too complex for ordinary people to understand.
True, the science of nutrition is complex. Understanding the interaction of nutrients, their chemistry, and how they function does require advanced studies.
However, advanced knowledge is not required to to feed birds any more than it is required to feed oneself and ones family. Until recently, as long as food has been available, people have, for thousands of years, managed to feed their families a healthy diet with little or no understanding of nutrition beyond the common sense basics.
2. Pet owners can't feed their birds a healthy diet without using pellets
This is not true, but feeding a healthy diet does take a little thought and effort. If a pet owner isn't willing to rise to the challenge, then feeding the bird either all seeds or all pellets will be the result. Neither option can be considered a healthy diet for all parrots.
Non-breeding cockatiels and budgies do fairly well on an all seed diet and senegals do fairly well on an all pellet diet. These are the only two species, in my experience, that manage to maintain long-term health on an exclusive diet of either pellets or seeds.
Pet owners who are able to follow a few simple common sense guidelines can indeed feed their birds a far healthier diet than either all seeds or all pellets.
3. Pet owners who don't feed their birds pellets are condemning them to die of diseases caused by malnutrition.
This is true only if pet owners feed an all seed diet or a diet of human junk food or a diet limited to a bird's favorite few foods. I once visited a macaw who would only eat mashed potatoes and gravy. This bird's feathers were patterned with black bars, a sign of malnutrition.
Birds on a manufactured diet can also suffer and die from malnutrition. Malnutrition means bad nutrition. Some formulated diets are too high in some nutrients and too low in other nutrients for certain species and individuals. Either extreme, if fed on a daily basis, is poor nutrition.
4. Pet owners are too uneducated to design a balanced diet for birds
This is not true. Designing a balanced diet for a bird requires two things:
1. Having a general idea of what their species thrives on in nature
2. Possessing enough common sense to follow food pyramid guidelines
If the bird has a health problem that requires a specialized diet, then the pet owner might need to consult with an avian nutrition professional for help developing an appropriate diet.
5. Pet owners are too lazy and undisciplined to feed their birds a good diet.
This might be true for some but not all pet owners. It can be overcome with strategy and a little willingness to make the effort required for keeping a companion animal. The food pyramid we are about to design can help.
6. Birds in the wild die from malnutrition
Yes, some birds do, but not under normal circumstances. Here are some of the reasons birds die from malnutrition in the wild:
• They have come to depend on raiding domestic crops because their natural foraging areas have been destroyed. Subsisting on one kind of food will typically cause malnutrition...unless their diet is specialized to that one food.
• Disease or injury makes them unable to forage.
• A bad growing season, drought, fire, or pests have decimated their naturally foraged food.
• Heavy competition for food in one area.
7. Manufactured diets are superior to diets based on nature..
This simply is not true. Manufactured diets have several problems including:
• Narrow focus - only take macro and micro nutrients into account.
• Use grain, which is not a natural food for most parrots, as the base.
• Exclude fruits, nuts, and green vegetation, which is the major natural food source of most parrots.
• Ignore the importance of diet variation and rotation.
• Do not accommodate species or individual needs.
• Many more issues that have been covered in previous articles.
(See back issues)
8. Pellets are good, Seeds are bad.
Neither seeds nor pellets are a perfect and complete diet by themselves. Neither seeds nor pellets are completely bad.
Seeds are good food, contain many nutrients, and can be a part of a healthy diet. Single types of foods in nature are seldom a complete diet for any animal.
Pellets contain a balance of macro and micro nutrients that livestock nutritionists have decided will fill all the nutritional needs of captive parrots. These formulations are based on studies of chickens conducted over 20 years ago and are limited to what was known about nutrition at that time.