Eating an apple a day helps keep the doctor at bay, and the vet too? The price and availability also make apples an obvious choice for your budgie’s diet. So, can budgies eat apples?
Yes, budgies can eat apples but pay special attention to the preparation. The nutrient-rich skin and tasty flesh of an apple are perfect budgie treats, but the core can be fatal.
How to Prepare Apple for Budgies to Eat
There are lots of varieties of apples, from green Granny Smiths to the iconic Red Delicious.
Some are sweeter, while others are tart. There are apples with firmer consistency, and those that are juicier — and that’s raw apples! You can buy them cooked or dried as well.
Your budgie is likely to prefer sweeter varieties, and softer apples are easier for them to enjoy. You can feed them dried apple bits and cooked apples are fine too, without syrup.
Budgies are adventurous birds, so they’ll appreciate some variety. Let them choose their own favourite. If you’re offering fresh apples, preparation is key.
- Scrub the apple first, as they’re often treated with pesticides whilst being grown.
- Once they are clean on the outside, it’s time to clean them on the inside. You need to remove all seeds and seed fragments from the apple before you can serve it to your bird.
The seeds are like little cyanide pills for a budgie and even one of them can be fatal if eaten.
If you have an apple corer, this is the perfect time to use it. The seeds are a danger, but the tough, sharp membrane is not something your budgie should eat.
- Once you’ve removed the seeds and core, it’s time to cut the apple down to size. Budgies will peck away at apple wedges or slices. The best way is to serve this fruit is to dice it.
You don’t have to cut away the peels, provided you cleaned the apple well.
Budgies have a special love for warm fruit. It often reminds them of eating food warmed by the summer sun in the wild.
- If you want to give them a treat, place the apple slices or chunks in the microwave for a few seconds. Your feathered friend will thank you for it…
Is Apple Good for Budgies?
Once you remove the seeds, apples are a fine source of nourishment for your budgie.
Because of the sugar content, you’ll want to limit the size to a small amount each day. Your budgie might have a sweet tooth or rather, a sweet beak, but that doesn’t mean you should indulge it.
Calibrate your bird’s diet plan to allow for apple’s sugar content, and you can make it a part of their daily feed. They’ll appreciate the energy it provides and the important nutrients the apple contains.
Apples are great sources of fibre, and a budgie’s belly will process food better for it. There’s a small quantity of protein in an apple as well, but you should rely on other foods to provide this nutrient.
Quercetin will keep your bird healthy and cheerful. Whilst, catechin will support their sharp mind-muscle.
An apple also has a selection of essential vitamins and minerals that budgies need. On the vitamin front, apples contain the following in significant quantities:
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
Niacin and vitamin E are beneficial to your bird’s heart.
With niacin lowering cholesterol and Vitamin E preventing heart disease in your bird. Vit C bolsters the bird’s immune system and will help assist with healthy skin and feathers.
Apples are richer in minerals than vitamins, but are a good source of the following:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
Calcium, magnesium and phosphorous benefit your budgie’s bone structure.
As they provide strength, govern development, and influence the growth of bones. Magnesium also helps with blood pressure and keeps your budgies little heartbeat regular.
Phosphorus helps detoxify the kidneys and is a part of new tissue and cell formation.
Potassium is integral to muscle and nerve function. Your budgie’s graceful flight and responses to stimuli are both thanks to this mineral.
Dried and cooked apples are lower in phytonutrients and vitamins than when fresh!