If you are wondering whether parakeets can eat cucumber, you have come to the right place. Some parts of the cucumber are healthy, while other parts are harmful. Parakeets have a unique diet. Their taste is different and the foods they like are different from most birds. With this said, you should give great attention to what you feed a parakeet. As the owner of the parakeet, your aim should be to keep the bird happy and healthy. You should also know that some vegetables are harmful to budgies and not only budgies but also other birds. This is the reason I have decided to write this post. To know whether parakeets can eat cucumber.
So, can parakeets eat cucumber?
Well, Yes. Parakeets do eat cucumbers, and these cucumbers have even become parakeets favorite. Although they like cucumber, you should not give it to them every day. Cucumbers have some nutritional value that is helpful to the birds. Stay tuned to know why you should not give cucumbers to Parakeets every day and some of the nutritional value from cucumbers.
As a first-time keeper, you might find it difficult to know some of the useful foods for the parakeet and some that are harmful. In this article, I will mention the foods that add some nutritional value to parakeets and the foods that are harmful to the bird and most importantly, whether cucumbers are healthy to parakeets. Check our blog post on how long do parakeets live.
Nutritional Value From Cucumbers
Cucumbers are well known for their numerous nutrients. They add a lot of nutritional value to people when consumed. You should also include them in your parakeet’s diet. First of all, cucumber contains different vitamins like vitamins A, B, and K, which are very vital. They also contain minerals like magnesium and potassium. Cucumbers will also make your bird’s feathers glow as it contains silicic acid. That is not all. Cucumber has water which is very important to birds. This is what helps with the digestion. In short, your bird may only need cucumber to live a healthy life as the cucumber has almost all the nutrients required. Right? Well, no. Cucumbers are not that healthy when fed to parakeets in large amounts. The reason being that cucumber has a lot of water which is not suitable for most birds. A parakeet requires little water. When in excess, the bird will suffer runny droppings. This will end up dehydrating the bird which is bad. These birds can only survive a short while without water. This, therefore, means that cucumber should only be used as treats and not as a daily food routine.
Can Parakeets Eat Cucumber Seeds?
I have mentioned earlier that cucumbers are good to parakeets, and it even happens that they love cucumbers. The funny thing is that cucumber seeds are not suitable for Parakeets. They are harmful to these birds. The thing is, cucumber seeds contain amygdalin which is poisonous to these birds. You wouldn’t want to see your feathered friend getting sick. Therefore, before giving cucumbers to your parakeet, make sure you remove all the seeds. That way, you will not have to worry about having a sick friend. Now that you know that cucumber seeds are not healthy to budgies, you may get paranoid and start to question whether cucumber skin is also poisonous to parakeets.
Is Cucumber Skin Harmful To Parakeets?
Just because a part of something is harmful may not always mean that the whole thing is poisonous. Cucumber seeds are harmful to parakeets, but cucumber skin is not. The skin is among the part of the cucumber that carries the nutrients of the vegetable. The skin is very healthy. However, to parakeets, the skin may be hard to digest or eat. You are therefore left with the option of peeling the cucumber. Your bird will enjoy the cucumber peeled as it will be easier to eat. Either way, it is your choice to decide. The only danger that might be with the skin is it might have some chemicals like pesticides. If you feel that you’ve washed away all the chemicals from the farm and the cucumber is safe, you can feel free and feed it to your parakeet. If this is not the case, peel the cucumber to be on the safe side.
What Can A Parakeet Eat?
A parakeet’s diet is very crucial. You need to be very keen when you are feeding your parakeet. The good thing with diets is that there is some freedom of diversity but the problem with variety is that the more foods you have to choose from, the higher the probability of having harmful foods. If that did not make sense, what I mean is that there are a lot of foods that are harmful to parakeets just as there are many healthy foods. Let us start with the foods that a parakeet can eat.
They include. Pellets, fruits like berries, grapes, kiwi, oranges, melon, apple, and pears. Parakeets also enjoy fresh vegetables like leafy greens i.e. dandelion leaves, kales, romaine lettuce, spinach, asparagus, cabbage, carrots, beets, squash, and sweet potato.
Give your bird seeds. The seeds should not form more than 10% of the whole meal in a day. 2 teaspoons of seeds is enough in a day. These foods are very healthy and they will form a healthy balanced diet for your budgie. To max out on the nutrients, you can add cuttlebones, boiled eggs, supplements of vitamin D for the birds that do not get enough sunlight.
What to not feed a parakeet
Now that we are done with what they can eat let’s have a look at what you should not feed your feathered friend.
The list includes avocado, garlic, onions, dried beans, mushrooms, coffee, carbonated beverages, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, and rhubarb. All these should not even cross your mind when thinking of what to feed your bird. Also, avoid salty and sweet treats. Avoid these and you will avoid the worst that could happen.
What Fruits And Veggies Can Parakeets Eat?
These birds appreciate healthy foods. Before you think of feeding them, ensure the food is fresh and healthy to eat. Clean the food thoroughly before giving it to your budgie. Apart from seeds and pellets, you should bring in some fruits and vegetables that way you increase the nutritional value of the diet. Some of the fruits that are healthy to parakeets are melon, pineapple, tomato, pear, carrots, berries, grapes, oranges, and kiwi. For the veggies, try most vegetables with vitamin A like squash, carrots, asparagus, beets, sweet potato, broccoli, cooked corn and beans, and zucchini. Don’t feed them all these foods at once. Vary them each day and your budgie will gain the most out of these foods and hence be healthy and happy.
Now that we know the nutritional value of cucumbers, the harm it can cause to parakeets, and the foods that are healthy to parakeets, you must ensure that you do the right thing. Be diverse with the bird’s diet while keeping in mind the harmful foods. This will help with strengthening the bird’s nutrition, and your parakeet will leave a healthy life and will always be happy. The feathers of the bird will glow and will always be beautiful when you give more attention to its diet.
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