Last Updated on March 22, 2023 by Lily Aldrin
It’s a basic question from a bird owner that can parakeets eat bread? People who haven’t been in any experience with previous bird keeping want to know what their pet bird can eat. There have been many discussions on what parakeets can eat and which things are prohibited for them.
The simple answer to parakeets and bread is. Yes, they can eat bread. Taking care of your Parakeet with limited bread every so often and with some restraint is alright; in excessive feeding of bread, it very well may be perilous. You don’t want your budgie to get sick or serious by consuming too much bread, which is not good for its appetite.
So we take this question in more detail with common questions asked by parakeet owners.
Can Parakeets Eat Bread?
Yes, Parakeets can eat bread. You just have to be careful that only organic, high-quality bread should be fed to your bird which is soft and easy to digest. The benefit of feeding organic bread is that they are free of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers that are generally used for growing grains. These things are not healthy for Parakeet, and in the case of organic bread, they are pure.
There will be many more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and also antioxidants that can help to improve the health of your bird. Be sure and certain to feed the right quantity of bread because the quantities present in bread are enough to harm your bird. If you are not careful, then the quantity of salt present in bread can most likely affect the kidneys of your Parakeet.
Is Bread Healthy For Parakeet?
Bread is considered a normal diet for your pet. It shouldn’t be considered as a regular diet for your Parakeet as you feed it with pellets and seeds. A high amount of bread consumption may cause your Parakeet to get sick and even die.
Keep away from any standard shop-purchased bread, as these will contain salt, which can harm parakeet’ss kidneys. A natural wholemeal portion with no additional salt is alright, in limited quantities. There isn’t a lot of sustenance in this food for parakeets, so you should only consider giving it to your Parakeet as a treat. Don’t feed bread at an excessive rate to your Parakeet.
Bread Nutritional Values
Bread is a common food item made out of wheat which has nutritional values that we have listed in the table given below.
White bread | Whole-wheat bread | Sourdough bread | |
Serving size | 1 slice (25 grams) | 1 thin slice (33 grams) | 1 small slice (32 grams) |
Calories | 67 | 92 | 93 |
Total fat | 1 gram | 2 grams | 0.6 grams |
Carbs | 13 grams | 17 grams | 18 grams |
Protein | 2 grams | 3 grams | 4 grams |
Fiber | 0.6 grams | 2 grams | 1 gram |
Thiamine | 8% of the RDI | 7% of the RDI | 9% of the RDI |
Folate | 7% of the RDI | 5% of the RDI | 12% of the RDI |
Sodium | 7% of the RDI | 5% of the RDI | 9% of the RDI |
Manganese | 6% of the RDI | 31% of the RDI | 8% of the RDI |
Selenium | 6% of the RDI | 18% of the RDI | 12% of the RDI |
Riboflavin | 5% of the RDI | 4% of the RDI | 5% of the RDI |
Niacin | 5% of the RDI | 7% of the RDI | 8% of the RDI |
Iron | 5% of the RDI | 6% of the RDI | 6% of the RDI |
Source: HealthLine
How Often Can Parakeet Eat Bread?
You should not make the bread as a regular meal of your bread. Try giving it to your bird in limited quantity, as it can most likely affect your bird’s health. Parakeets don’t have a strong appetite, and their lifespan is also very low, from 7 to 12 years. You don’t want to risk your bird’s life by feeding it too much bread.
As recommended by some experts, parakeets can eat half slice of bread into pieces once a week. Don’t consider giving it more than that because your bird may not feel well after it has consumed too much bread quantity.
How To Feed Bread To Parakeets?
It is easy to feed bread to a parakeet as they just have to nibble on the pieces that your make of bread with your hand by taking a small part of the crust of your bread and hold it right in front of your Parakeet or place it in a dish where your Parakeet can peck at it easily.
If your Parakeet is enjoying the bread, let him eat. If you feel like bread is not good enough for your Parakeet, then take it away but don’t try to force-feed your pet. Try to provide organic wholemeal bread that is given to the Parakeet in moderation.
There might be a problem that you may not be able to find a bread with limited additives, preservatives, or having a low quantity of salt and sugar in it. Under these conditions, consider giving your Parakeet baked bread which might be a good solution. This will also help the parakeets to enjoy a more delicious healthy meal.
How Many Bread Should I Feed My Parakeet?
You can only feed one piece of bread in moderation to your Parakeet once a week. Don’t consider going above this limit as it’s not safe for the health of your bird. Try to crush the bread into tiny pieces so that it becomes easier for your bird to chew it on.
Don’t make bread feeding a habit of your bird; Budgies are vulnerable to iodine deficiencies, obesity, and other nutrition-related problems. Malnutrition is common if too much bread is fed to your Parakeet.
Alternative Food for Parakeet
If your Parakeet doesn’t like bread, then you can use some alternative food to feed your Parakeet with.
- Pellets
- Seeds
- Fruits
- Vegetables
Conclusion
This was a discussion on parakeets and bread. The details for bread have been shared, and info related to bread’s positive and negative effects have also been included here. For more details and info, you can leave a reply below.
FAQ
Is it OK to give parakeets bread?
Bread is a normal diet for your pet. It shouldn’t be considered as a healthy food for your Parakeets like fruits and vegetables. A high amount of bread consumption may cause your Parakeet to get sick and even die.
Can a budgie eat bread?
Yes, they can eat bread but try to avoid any standard shop-bought loaves. Usually, these bread items have a very high salt amount which can damage the parakeets’ kidneys.