Can Parakeets Eat Bananas?
Coming from a home that raised birds, I was curious if the parakeets that we owned would be okay with eating bananas. I was able to do some research that I wanted to share to help with your little feathered friend.
Can parakeets eat bananas
Though this question may have been answered, there is more to help you with deciding what to feed them down below. Some of this includes toxic foods, benefits to feeding fresh fruits and vegetables.
Parakeets and Bananas
In the wild, these birds feed on fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and grain. So when bringing a domesticated parakeet into your home, it’s important that you give them the diet that they would have received if they were looking for their own food in the wild.
But what does that mean? Well, with bananas, they are able to provide potassium to the birds, which is an important part of the diet. Something that they need to continue.
Bananas are also able to provide antioxidants. These can be found in other fruits such as grapes, oranges, peaches, and blueberries. Since these birds aren’t constantly feeding on fruits, it’s important that you take the uneaten fruit out a
Unfortunately, your parakeet may not even like bananas, so you may have come here to find out what’s wrong with your bird. Absolutely nothing. There are certain fruits that these birds don’t like. Just like we don’t necessarily love Brussel sprouts or pickles.
Now, we may not all have the time to be able to go to the store and pick up a fresh bunch of bananas, so here are some solutions that you can use in order to continue offering the diet your little friend needs.
Dehydrated fruits are very good to offer as well. Some of the birds prefer the texture, or they will take it for a little swim in their water dish until it is rehydrated.
“It is important to keep in mind that some companies add artificial coloring to their dried fruits and veggies to make them visually appealing.”
Beautyofbirds.com
Another option that we have–especially convenient if you have a little one running around the house–is baby food. You can use those jars with fruits and vegetables in them, such as Gerbers.
This is another good way that you can implement fruit and vegetables into your bird’s life, though they may not all enjoy it–just be prepared.
When offering your bird fruits and vegetables, the biggest thing to remember is that each bird is different, much like people. So when you’re trying to figure out their preferences, small quantities are the best. Once you’ve reached that point of comfort, you can continue to implement more into their diet, and frequently.
Your bird might refuse to eat bananas one day, but then the next, that could be all that they want. Just understand that this is normal. There are times when what you offer isn’t piqueing their interest, but don’t lose hope. Keep introducing fruits and vegetables they may have not taken a liking to over the days.
Variety is important, so be sure to switch things up daily. We wouldn’t want to eat the same meal every day for our whole lives, so why would we make our bird?
Beware of this fruit
This could be your first time owning a parakeet, so naturally, you would like to know what food to avoid when you’re trying to give your bird the best you can. There are a lot of fruits and vegetables that are good for their diet, but one that has been known to be toxic is the avocado.
The type of avocados that are the most toxic are those that are grown in Guatemala, and that just so happens to be the ones that are normally sold in our grocery stores. So it’s best to avoid this fruit all together. While it is safe for humans, it’s not safe for your parakeet.
Within this fruit, there is a toxin called persin. Birds aren’t able to digest this, and with this comes sickness or even death. If you think that your feathered friend may have come into contact with some avocados here are the symptoms to look for:
- Unable to perch
- Trouble breathing
The symptoms usually show up within 12 hours of consuming the avocado, and death can occur within 24 hours. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of an antidote for avocado poisoning, but your vet can help with flushing them with liquids and so forth.
If your pet has had contact with this fruit, get them to the vet immediately.
Another thing that isn’t good for your bird–similar to the avocado– is the pits of cherries and peaches. They are toxic to your bird as well. So, maybe don’t offer them that as a toy to use for their beak. Instead, you can offer perches or other toys that you can find in your local pet store.
Prep for feeding
One thing that you need to really be careful about is being sure to thouroughly washing the fruits and vegetables that you are giving to your parakeet. There are chemicals that need to be washed off to ensure the safety of your bird.
Next, you’ll want to cut them into manageable pieces. There’s no way that your bird is going to eat a whole apple if you just pop it into the cage, so be sure to make it easy for them to grip and eat. That way they don’t continually struggle to get the food that they want. Bite size is the right size.
If they are taking a liking to a particular fruit, be sure to pull back the frequency of that being offered so they can try more fruit and vegetables. It’s important that a diet such as this is maintained. Although you’ll feed them other things than fruits and vegetables, these are just a few tips for this particular food group.
Although fruits and vegetables are part of your bird’s diet, you want to be sure that it’s mostly based on pellets. Parakeets love to eat seeds, but that should really be the least of their diet. It’s recommended that you move from seeds to pellet food to benefit your bird.
Seeds can be put into a concoction of wet pellets and given to your bird as you continue to help them make the transition. The reason seeds shouldn’t be the main source of your birds’ diet is that they can actually cause obesity in your feathered friend, which never is good.
A list of things that you should remember when you’re going through the checklist of feeding your bird are as follows:
- Fresh water daily
- Variety of fresh foods every day
- Varying fruits and veggies daily
- Clean all food and water dishes every day
Related Questions:
Can parakeets eat peanut butter? Parakeets can eat peanut butter. Although it’s best to keep this a rare treat, it’s something that really gives them a good source of protein. You can even consider putting it on celery or smeared on something else that your parakeet just loves.
Can parakeets eat apples? Indeed they can. But one thing that you need to be aware of is that while your bird is okay eating cut up apple slices, the seeds can actually cause problems for your bird. Many seeds and pits–including apple–contain cyanide, which isn’t the healthiest for anyone, bird or human. Cyanide will cause your pet nausea, vomiting, and could eventually put them in a coma.
Can parakeets eat cucumbers? Cucumbers have actually proven to be one of the favorites for these birds, so yes, by all means, you can definitely feed your bird cucumber. Most of the vegetables are okay to offer to your parakeet. But you should avoid rhubarb, eggplant, and raw beans, these can be toxic for your pet as well.
