Basics
Composition
For budgies, unlike other parakeets, the grain food should contain mainly very small seeds, such as millet.
- different types of millet (%-70%)
- Glossy or pointed seed (%-30%)
- Oat kernels (max. 5%)
- Oilseeds (max. 5%)
- other seeds (Dari, Milo, buckwheat, etc.)
- Grass seed (%-20%)
- Herb and lettuce seeds
- (dried herbs)
- (flowers)
Seed species
Since only very small seeds are interesting for budgies, the quite large protein-rich seeds, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and mung beans, are not mentioned here.
Due to the high content of carbohydrates, these are very rich in energy, but have only a relatively low content of essential amino acids and minerals.
Therefore, grain mixtures containing cereals must not be fed exclusively, as this would lead to health problems sooner or later.
Examples include:
- Millet
- Glossy or pointed seed ( = canary seed)
- Dari
- Milo
- Oat kernels
- Buckwheat
- …
Oilseeds are not too important for the diet of parakeets. However, due to their fat content, these may only make up a maximum of 5% of the grain mixture.
Examples include:
- Hemp
- Flaxseed / Chia
- Kardi
- Negro Seeds
- Sesame
- …
These are usually a low-calorie and healthy supplement to the high-carbohydrate and high-fat seeds.
Examples include:
- Grass seed
- Wild herb seeds
- Herb and lettuce seeds
- …
Unsuitable seeds
- Sunflower seeds (too high in calories)
- Nuts (not suitable for budgies)
- Hemp (strong breeding instinct/possible aggressive behavior of roosters).
- Turnip rape (impairs the utilization of iodine)
Undesirable ingredients
Grain mixtures
Grain mixtures without grass seeds (= “Welli fast food”), I have excluded from the outset, since these represent a malnutrition and have in the long run health problems to result and are thus for me indiscussable.
My recommendations
Here, of course, I can only list grain mixtures that I have tested and fed myself.
This means that other grain mixtures can also be recommended, but I can’t pass judgment on them because I haven’t had a chance to look at them myself yet.
Primus Basis
I use this mixture as the main feed.
- 8 different types of millet (60%)
- Grass seed percentage (10%)
- Herbs (e.g. chickweed and dandelion)
- no oilseeds
Composition:
Silver millet, La Plata millet, Japan millet, red millet, Senegal millet, green millet, mohair millet, manna millet, glossy seed, meadow fescue, Pagima Green and cocksfoot, oat kernels, herbs
Even though the mixture is not quite as varied as that of the grain shack, you can feed this to your budgies as their main food without hesitation. Another particularly positive aspect is the absence of oilseeds, which are rich in energy but rather insignificant in terms of nutrient content.
Welli – Fit with grass seed
I now also use this mixture as the main food to offer the budgies some variety.
- 5 different types of millet (55%)
- Grass seeds (20%)
- No oilseeds
Composition:
Plata millet (25 %), grass seed (20 %), canary seed (20 %), silver millet (10 %), red millet (10 %), Senegal millet (5 %), green millet (5 %), oat kernels (5 %)
Even though Welli-Fit does not have quite as many different types of millet as Primus Basis by Claus and does not contain any herbs, it scores with a higher grass seed content and is therefore the perfect, low-priced everyday feed.
Welli-Topfit with herbs & minerals
I use this mixture as a supplement to the other grain mixtures, as it still offers a plus of herbs and minerals.
- 5 different types of millet (50%)
- Grass seeds (15%)
- Vegetables & lettuce seeds (5%)
- Herbs & flowers (5%)
- natural minerals
- no oil seeds
Composition:
Plata millet (20%), canary seed (20%), grass seed (15%), silver millet (10%), red millet (10%), Senegal millet (5%), green millet (5%), herbs (5%), oat kernels (4.5%), spinach seed (2.5%), lettuce seed (2.5%), minerals (0.5%).
Apart from the number of different millet varieties, Welli-Topfit even surpasses Primus Basis with additional vegetable & lettuce seeds and a plus of herbs and natural minerals.
This makes the mixture particularly recommendable in times of moulting or simply as a supplement or change to the daily main feed.