If you’ve recently become the proud owner of a pet chicken or, better yet, a backyard flock, then you may have noticed that there are many types of bird food on the market.
It can be confusing to figure out just what kind your feathered friend should eat!
One popular option is parakeet food, but is it safe for chickens?
Read on as we explore this topic and answer all your questions about whether or not chickens can indeed munch on parakeet food.
Contents
Can Chickens Eat Parakeet Food?
While chickens and parakeets may seem to have a lot in common – both being birds, for instance – their dietary needs vastly differ. However, yes, chickens can eat parakeet food.
Chickens can benefit from having a small amount of parakeet food added to their feed mixes, but for the best health of chickens, it’s always better to stick to formulated chicken feeds.
This is because chickens need more protein than parakeets and require vitamins and minerals such as calcium found in most chicken foods that they just won’t get from regular parakeet food.
In addition to all this, chickens love being able to peck around after fresh herbs like parsley which also contribute to their diet. Suppose chickens don’t receive the right amount of protein, or any of the other essential nutrients. In that case, this will lead to anemia, weight loss and other maladies that can be easily avoided by proper nutrition!
Here’s a touching video about “Tony” and “Lilo.” Lilo actually eats a little of Tony’s food in the video. Visual proof that chickens eat parakeet food!
Can Chickens Eat Budgie Food?
Can chickens eat budgie food? Sure, why not? After all they are the same as parakeets. Budgie is just a different word for parakeet.
While chickens might be able to tolerate some of the ingredients that are found in birdseed mixes, they ultimately require a much more nutrient-dense and calcium-heavy diet than parakeets.
So feel free to give your chickens the odd treat of some budgie food every now and then – just don’t forget to bring them back to reality with their own chicken feed!
Actually, there’s a good variety of foods that work well as treats for chickens but shouldn’t be fed to them too often:
Do Chickens Like Bird Seeds?
Chickens are omnivores – so just about anything goes when it comes to their diet.
That said, chickens can be fussy eaters, and some chickens don’t seem that keen on a bowl full of bird seed. Of course, chickens will certainly love snacking on herbs, like fennel, and other delicious snacks you provide them with – but if you’re offering bird seed, you might get less enthusiasm than you’d expect!
Each chicken is an individual and will have its own unique tastes and preferences.
Each chicken is an individual and will have its own unique tastes and preferences. I suppose chickens know best when it comes to picking snacks that are satisfying as well as healthy!
Some Tasty Foods That Chickens Can Eat
It’s important not to overindulge chickens with treats, but chickens can certainly partake in a few tasty cross-species foods from time to time.
Cooked rice, oats and pasta make great treats for chickens, as do vegetables like carrots, celery, and broccoli. Fruity snacks like apples, berries and bananas are also acceptable for chickens to enjoy. Plus, chickens love to munch on tasty cooked beans and lentils and crunchy sunflower seeds and nuts like peanuts and almonds.
Just be sure that everything is cooked properly – chickens shouldn’t be noshing on any raw grains or beans full of bacteria!
It’s also best to avoid high-sugar treats, as they could cause health issues like obesity in chickens. Of course, no matter what kinds of things chickens eat, they should never make up more than 10% of their diet. Now, if only chickens were capable of appreciating the wonderful taste of herbs… but, alas, they have weak taste buds.
On The Other Hand… Foods Dangerous To Chickens
When it comes to chickens, you need to be careful when it comes to their diet.
While chickens love their share of juicy herbs and bugs in the yard, there are some surprisingly harmful foods that chickens should never get close to.
Avocados, caffeine, chocolate, green tomatoes and potatoes, moldy food, onions and raw beans all make for terrible meals for chickens, and that’s not even mentioning sugary drinks like soda!
So if you’re considering giving them something out of the ordinary from your pantry, play it safe and stick to foods you know to be safe until you get more information.
Conclusion
Chickens can eat budgie/parakeet food, however, it is important to make it only a small part of their diet.
In other words, chickens like bird seeds and will enjoy eating them, but they should not be the only thing that chickens eat.
There are a variety of treat foods that are fine for chickens to eat in moderation, but there are also some foods that you should never give your chickens.
So, if you have any questions about what foods are best for your chickens, do your research so that you don’t end up harming them.
Photo by Jason Wong on Unsplash
