Just got your first budgies but accidentally bought cockatiel food for them? Well, this is a common issue with inexperienced bird owners. But the question is, what do you do in this case?
Can budgies eat cockatiel food? Yes, you can feed the cockatiel food to budgies as long as it contains pellets, seed mixes, a variety of fruits, and vegetables. However, because of their differences in size, you must minimize the food portions. You also must reduce the size of larger seeds.
But are there any benefits or risks for budgies eating food for cockatiels? Well, our guide covers all that you need to know concerning budgies eating cockatiel seed-based diets.
Can You Feed Cockatiel Food to Budgies?
Yes, budgies can eat cockatiel food since they have similar dietary requirements as cockatiels. Not to mention, the two pet birds are parrot species. And as you might already know, parrot food mainly comprises pellets, a mix of seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
However, while these two medium-sized birds belong to the same parrot family, they have some differences. And these differences may affect how you feed cockatiel food to your budgies. Check out this table to understand how these two adorable birds differ:
| Features | Adult Budgie | Adult Cockatiel |
| Weight | 1.1 to 1.4 ounces | 2.5 to 4.2 ounces |
| Length | 5 to 11 inches | 12 to 14 inches |
| Beak | Strong and medium size | Stronger and larger |
From the above table, it’s clear that budgies are smaller than their cockatiel counterparts. Therefore, their nutritional requirements are not the same as those of cockatiels. So, when giving cockatiel food to your parakeets, you must reduce the servings. This is because cockatiel food may contain higher caloric content than what your budgies need.
A good example is sunflower seeds, a common ingredient in cockatiel food, which is available in higher concentrations. These bird seeds contain high-fat content, which is excellent for cockatiels but not for budgies because of their small size. It could lead to obesity in parakeets.
Another thing is that most cockatiel food mixes contain bigger chunks of dried seeds and pellets. This is compared to what you will find in budgie food mixes. And because parakeets are relatively small parrots, they may have trouble eating food containing larger types of seeds. So, you must break the seeds into smaller sizes for these species of birds.
Do Budgies Like Cockatiel Food?
Yes. Budgies enjoy eating a wide range of vegetables and fresh fruits, including tropical and citrus fruits. These bird species also love feeding on a variety of seeds. And as it turns out, cockatiel food comprises all the above food items and human foods.
Health Benefits For Budgies Eating Cockatiel Food?
Food for cockatiels comprises 75% pellets and 25% seeds. These birds also eat leafy greens, veggies, and fruits as part of their daily diet. So, below are some nutritional benefits of parakeets eating this type of food.
Offers a balanced nutrition
Pellet mix for cockatiels contain balanced fat content, minerals, fatty acids, and essential vitamins. As it turns out, budgies also need all these nutrients to stay healthy and avoid nutrient deficiency.
Improves their immunity
Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin A, C, and E. Therefore, when you feed your budgies food for cockatiels, it may help boost their overall immunity.
Enhances digestion
Cockatiel seed diets have high contents of dietary fiber, which is essential in preventing certain gastrointestinal conditions. So, when your budgies eat this type of food, it could improve their overall digestion.
Keeps their beaks and bones healthy
Similar to parakeet foods, cockatiel food is a rich source of minerals such as calcium. This mineral is essential in improving the health of the budgie’s beak, bones, and feather structure.
Regulates heart rate and blood pressure
Cockatiel pellets also contain significant amounts of potassium and low levels of sodium. These two nutrients play a critical role in regulating your bird’s blood pressure and ensuring a healthy heart.
How Much Cockatiel Food Should Budgies Eat?
Compared to cockatiels, budgies are petite in size. Therefore, you cannot feed them the same quantity of food as pet cockatiels. In other words, when feeding a cockatiel pellet diet to your parakeets, you must reduce the portions. Or otherwise, your bird might consume more caloric food than they need.
How Do You Prepare Cockatiel Food for Budgies?
If the seeds and pellets are larger in diameter, you can finely grind just a small amount of them. Then, put the powder in a bowl and add warm, clean water to the pellet-seed mix before giving the food to your bird pet.
Alternatively, you can hand-feed them the pellets and seeds but make sure to break the big-sized grains in halves. As for fruits and vegetables, wash them with lots of fresh water.
After that, slice them into small chunks and remove the pits of fruits like apples, apricots, peaches, plums, and cherries. Next, place the bit-sized fruits in a separate dish and offer them to your larger birds as an occasional treat.
Can You Feed Cockatiel Food to Baby Budgies? If so, how?
Yes, baby budgies can eat baby cockatiel’s food. You just use a syringe or an eyedropper to hand-feed the babies. Then, position the eyedropper on the right or left side of your bird’s beak and push the food in. Make sure to give the baby budgies the food several times a day but in small portions.
Now, check out this quick video of a budgie enjoying some cockatiel pellets.
Is Budgie Food the Same as Cockatiel Food?
The simple answer is no. Budgie or parakeet food is specifically designed for these birds in terms of nutrient requirements. Similarly, cockatiels food is formulated for cockatiels alone.
However, you can still feed cockatiel mix to your budgies in small proportions. This is as long as the food is a balanced diet containing leafy greens, pellets, seed mixes, and fruits.
What are the Potential Risks for Budgies Eating Cockatiel Food?
Budgies can safely eat food for cockatiels if it’s a balanced diet. However, if you fail to reduce the servings, your aviary birds may suffer from obesity and other health issues. This is because the food contains higher caloric content than what budgies need.
Additionally, some pet cockatiel food could be a choking hazard for adult budgies since most seeds and pellets are sizable. So, you need to crush the bigger-sized grains into smaller pieces for your parakeet.
FAQ
Before we conclude, let’s check out some frequently asked questions about budgies eating pet cockatiel type of food.
Of course, yes. However, you should not feed the food to your parakeets as a daily diet. This is because other birds’ food may not be nutritionally balanced to meet the exact nutritional requirements of your budgies.
Budgies should never eat junk food, or caffeinated products like soda, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. Also, you must never give your aviary birds chocolate and very salty foods, including chips.
Most budgies love eating kale, and leafy greens, including parsley, spinach, and carrots. They also love feeding on celery stalks, seed mixes, fresh fruits, and cucumber slices for snacks.
Conclusion
You should not have any problems feeding cockatiel food to budgies. After all, cockatiel and budgies come from the same parrot family. However, since these two pet parrots differ in size, you must pay attention to how much cockatiel food you feed your budgies. More importantly, you must learn how to prepare the food before giving it to your baby budgies.
Do you know if your budgies can eat corn or cheese? Read our articles about it to learn more.
