How much millet can a budgie have?

A small piece once or twice a week is plenty. Millet is high in fat and very palatable, so a budgie with constant access will usually eat it in preference to its balanced mix, which is how birds end up overweight on a diet that looked fine on paper.

Do budgies need fresh water every day?

Yes, changed daily and more often if it gets fouled. Budgies dunk seed and drop husks into the bowl, so it is worth actually tipping it out and rinsing rather than topping up.

Can budgies eat fruit?

Small amounts of apple, berries or melon are fine as an occasional extra, with any pips or stones removed. Vegetables are the better everyday choice because they carry much less sugar.

Why is my budgie not eating its vegetables?

Budgies are neophobic about food and often need to see something many times before trying it. Offering the same item repeatedly, clipping greens to the bars rather than putting them in a bowl, and eating it yourself in front of them all tend to help.

What do budgies eat?

A budgie needs a complete budgie mix or pelleted food as its foundation, fresh greens a few times a week, and constant access to a cuttlebone for calcium. Millet sprays are the classic budgie treat and the classic budgie problem, because they are rich enough that a bird offered one daily will often eat little else.

The daily base

Most budgies are fed a good quality budgie seed mix, and a rounded teaspoon or two a day is a common starting point for one bird. Pelleted diets solve the selective feeding problem that seed mixes create, and many keepers use a mix of the two, though budgies can be stubborn about accepting pellets if they were raised on seed.

Whatever the base, the bowl is worth checking properly rather than glancing at. Budgies husk their seed and drop the shells back, so a bowl that looks full can be entirely empty underneath.

Greens, and what else to offer

Kale, spinach, rocket, broccoli, grated carrot and cucumber are all readily taken, and offering something fresh several times a week is a reasonable target. Introduce new things one at a time, because a budgie that has never seen a vegetable will often ignore it for days before trying it.

A cuttlebone or mineral block should be in the cage permanently. It supplies calcium and gives the beak something to work on, and hens in particular need the calcium.

Treats, and the millet question

Millet spray is extremely popular with budgies, which is exactly why it needs limiting. A small piece once or twice a week is a reasonable treat and a useful training reward; a whole spray left in the cage tends to become the entire diet.

Avocado, chocolate, caffeine and salty human foods should be kept away from budgies entirely, as should the fumes from non-stick pans.

Common questions

How much millet can a budgie have?: A small piece once or twice a week is plenty. Millet is high in fat and very palatable, so a budgie with constant access will usually eat it in preference to its balanced mix, which is how birds end up overweight on a diet that looked fine on paper.
Do budgies need fresh water every day?: Yes, changed daily and more often if it gets fouled. Budgies dunk seed and drop husks into the bowl, so it is worth actually tipping it out and rinsing rather than topping up.
Can budgies eat fruit?: Small amounts of apple, berries or melon are fine as an occasional extra, with any pips or stones removed. Vegetables are the better everyday choice because they carry much less sugar.
Why is my budgie not eating its vegetables?: Budgies are neophobic about food and often need to see something many times before trying it. Offering the same item repeatedly, clipping greens to the bars rather than putting them in a bowl, and eating it yourself in front of them all tend to help.

Sources

Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.