Can Budgies Eat Kale? [Is Kale Safe For Budgies?]

Budgies, also known as budgerigars or parakeets, are among the most popular pet birds. They are very social birds who require a lot of attention and affection. Budgies need a well-balanced diet that includes vegetables like kale.

So, can budgies eat kale? Yes, they can. Kale contains numerous nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Kale also provides multiple health benefits to budgies. Not only does it maintain the health of the budgies’ respiratory system, but it also aids in bone formation and reduces stress. However, ensure the budgie does not overeat kale.

You can serve it alongside grains and fruits to create a balanced diet for the budgies. This article will teach you everything about budgies eating kale, and its benefits, among other related topics.

Can You Feed Kale to Budgies? – Is Kale Good for Budgies

Yes, they can. It is a nutritious treat for your parakeet. Kale is rich in vitamins that are essential for your bird’s development. As much as kale is healthy, budgie owners should refrain from offering kale as the sole food for the budgie. Ensure you present it as part of the budgie’s diet.

You can serve it along with grains and fruits. Also, wash the kale thoroughly before feeding it to your parakeet to eliminate germs. The goal of offering kale is to supplement the budgie’s diet to ensure that the bird is getting all the nutrients that might be missing in its diet.

So as much as kale is nutritious, ensure the budgie does not overeat it. A one-food diet can have severe consequences on the budgie.

Is Kale Good For Budgies?

Yes, kale is good for budgies. It is a member of the Brassica family and is considered a superfood by humans. This leafy vegetable contains fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, manganese, calcium, and protein.

On the other hand, you should serve it in moderation because it is high in oxalates which can be toxic to your budgie if ingested in high quantities.

There are several types of kale, and not all of them have the same nutritional benefits. They include; Russian kale, curly kale, and lacinato kale. If you choose to serve the kale raw, ensure you remove the rough stems and chop the leaves to prevent the budgie from choking.

Why Should You Feed Your Budgies Kale?

As we have established, kale is a nutrient-packed treat that benefits your budgie. Budgies need a good amount of vitamins, and the kale has a variety of them. Also, kale has minerals essential for bone formation, good metabolism, and a healthy heart.

Also, kale’s vitamins facilitate healthy cell and tissue growth, a well-formed plumage, and vision. So, kale is an excellent addition to your budgies’ diet. However, if the budgie feeds too much on it, it risks being intoxicated by oxalates. Apart from that, kale has a lot of health benefits which we will look at in the next section.

The Benefits Of Feeding Your Budgies Kale

Due to the high levels of vitamins and minerals, kale is one of the most nutritious veggies. This makes it highly beneficial for your pet budgies. Here are some of the benefits of feeding your budgie kale.

Let us start with the Vitamins:

Vitamin A

It helps with the budgie’s vision, tissue and cell development, and brain development. It also enhances the overall immune system performance and helps form the skeletal system.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 aids with DNA synthesis and hemoglobin development. Vitamin B6 also reduces stress in budgerigars. It helps to prevent hyperactivity and other polyneuritis. It is also essential for brain development.

Vitamin C

Kale contains vitamin C, which promotes bone development. Vitamin C is also a cancer preventative, and it helps a parakeet’s respiratory system stay healthy. It also aids in renal health and hastens the body’s healing process.

Budgerigars build healthy skin because vitamin C is crucial for collagen development. It also aids in iron absorption and muscle and blood vessel development.

Vitamin K

It promotes blood clotting and regulates blood flow in the event of an injury. Vitamin K aids bone development and red blood cell formation and keeps the calcium levels in the budgie’s body in check.

Minerals:

Potassium

Kale is rich in potassium which aids in maintaining the correct fluid balance. It ensures the budgie has the ideal blood pressure and helps with water retention. A budgie with an optimum fluid balance has fewer stroke chances.

Copper

It aids in blood vessel formation and aids the functioning of the immune system. It also helps with iron absorption and plays a significant role in preventing cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.

Calcium

Kale contains some traces of calcium which is essential for bone and enamel development. Calcium also strengthens the budgie’s bones and helps the functioning of the neurological system. If a budgie lacks calcium in its body, it could lead to severe health issues.

Calcium also aids in maintaining a proper heartbeat and the formation of egg shells. Also, calcium helps strengthen the weak bones of young and aging budgies.

Manganese and zinc

These two minerals aid in bone and tissue formation, muscle movement, and the functioning of platelets.

The following are other vital elements found in kale:

• Kale is high in fiber which aids with digestion.
• It also has thiamin which aids in neuron functionality and energy metabolism.
• Kale has riboflavin which aids in the formation of red blood cells.
• It also has folate, which is necessary for DNA synthesis, nervous system development, and cell division.
• Kale has traces of proteins that facilitate muscle growth and intestinal functioning.

Types Of Kale Budgies Can Eat

Here are the types of kale you can feed your budgie.

Raw Kale

Raw kale is rich in vitamin A and other vital elements that improve a budgie’s health. Raw kale is easy to prepare. All you have to do is wash it well, chop it into small pieces and serve it to your budgerigar. Raw kale also has more nutrients than cooked kale. Ensure you provide the raw kale in moderation.

Cooked/steamed Kale

Cooking kale is another way you can offer kale to your budgerigar. However, do not cook with oil or put salt and spices. Why? Because it could be potentially harmful to the budgie. Cooking the kale reduces the level of oxalates in the kale.

On the other hand, cooking the kale makes it lose some elemental nutrients. So ensure you serve the cooked kale with other foods which compensate for the lost nutrients.

Kale Flakes

Kale flakes are a processed type of kale. When buying kale flakes, ensure you look at the ingredients. Some kale flakes contain too much salt or spices that harm your budgie. So if you are going to feed the budgie kale flakes, feed them unseasoned kale flakes.

Kale Juice

Kale juice or smoothies are water-based nourishments that usually contain many sugar and other additives. So, try feeding kale juice to your budgerigar in small amounts.

How Much Kale Can You Feed Budgies?

A typical budgie diet consists of 80% grains and pellets. So, only 20% of the diet is for fruits and vegetables. You should feed your budgie three to five grams of kale 2-4 times a week.

Ensure you mix the kale with fruits and grains to keep the diet balanced. A lot of kale can result in gastrointestinal problems and other nutritional-related diseases.

How to serve kale to budgies?

Here’s how you can feed kale to budgies:

• Clean the kale thoroughly
• Chop the kale into small pieces
• Mix the kale with pellets, grains, or fruit
• Serve the kale to your budgie

You can also cook, bake or blend the kale into a smoothie for the budgie. Ensure you do not put any additives such as salt or spice. Also, provide the budgie with water to drink after its meal.

Video of Budgie eating kale

Here is a video to show you that budgies can eat kale.

Types Of Kale Budgies Shouldn’t Eat

You should not feed your budgie kale if it is cooked with spices such as garlic or pepper. Spices can lead to gastrointestinal diseases and other severe health issues. Also, avoid kale that has been treated with pesticides and any kale flakes that are seasoned.

FAQs

Here are other related questions budgie owners usually ask.

Conclusion

Regarding the question, “can budgies eat kale?” Now you know the answer. Kale is a nutritious leafy vegetable that is beneficial to your budgie. However, feed it in moderation because it contains oxalates which are harmful to your pet bird.

Wash the kale and chop it into smaller pieces for the budgie to swallow it more easily. Remember, avoid feeding the budgie pesticide-treated kale and seasoned kale flakes- all the best with your pet budgie.

Resources:

• https://www.birdhealth.com.au/feeding-budgerigars