Many pet owners know that Parakeets or budgies should enjoy a varied diet, which is why they can feed their birds green vegetables. Vets often recommend green vegetables for our little feathered friends. This includes cucumbers. Hence why many pet owners ask, can budgies eat cucumbers? While others may ask, can parakeets eat cucumbers?
So let’s learn about feeding your budgie cucumber and why it’s suitable for your feathered friend.
Can budgies eat cucumbers? – The facts
Is it healthy for your parakeets to eat cucumbers? Well, the answer to this question is yes. Budgies can enjoy some fresh vegetables in their diet, such as cucumbers. It contains silicic acid, which is excellent for feathering and will hydrate your parrot. However, it should only be enjoyed a few times a week, not every day, to avoid runny diarrhea and other digestive issues.
Think of it as a cool treat!
We all know that cucumbers are healthy vegetables. They can also provide many benefits for your parakeet, and occasionally considering them for inclusion in your budgies’ diet is quite essential.
Can budgies eat Cucumbers – The nutrients datasheet
| Name | Amount | Unit |
| Water | 95.2 | g |
| Energy | 15 | kcal |
| Energy | 65 | kJ |
| Protein | 0.65 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.11 | g |
| Ash | 0.38 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 3.63 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 0.5 | g |
| Sugars, total including NLEA | 1.67 | g |
| Sucrose | 0.03 | g |
| Glucose | 0.76 | g |
| Fructose | 0.87 | g |
| Maltose | 0.01 | g |
| Starch | 0.83 | g |
| Calcium, Ca | 16 | mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.28 | mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 13 | mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 24 | mg |
| Potassium, K | 147 | mg |
| Sodium, Na | 2 | mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.2 | mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.041 | mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.079 | mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.3 | µg |
| Fluoride, F | 1.3 | µg |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 2.8 | mg |
| Thiamin | 0.027 | mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 | mg |
| Niacin | 0.098 | mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 | mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.04 | mg |
| Folate, total | 7 | µg |
| Folate, food | 7 | µg |
| Folate, DFE | 7 | µg |
| Choline, total | 6 | mg |
| Betaine | 0.1 | mg |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 5 | µg |
| Carotene, beta | 45 | µg |
| Carotene, alpha | 11 | µg |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 26 | µg |
| Vitamin A, IU | 105 | IU |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 | µg |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.03 | mg |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.01 | mg |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.03 | mg |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0.04 | mg |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 16.4 | µg |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.037 | g |
Cucumbers contain many minerals and many needed vitamins that will keep your budgies healthy and feather silky! This includes vitamins A, C, and K. In addition, cucumbers also contain potassium and magnesium. Cucumbers can help your parrot get all the vitamins and minerals they need to live a long and happy budgie life.
Furthermore, cucumbers are also widely known to contain silicic acid. There is a link between silicic acid and beautiful feathers, which could mean that your pet parakeet or budgie will look gorgeous all year round.
Most notably, cucumbers contain water, which will help hydrate your parrot and help grow beautiful and colorful feathers. In addition, budgies will enjoy a new treat, and if it’s hot outside, cucumbers can be a refreshing treat for your feathered friend.
Can parakeets eat cucumber? – The risks
However, this does not, by any way, mean you should feed your parakeets with a large number of cucumbers at a time, nor regularly. If your feathered friend eats a lot of it, it could not be suitable for you.
One common side effect of feeding too much cucumber to your parakeet is the potential worry that your budgies can have diarrhea because the primary content of cucumbers is water.
While a small amount of water is good for your budgies, too much can cause them to become dehydrated. Dehydration is a secondary issue that can arise from diarrhea and vomiting; This is the last thing you want for your pet because, without enough water, parrots cannot survive for very long.
Therefore, it is best to treat your budgies to cucumber as a snack so they can get the benefits and avoid the side effects at the same time.
We recommend making about 20% of the vegetables in your parrot’s diet. Therefore, you can offer your feathered friend some fresh cucumbers as a treat several times during the week.
Can Budgies eat cucumber seeds?
While pet owners may think that feeding cucumber seeds to their budgies is harmless and won’t lead to any problems, this is not something you want to do. While budgies eat grains and seeds in their diet, cucumber seeds are not safe for your feathered friend.
They contain bitter amygdalin, which can be toxic to your parrot. Before serving cucumbers to your feathered friend, We recommend that you remove the seeds. This way, your parrot can enjoy the refreshing taste of the cucumber, and you, as the pet owner, will not worry about adverse reactions that may develop from consuming them.
Can Budgies eat cucumber skin or peels?
Another familiar question owners encounter when they want to offer their budgies with cucumbers. Is whether it is recommended to keep the skin on or to feed it skinless.
So can budgies eat cucumber peels?
Eating cucumber skins has no reported harmful effects on parakeets or budgies. They can safely eat an unpeeled cucumber as they contain nutrients too. This is actually where many of its vitamins are stored.
Budgies or parakeets can eat cucumber peels. However, they may find the skin a bit too difficult to break through into smaller pieces and may prefer to eat the insides of the cucumber for this exact reason. As a result, some budgies may even find the skin difficult to digest.
The only concern with cucumber skin is that it may contain pesticides. These chemicals may be harmful to your birdie. However, if the cucumbers are from your garden or farm, and were grown without the use of any pesticides, then you have nothing to worry about.
While you can wash them off thoroughly, you can always peel the cucumber to remove the skin if you are worried about the presence of pesticides on them. This will give you the peace of mind you deserve while knowing that your parrot is safe. Budgie Cucumber Rinds and Seeds
How to feed your parakeets some cucumbers
As we said, it’s safe to feed your budgies cucumbers a few times a week. But do you want to know the best and safest way to offer it to your budgie? We’ll outline a few steps below to make sure your budgie or parakeet will enjoy the meal while keeping any possible digestive issues from doing so at bay.
Consider organic vegetables
Pesticides are very harmful to parakeets. One way to avoid worrying about cucumbers containing pesticides is to try buying organic cucumbers if they’re available in your area.
These vegetables are not grown with pesticides and should be safe for your feathered friend to enjoy as a snack with or without peeling nor washing. (Although we still recommend thorough cleaning before feeding)
Wash cucumbers thoroughly
We highly recommend washing the cucumbers thoroughly before offering them to your parakeet or budgies, regardless of whether they are regular cucumbers purchased from the store or organic cucumbers.
The above statement will ensure that they are clean and do not have any bacterias or pesticides on them that could make them sick.
To peel or not to peel the cucumbers
As we have already discussed, cucumber peels or cucumber skins may not be the best choice for your feathered friend. It’s best to peel the skin before letting your parrot eat the cucumber.
Cut off the skin with a knife to reveal the cucumber’s watery, light green fleshy part.
Remove the seeds – All of them!
As mentioned, the cucumber’s seeds can be pretty harmful to your pet bird. Therefore, make sure you remove every seed before offering them to your pet.
They are located in the middle of the cucumber and should be easy to remove when cutting.
Ready to serve
There are two ways to serve cucumbers to your parrot. First, you can cut it into small pieces and place it on a small plate so they can choose when to eat it.
Another way to get them more interested in cucumbers is to turn it into a game. You can try using food clips on the cage to hold the cucumber in place and let them nibble on it like in a wheel.
Introduce cucumbers slowly
It’s essential to be aware that not all budgies get excited about new foods and, sometimes, new toys. Some birds hate change! So, be sure to introduce the cucumber to your feathered friend slowly.
If they look scared in their cage, be sure to remove them. You can try again later. You can also try hand-feeding the cucumbers to your budgie; if they trust you, they may try to eat it. Once again, don’t rush your birdie; they will try the cucumber in their own time.
Removing leftovers
If your parrot has left some cucumbers behind after a feeding session, we recommend that you remove the leftover food pieces at the end of each day. Exposing Vegetables to the open air for a long time can harbor bacteria and cause your budgie or parakeet to become ill.
Can budgies eat cucumber? The Conclusion
What are your thoughts on the article?
Can budgies eat cucumbers? or as our American pet owners may say, Can parakeets eat cucumbers?
Are there any other known benefits or risks to feeding cucumbers to your budgies?
