Well the great news is that if you are planning to tuck in to some alfalfa sprouts, your budgie would love some too!
Well the budgie’s most important food is his seed, give your budgie some green vegetables and sprouting alfalfa – or similar- will ensure that your budgie gets a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that will keep him in tip-top condition.
If you can, it is quick and easy to sprout your own alfalfa and not only will this minimize wastage as you can only feed your budgie a small amount, it also ensures that the alfalfa that you are feeding your budgie is as pure ass possible and has not been exposed to any pesticides.
Having said that, it is really important to wash the alfalfa thoroughly before giving it to your bird and also to carefully check that the alfalfa is fresh and in good condition.
Are Alfalfa Sprouts Safe For Birds?
It is important to remember that you should only give your budgie a teaspoon of sprouts.
The reason is that seed is your budgie’s staple and essential food and if you give your budgie too much green vegetable or alfalfa (or other seeds) they may well be too full and not be able to eat their seeds.
Budgies only have small stomachs.
Why Should I Feed My Budgie Alfalfa? (Health Benefits)
The bottom line is that they are nutritious for your budgie and they ‘ring the changes’ in your budgie’s diet.
The sprouting process makes seeds even more nutritious than their dried equivalent.
Dry seeds are certainly nutritious for your budgie, but some of the nutritional value is not released until the seed sprouts.
When you soak the dry seeds in water it triggers a process which starts to convert the fats, carbohydrates and proteins into more digestible amino acids that will be easier for your budgie to digest.
The vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes in the sprouts are significantly higher than in the seed or the adult plant.
Carefully prepared sprouting seeds are simply the most nutritious food you can give your budgie.
How To Feed Your Budgies Alfalfa Sprouts?
Before you feed your budgie alfalfa sprouts you must check that they are in top condition as they can deteriorate in quality really quickly.
The sprouts should have no smell and should have cream colored stems.
You only need enough sprouts to fill a teaspoon.
Wash them really carefully in clean water and chop them for your budgie.
Your budgie can eat them raw or lightly steamed.
How About You Try ‘Sprouting’ Your Own Alfalfa
You will be surprised and delighted how easy and economical it is to grow your own alfalfa sprouts and this method is ideal for bean sprouts and many other types.
The most important point is to only grow enough sprouts that your budgie can eat within a few days.
It is important that you do not grow too many as they need space in the sieve so that they can germinate quickly.
- Place the seeds in a jar overnight at the ration one part seeds to five parts water (1:5)
- Drain the seeds well
- Pour the seeds in to a sieve that is placed over a bowl so that the water can drain away easily.
- Rinse the sprouts in clean water several times a day until they start to shoot (this is usually after 24- 48 hours).
- Over the next few days the seeds will continue to grow.
- On the 4/ 5 day the seeds will be ready to use. One teaspoon of seeds is enough. You can feed the sprouts to your budgie as they are (after washing them) or lightly steamed
- Wash the remaining sprouts and dry thoroughly before popping them in a plastic container and storing the box in the fridge. Cover the remaining sprouts with kitchen paper
- If properly looked after, the sprouted seeds should last 3-4 days. Check them carefully before you feed your budgie and if they do not smell good, they must be discarded.
Can Budgies Eat Bean Sprouts?
Budgies really enjoy eating alfalfa and it is certainly nutritious for them to have several times a week.
There are other types of ‘sprouts’ that can also be given to budgies and other birds:
Grains: Including buckwheat, quinoa, bulgur wheat and others
Legumes: Green peas, lentil, soy beans, mung beans, snow peas and alfalfa.
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, sunflower seeds, and others.
Budgies can also eat a wide variety of vegetables – especially leafy green vegetables – but again, always give your budgie small portions so that they eat their seed which is the essential food.
You can also give your budgie small quantities of fruit but because of the sugar content, it is best to limit this to a fortnightly treat.
Baked cauliflower, spinach, kale, pumpkin (including the seeds) and zucchini are all good and lightly steamed sugar snap peas, Mangetout, green beans.
It is also important to remove any uneaten vegetables or sprouts from the cage after a couple of hours because both deteriorate really quickly – especially in hot weather.
