We all have unique eating behaviors that help us understand the foods we like and dislike. The same happens to parakeets; how they behave while eating will tell you their food preferences.
As a pet owner, you must identify your parakeet’s eating behavior, so you can know what foods to and not offer your feathery pet. This will also help you feed your feathery friend nutritious and healthy food.
So, let’s check some of the common parakeet eating behaviors and how you can identify them.
Let’s dive in!
5 Common Parakeet Eating Behaviors
1. When a Parakeet Loves Its Food
Well, it’s straightforward to know what foods your feathery friend loves to eat most of the time. You might see your parakeet digging through the bowl, looking for its favorite food. Your parakeet might refuse the food you offer so that you can give it its favorite food.
Unfortunately, your parakeet might eat one type of food, leading to nutritional imbalance. In addition, your parakeet might get aggressive so that it can be offered its favorite meal.
2. When Your Parakeet is Hungry
While babies cry when they get hungry, parakeets make fussy noises or screeches when they are hungry. This way, they will get their owner’s attention to offer them food. In addition, a hungry parakeet will also keep visiting its food bowl to look for food.
Additionally, when a parakeet is hungry, it might start to chew on things aggressively, like toys or nibbling items in its cage. This might continue until it satisfies its hunger.
3. When a Parakeet Doesn’t Like Its Food
If your pet does not like the food you offer, it might refuse to eat. It might go further by tossing the food out of the bowl or cage. They might also show aggressiveness and agitation because they are hungry and can’t eat the food.
However, you can mix the food they like with the ones they don’t want to help them try out new foods and reduce their picky behaviors.
4. When a Parakeet Overeats
If your parakeet is bored or lonely, it might turn to foods like nibbles or treats to beat it. When feeding your parakeets, it’s good to control the portion you offer them to prevent them from over-eating.
Instead, you can distract them by playing games with them or offering them chewing toys. This way, they can forget about wanting more food. Furthermore, you can regularly weigh your pet’s weight to check if it is adding, and if so, you can reduce its portions.
5. When a Parakeet Refuses to Eat
There are a few things that might make your parakeet refuse to eat. If its mouth is injured, sick, stressed, or affected by a parasite. Additionally, moving your parakeets to a new environment, like a new house or room, might make them refuse to eat.
To entice your parakeet to eat, you can offer its favorite food. You can visit your vet for more check-ups if this does not work.
How Do I Know If My Parakeet is Eating?
You might be concerned if your new parakeet is eating or not. Remember, your new pet is not yet used to you, so it does not feel safe. So, it might eat when you are not around.
However, you can check its food bowl to see if it has food. If there is no food, your pet eats when you are not around. It might take you longer to see your pet eating and drinking.
How Many Times a Day Do Parakeets Need to Eat?
You can offer your parakeet two meals per day or after a couple of hours. However, this depends on the feeding routine that your parakeet uses. If you have a training routine with your pet, ensure it’s done before meals.
However, ensure your pet has access to clean water in a clean bowl and changes at least twice daily.
What Does a Stressed Parakeet Look Like?
A stressed parakeet will hiss, bite, or have excessive screaming. In addition, if your feathery friends no longer like to be handled, it is also an indicator that it’s stressed.
How Long Do Parakeets Need to be Hand Fed?
When a parakeet reaches around five weeks, you can start to put its food in a bowl or on the ground. And when it’s approximately six to seven weeks, it should be able to feed on itself fully. However, you still need to keep an eye on your pet to see if it’s feeding well.
Final Words
Knowing and identifying your pet’s eating behaviors is crucial. This way, it will be easier for you to act on those behaviors to ensure your pet’s nutrition and health are in check. Some eating behaviors are positive, while others are negative, so it’s up to you to act on them appropriately.
