Budgie · Grains, seeds & nuts
Can budgies eat bread?
Yes, in small amounts. A crumb of plain wholegrain bread or toast is not harmful, but bread offers little and often contains salt and sugar. Never offer mouldy bread.
- Portion
- A crumb about 1 cm (⅜ in) square of plain wholegrain bread or toast
- How often
- Once a week or less
- Sugar
- 4.3 g / 100 g
How to serve it
- Choose plain wholegrain bread with no garlic, onion, chocolate, sweet toppings or sugar-free sweeteners
- Check that it is completely free of mould
- Toast it lightly and let it cool; dry pieces are less sticky
- Do not soak bread in milk or water
- Remove any leftover pieces the same day
Why
Risks. Most bread contains added salt and often sugar and fat, which small birds do not need. Mouldy bread can contain fungal toxins, and soft or soaked bread spoils quickly in the cage. Raw bread dough is dangerous because the yeast keeps rising and produces alcohol.
Benefits. Wholegrain bread provides some carbohydrate and fibre; its main value is as a familiar, occasional treat.
Questions owners ask 2
Is bread bad for budgies?
A crumb of plain wholegrain bread is not harmful, and an avian vet includes wholegrain bread or toast among foods that can be given in small amounts. It is a low-value filler, though, so vegetables are a better use of a budgie's appetite.
Can budgies eat white bread?
A crumb will not hurt, but white bread has less fibre and fewer nutrients than wholegrain, so there is no reason to make it a habit.
Bread: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 39 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 252 kcal |
| Sugars | 4.3 g |
| Fat | 3.5 g |
| Protein | 12.5 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Calcium | 161 mg |
| Phosphorus | 212 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.76 : 1 |
| Sodium | 455 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
“Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 172688). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss bread for budgies (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: medium. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Feeding Your Pet Bird a Healthy Diet (client education handout) — LafeberVet (Christal Pollock, DVM, DABVP Avian Practice)
- Feeding Budgies — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Foods Toxic to Pet Birds — Lafeber Company (Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, with Laura Doering)
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
