Budgie · Grains, seeds & nuts
Can budgies eat peanuts?
Better not. Peanuts can carry aflatoxin, a mould toxin linked to liver damage in pet birds, and they are very fatty for a small budgie. Never give salted or coated peanuts.
- Portion
- Not recommended. If given at all, a crumb of fresh, plain, human-grade peanut
- How often
- Rarely, if at all
- Sugar
- 4.7 g / 100 g
- Fat
- 49.2 g / 100 g
If your budgie already ate some
A bite of a fresh, plain peanut is not an emergency. If your budgie ate salted peanuts, give fresh water and watch for heavy drinking or wobbliness. If it has been eating old or possibly mouldy peanuts, tell your avian vet, and seek help promptly for fluffed-up posture, poor appetite or unusual droppings.
How to serve it
- Choose safer treats such as a little millet or vegetables
- Never offer salted, flavoured, candied or chocolate-coated peanuts
- Never offer peanuts that look discoloured, shrivelled or mouldy
- Do not use peanut butter, which is fatty and sticky and may contain salt, sugar or xylitol
Why
Risks. Peanuts, especially poorly stored or pet-grade ones, can be contaminated by moulds that produce aflatoxin. A veterinary reference links liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in pet birds to aflatoxin from improperly stored seed and pet-grade peanuts. Peanuts are also high in fat, and budgies are prone to obesity, fatty liver and lipomas.
Questions owners ask 2
Are peanuts poisonous to budgies?
Fresh, human-grade peanuts are not poisonous in themselves. The concern is aflatoxin from mould, which you cannot reliably see or smell, plus the high fat. An avian vet lists peanuts as not recommended.
Can budgies eat peanut butter?
Better not. It is very fatty, can contain salt and sugar, and some brands contain xylitol, which is dangerous to animals.
Peanuts: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 6.5 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 567 kcal |
| Sugars | 4.7 g |
| Fat | 49.2 g |
| Protein | 25.8 g |
| Fibre | 8.5 g |
| Calcium | 92 mg |
| Phosphorus | 376 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.24 : 1 |
| Sodium | 18 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
“Peanuts, all types, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 172430). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss peanuts 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.
- Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds — Merck Veterinary Manual
- Foods Toxic to Pet Birds — Lafeber Company (Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, with Laura Doering)
- Food Hazards — Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version)
- Tumors in Birds: Lipomas — VCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM)
