I came home from the greengrocers the other day with a big bunch of oranges, as I wanted to make some orange tarts.
As I almost always do, though, I ended up buying way too much, and now had to reckon with the fact of a big pile of fruit going bad in my kitchen.
I used and ate as many as I could, but I wondered whether my little feathered friend, my parakeet, could help me get to the end of the oranges.
He had never eaten them before, so I decided to look into it.
So, can parakeets eat oranges?
Yes, parakeets can eat oranges, though in moderation. Oranges are healthy and a great snack in many ways, but they are also highly acidic and high in sugar. Only feed them a small amount, otherwise it could quickly become a problem. Once or twice a week at most.
So, the short answer is yes, parakeets can eat oranges.
However, the caveats are really very important as you don’t want to give your parakeet too much orange.
I’ll get into the details of why that is a bad idea shortly. But they are safe for your parakeet in moderation.
Let’s look further into this.
Are oranges good for parakeets?
Yes, they are, in lots of ways.
For one thing, the benefits of a great snack that they love and are excited about are greater than you might think.
It’s really good for their mood and attitude.
They will almost certainly love oranges, so this is a big benefit of oranges.
Beyond that, though, they are nutritionally rich in many ways that are beneficial to your parrot.
For one thing, they are a good source of fiber.
Fiber is essential for your parrot’s diet, and helps everything move smoothly through its gut.
They are also a great source of a number of vitamins, such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
These serve a variety of functions in your parrot’s diet, but the C in particular is a great antioxidant.
Antioxidants prevent the formation of free radicals in the body’s cells, which can damage them over time.
Oranges are also rich in many healthy minerals.
These include calcium, potassium and phosphorous.
Calcium is important for strong bones and muscles, and potassium for the health of the blood and the proper functioning of the immune system, among other things.
So, as you can see, there are many benefits to feeding your parakeet oranges—but there are also many caveats to this, too.
Are oranges bad for parakeets?
No, they are not inherently bad for your parakeets.
They are safe and non-toxic, and will not cause any immediate problems.
That said, there are a number of risks associated with overfeeding your parakeet on oranges.
For one thing, oranges contain a very high quantity of sugar.
While this is beneficial in small amounts, it can make them sick if they eat too much.
The same is true of the acidity of oranges—small amounts are good, but too much will be a problem.
While your parakeets will, for the most part, know their own limits, it’s still important that you don’t give them more orange than is healthy for them.
This will end up causing a lot of problems. Once or twice a week, at most, is plenty—be sure to swap the oranges out for other treats during the rest of the week to maximise the balance of nutrients.
Any more than this for oranges and it will begin to cause problems for your parakeet.
Though we only eat the flesh of the orange, there are many parts to the fruit—is any of the rest of it good for parakeets?
Can parakeets eat orange peel?
Yes, they can eat orange peel.
It does contain some nutrition, and depending on your individual bird, they may love it. for the most part, though, there’s not a huge benefit in feeding orange peel to your parakeets.
It’s not as nutritious as the fruit, and they won’t be as excited about it.
It’s always worth a try, though.
As I said, some parakeets may love it, so if you have some spare orange peel, try giving it to them and check their reaction.
Otherwise, just stick to the flesh of the fruit.
Can parakeets eat orange seeds?
Yes, they can also eat orange seeds.
Again, they won’t be particularly excited about the seeds and will mostly eat around them or eat them without even really noticing.
But they are also safe and healthy for them, and since their diet is otherwise mostly seeds, it is great for an extra bit of balance.
Don’t go out of your way to feed them orange seeds, though, and the point of moderation still stands.
Don’t give them too much of any one thing.
They are still pretty high in sugar and quite acidic, so don’t give them too much.
Conclusion
As you can see, then, oranges come with a great many benefits for your parakeet.
They are highly nutritious, and make a great, enriching snack that your parakeet will love.
However, they are also extremely nutrient rich, particularly in sugar, and you need to be very careful of that.
Feed your parakeet oranges sparingly, and be sure to provide excellent balance in the rest of their diet. otherwise, feeding them on oranges can become a problem very quickly.