Millet is especially good for young birds because it provides the calories and protein to sustain their growth. Birds really love the taste and texture of this seed, too. This seed is a favorite for ground feeding birds such as juncos, cardinals, towhees, doves, quail and sparrows.
One of the next things we wanted the answer to was; why do birds eat millet seeds?
This satisfies the need to forage in birds because they have to take the seeds off the stalk. In fact, a stalk of millet will keep any bird entertained for quite some time. And, this foraging behavior will slow down the feed intake which prevents overeating, especially in caged birds.
You’ll find cardinals and finches will happily feast on this. In itself, millet does not provide all the necessary nutrients that birds need. Therefore, it should never be used as a main food source but rather, offered as a treat in addition to a varied diet.
Another frequent query is “Do birds like red or white millet?”.
You’ll find that most birds will prefer the white millet and will not touch the red at all. Therefore, if the bird mix you use contains a lot of red millet, you’ll also end up with a lot of waste. Millet for birds is usually sold in sprays where the seeds are left on the stalk.
Is millet good for budgies?
It’s also often given as a treat for caged birds such as budgerigars, canaries, finches and small parrots. In fact, for caged birds, it’s recommended to give them a sprig of millet at least once a week as it has a lower oil content than other types of seeds such as sunflower and safflower seeds.
How often do you give your chickens millet?
I have it readily available in their cages at all times, but they nibble at it along with eating their fresh veggies and seeds. If you give millet and they ignore the other foods, then I would say to only give every few days.
You can also purchase millet in a health food store to cook or bake as a warm treat for your cockatiel. Add one cup of raw millet to three-and-a-half cups of water and either boil in a sauce pan for 10-15 minutes or bake at 350 degrees in a covered casserole dish for 45 minutes.
How much millet should cockatiels get?
A safe measurement of millet is about a teaspoon a day. It’s a good amount for your budgie to eat as a nice treat without negatively impacting their diet. Too much millet can make a budgie fat. That´s why it is advised to not feed to much of it. Is too much millet bad for cockatiels?
As a guideline, most cockatiels can be maintained on 1.5 – 2 level measure tablespoons of seeds per bird, per day fed in a shallow dish, depending on the size of the bird. If there is more than one cockatiel in the cage, separate dishes should be used for each bird to ensure those birds at the bottom of the pecking order have a chance to eat.
What kind of seeds do cockatiels eat?
The problem is, cockatiels tend to selectively eat only 1 or 2 of their favorite types of seed. Millet and sunflower seed is often chosen preferentially leading to excessively high fat and deficiencies in calcium and vitamin A. Owners will often offer a millet spray or branch.