Can Parakeets Eat Celery? [Should You Remove The Leaves?]

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If you’re the proud owner of a beautiful parakeet you want to ensure that it stays healthy and happy. One of the most important things to ensure this is to give them the right kinds of food. In the wild, parakeets eat a wide range of many different kinds of food. However, when we keep them as pets we can be a bit more selective with what they eat. Their primary food intake should come from pellets but it’s also recommended to give them fruits and veggies on a regular basis.

With that being said, knowing which kinds of fruits and veggies are safe for your parakeet, and which ones are best avoided is not always easy. If you’re here, you’re probably looking for an answer to the question of whether or not parakeets can eat celery.

I’m here to provide you with the most complete answer. I spent a lot of time on research to give you the most in-depth, accurate answer possible.

can parakeets eat celery?

So, can parakeets eat celery? Yes, parakeets can eat celery safely as long as you remove the leaves. However, since celery is so low in calories and does not contain all that many nutrients it’s not the best vegetable to feed them. Nevertheless, many parakeets do enjoy the crunchy texture and it’s a decent source of fiber. Also, since this vegetable consists largely of water you should make sure not to offer too much of it to your budgie. Otherwise, it can result in runny poops.

You can definitely give your bird these veggies on occasion but it should by no means be a large part of their diet. Keep reading to learn more about how often you should feed it to them, the correct way to offer it to them, and much more.

Is celery good for parakeets?

Before we discuss whether or not this vegetable is healthy for parakeets I’d first like to take a look at the nutrients in this plant. By doing so we get a better understanding of what exactly we’re giving to our beloved birds.

So, 1 ounce (28 grams) of celery contains the following nutrients, according to nutrition data:

  • 4.5 calories
  • 26.7 grams of water
  • 0 grams of fat
  • 1 gram of carbs
  • 0.4 grams of fiber
  • 0.5 grams of sugar

It also contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals, but nothing too astonishing. It’s a decent source of Vitamin K, but that’s about it.

All in all, nutritionally speaking, there’s not all that much in celery for parakeets. Sure, they get some fiber and vitamins from it, but other veggies are much richer in these nutrients and are generally speaking a better option. However, it is a decent source of antioxidants. Make no mistake, they’re by no means an unhealthy veggie to offer to your budgie, there just are healthier alternatives available.

With that being said, giving your parakeet some celery occasionally is not bad. As long as it’s not the only vegetable you offer your bird there’s nothing wrong with giving them some celery from time to time!

Can Parakeets eat celery leaves?

There’s some debate about whether or not you should remove the leaves from the plant before feeding. Some websites on the internet claim that removing the leaves is necessary. However, they do not say why.

On the other hand, many parakeet forums have posts from owners that claim that they feed their bird the leaves all the time and that it’s actually their bird’s favorite part of the vegetable.

You can check out some of these posts here & here.

Since there are many people that feed their budgie the leaves without any adverse effect they’re most likely safe. However, if you want to play it safe you can always choose to remove the leaves. If you do decide to feed them the leaves, I would recommend giving them a small amount first to see how your bird reacts.

Is celery toxic to parakeets?

Celery is not dangerous for parakeets at all. Nothing in this particular vegetable is toxic to them. However, there are a few things you need to be cautious of.

First off, make sure that you properly wash the plant before feeding. The USDA Pesticide Data Program found 64 different pesticide residues on celery. These are of course not good for your bird to eat so you have to remove them. The most efficient way to remove pesticides is by soaking the celery in a mixture of water and baking soda.

Secondly, you should take care not to give offer your bird too much of it. You might think that since celery is so low in calories it’s pretty much impossible to overfeed your bird on it but that’s not the case. While it’s true that your parakeet will likely not gain weight if you give him too much celery there are other risks. Celery is very high in water (95% of the veggie consists of water!), parakeets don’t need all that much water in their diet and if you give them a lot of celery it can result in diarrhea. Therefore, make sure that you feed it to them in small amounts.

If you keep these two things in mind while feeding there’s nothing to worry about.

How much celery can parakeets eat?

Around 15-30% of your parakeet’s diet should be made up of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, since celery is not very nutrient-dense, this particular veggie should not make up a large part of its diet. I recommend not giving it to your budgie every day, but offering them a small stalk of celery once a week is not a problem at all.

Do parakeets like celery?

Most parakeets absolutely adore celery. If you don’t believe me, check out this video and you’ll be able to see it with your own eyes:

However, it’s also possible that your particular bird isn’t very interesting in eating it. If that’s the case, don’t worry, as I’ve previously mentioned, celery is not the most nutritious veggie on the planet and there are many alternative veggies you can feed your budgie.

Fruits and vegetables that parakeets can eat

Parakeets can eat a huge range of different fruits and veggies and it’s important that you give them a large variety of different fruits and veggies because they do not all contain the same nutrients. By giving them a wide range of different fruits and veggies you can make sure that they get all the essential nutrients to thrive.

Some of the fruits and vegetables that parakeets can eat include:

Keep in mind, the list above is not exhaustive. There are way too many fruits and vegetables that your bird can eat to list them all. Nevertheless, it should give you a good starting point.

Final words

So, that’s all you need to know about feeding celery to your parakeet. As you now know, this vegetable is safe for them to eat as long as you properly wash it, and keep in mind that you shouldn’t overfeed them on it.

I hope this guide answered all your questions, good luck with feeding!

ThePetFaq Team
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