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My budgie had babies! How do I feed and care for my new budgies?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female

How can i take care of baby budgies?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on April 24th, 2017

If your budgie's parents are still around they will most likely care for them on their own. However if the parents aren't around or aren't caring for the babies properly, you will need to start feeding them yourself. Most pet stores will carry a basic baby bird food which has feeding instructions depending on your bird's age. You'll also need a syringe with which to mix and feed the food. As your bird grows you can start introducing an adult balanced diet to encourage them to begin eating more solid foods.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on March 9th, 2017
Budgie eggs take about 3 weeks from the lay date to hatch. They will also become more opaque in color as the baby bird developed inside. Looking up budgie care online will give you a wealth of information about baby bird care that can go beyond the scope of what I can type here. :) As the babies age, they'll begin to eat adult food on their own as their mom weans them, however having baby bird supplies on hand is a must in case mom and dad can't feed them enough on their own. Having another cage is best to help prevent fights between mom, babies and other birds, but if they have enough room to safely fly around and have their own spaces it should be OK.

As for training, offering a favorite treat every time you are around your budgies can help get them used to you. From there you can begin petting, handling and working with them. Training to sit on a finger usually works by placing the finger just under your budgie's chest, to encourage a natural "stepping up" and perching motion.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Food & Nutrition

What do budgie parents feed their newly hatched baby chicks?

Budgies will typically eat a portion of their own food, and then regurgitate it to the babies so it can be more easily digested by them. If the parents aren't feeding the babies, there are commercial baby bird foods available that when added to water, mix up into a slurry that is easy for the baby bird to digest (since we can't regurgitate to them!). As the babies grow and start to explore on their own, they will begin to eat the regular adult food as well.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My budgie chick hatched. Does it need special care or a heat lamp?

As long as the parents are taking care of the hatchling themselves, you shouldn't need to do anything as they will keep it warm by laying with it in the nest, and feed it as needed. It also seems like you are feeding lots of nutrition-filled items to your birds as well! It is a good idea to have some baby bird food and a syringe on hand that you can mix up if you need to help with feeding, or if the parents aren't caring for it. Most pet stores carry this and will have feeding instructions on the side of the bag. Congrats on the baby bird! It sounds like it and its parents are in good hands.

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Health & Wellness

Baby budgie attacked, beak loose. How to feed and care at home?

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do at home if the baby is severely injured or you don't have food for it. Trying to see if a local pet store or big box store that carries pet supplies is open may help you find syringes and baby bird food you need, otherwise. In a pinch, adult bird food can be ground down into a mash and then mixed with water and given via a syringe until you can get actual baby bird food. Keeping the babies warm and keeping any wounds clean and dry can help, however if there are severe wounds or the injuries are bad enough the babies can't function properly, seeking out the care of a vet in person ASAP is best (Many are open still for medical emergencies such as this).

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Lovebird parents fighting after hatching? How to stop and raise chicks?

Momma bird may be a bit stressed out now that there are new babies to care for. Adding in extra food and water dishes so that each bird has one to eat at without fighting, and making sure both birds have their own perches to relax on can help reduce tension. As for the babies, momma bird should care for them herself, however having some commercial baby bird food (most pet stores will carry it) can be useful in case she can't care for them all on her own. As they get a bit older and start to explore, you can start to offer treats and pets to get them used to being handled.

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My mama budgie stopped feeding 26-day-old babies. Is this normal?

26 days is old enough that the babies should be starting to explore and eat some on their own. If only dad is feeding them he may be trying to encourage them to leave the nest and find food on their own. Making sure they have access to bird feed near where they can get to may help get them used to eating on their own and exploring some.

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Training & Behavior

My cockatiel bit her baby and won't feed it. What should I do?

First time and young parents may not know what to do with a baby and may need assistance from you. It may also be that she is still focused on the unhatched eggs instead of the baby. Purchasing a syringe and some baby bird formula (most pet stores will carry this) is best. The formula should have instructions for how much to feed and how often depending on your bird's size, age and breed, however most baby birds will need to be fed frequently. You can check how full they are by looking at the crop, which is a sort of "balloon" just under the chin that is usually more visible before their feathers come in-- when full, it will fill up, and when hungry it will be empty. If the baby doesn't seem to be getting fed enough, stepping in with supplementation can help. If the mother and father are picking on the baby heavily, or kicking it out of the nest completely, you may need to move him to a separate cage that is kept warm with a nest and heat lamp, and provide all feedings yourself.

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Food & Nutrition

My budgie laid eggs. What should I feed her after the chicks hatch?

You should just continue to feed your budgie a balanced diet that is designed for budgies. While spinach is a great treat, it should not be used as the main diet. If you are concerned about your budgie getting enough nutrients, you can add in some crushed oyster shells or a cuttle bone for calcium, or include some egg-food (a treat found at most pet stores) to help boost nutrition post-egg laying.

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