As pet parents, we need to understand our pets, their dietary requirements, needs, health concerns, and preferences. In short, we must be aware of how to care for a parakeet.
It also includes knowing how long can parakeets go without food. In that way, you will be completely ready for every situation. As for water is concerned, an average parakeet can go without water for 24 hours.
How Long Can Parakeets Go Without Food?
Parakeets can stay alive without food for one day—24 hours, to be precise. Despite being such tiny birds, parakeets have a very high metabolism, and they burn calories and energy continuously throughout the day. If they live without food for more than 24 hours, they can fall ill—and can die, depending on certain factors, such as the type of parakeet, health, age, and weather.
Let’s dive a little deeper to know about the dietary requirements of this little birdie.
How Much Does a Parakeet Need to Eat?
Parakeets require only 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of seeds—or pellets—per day, depending on their size. To add variety to your birdie’s food, you should give it fresh fruits and vegetables every day. As per the parakeet’s food chart, their diet should consist of 50% pellets, 15 – 20% seeds, and 30% fruits and vegetables.
These little creatures are picky eaters. They eat what they like. For example, they eat only the top layer of the food; therefore, the best way is to serve them in a shallow dish with a broad circumference to eat most of their food.
You can also give your birdies a little bit of food multiple times during the day instead of giving them a full serving once a day. In this way, they won’t be gone too long without food.
How Often Do Parakeets Need to Eat?
Your feathery friend needs to eat daily. They do not have fixed suppertimes because they need to eat constantly. Ideally, there should be food in their dishes all the time so that you won’t have to worry about them so much. You only need to shake the dishes or add some fresh food as parakeets eat the top layer of food only, even if there is plenty of food in the dish.
The reason behind their habit of continuously eating is their fast-paced metabolism. Some animals, such as snakes, have a slow metabolism; they can survive without food for weeks. Parakeets, on the other hand, have a high metabolism that burns their food in no time; therefore, they want food frequently.
What Does a Parakeet Need to Eat?
Parakeets are finicky eaters yet curious birds; they like to try most of the treats you present to them. You can feed your little birdie with seeds, pellets, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
Let’s talk about all of these food items in detail!
Seeds
Your parakeet must be fond of seeds like all parakeets. Seeds are high in calories and fat but lack important vitamins and minerals. Do not give your birdie a diet based on seeds only; it will lead to malnutrition. Try giving them a blend of all food items.
Pellets
Pellets are healthier than seeds. However, parakeets tend to not like pellets compared to seeds. But since pellets are designed especially for the nutritional requirements of your pet parakeet, it is much more nutrient-rich than seeds.
Fruits and Vegetables
15 – 30% of your bird’s base diet should come from fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead of serving a large mixture of fruits and veggies, try giving some part of it daily so it will not have to choose its favorites and leave the rest of the food behind. Just a couple of teaspoons of fruits and veggies daily will be enough to give your birdie the required nutrients.
Blueberries, strawberries, and grapes are some of the fruits parakeets enjoy.
Can I Leave My Parakeet Alone for a Weekend?
Fortunately, just because your parakeet needs to eat frequently does not mean that you can’t go away for a weekend if you have food in their cage sufficient for a weekend.
You can purchase unique feeders from the market that will release food in your feathered friend’s dishes slowly. For instance, the feeder below would work perfect for a day or two.
Parakeet Automatic Feeder
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If you have only one birdie, we will not recommend leaving it alone. They are social creatures and prefer the company of others—be they are humans or birds. If you disappear for a whole weekend, they will develop separation anxiety.
However, if there are more than one budgies, it will be fine, though not an ideal situation.
Ideally, you should ask someone to look after your birdie in your absence so they won’t feel alone. Parakeets love to talk and interact with their own folk or humans.
If you are someone who has to frequently leave for travels, we recommend not adopting parakeets as pets. Keeping parakeets as pets have pros and cons, and demanding constant attention is one of the cons of having one in your home, if you would call it a con.
How Long Does It Take for a Parakeet to Starve to Death?
Your parakeet won’t starve to death in 24 hours, as discussed above, but that’s when it becomes dangerous for them to survive with food any longer. Because when they fly, they burn a lot of calories and energy than they obtain from food. Therefore, if they stay without food for 24 hours, they will fall seriously ill, and if it exceeds 24 hours, they might die.
To prevent your companion from starving to death, make sure it doesn’t go hungry for more than 24 hours; always keep an eye on the food levels in its cage. Arrange an automatic feeder if you plan to go on trips taking more than a day.
Conclusion
How long can parakeets go without food? Parakeets can go without food for 24 hours but would starve to death if they didn’t receive food within the next 24 hours. Having said this, a better alternative would be to keep it in someone’s company.