Can Birds Have Arugula?(Budgies,Cockatiels,Finches,etc)

Birds (Budgies, cockatiels, etc) love eating arugula or rocket leaves as they by default like eating leafy veggies. Arugula is rich in essential nutrients that are important for the well-being of the birds. It can be fed as treat to the birds once or twice a week.

However, arugula must only be given as treats to the birds and not as a substitute for pellets or other veggies. Arugula alone is not enough to replace the dietary requirements of a bird hence it should be given to the bird in a combination with other food items.

Let’s take a deeper look at this topic…

Are leafy greens good for birds?

Benefits of eating Argula in birds

Arugula is rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C

• Vitamin K plays an important role in blood coagulation in birds. Deficiency can lead to hemorrhages troubles.
• Vitamin C helps in boosting the immune system of the birds and helps in maintaining their reproductive health and weight.
• Birds are prone to infections and loads of other kinds of diseases that can be directly linked to the lack of vitamin A in the body indirectly weakening the body’s immune system. Helps in maintaining their vision and tissue health.

Arugula is stuffed with essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus

• Calcium and phosphorous help in the maintenance of bone density in the body.
• Magnesium is important for their digestive, nervous, and reproductive health.
• Iron helps blood circulation throughout the body.
• Arugula is rich in potassium which is required by birds for proper nerve signal transmitting and muscle contractions.

Perfectly suitable to support the birds during molting

Molting is a process that every bird goes through at least twice a year where they replace the old feathers with new ones. It is a serious and stressful time in the life period of the birds and it eats up a lot of energy to grow back newer feathers. So they gradually become quiet and show signs of fatigue during these times.

Feeding them food items like arugula that are rich in nutrients will help them in supporting their body through the difficult phase.

Should You Feed Birds Raw Argula or cooked Argula?

How to prepare Argula for birds?

• Firstly start with thoroughly washing the Arugula with water before you do anything.
• You can feed them in raw form and cooked form. If you wanna feed fresh and uncooked arugula to your bird, just remove the rotten portions of the arugula(if present) and serve them to your bird.
• You can also prepare salads using arugula and other veggies and fruits, chop them into fine pieces and serve them fresh. Avoid frying or stirring the food items with oil or other spices.

Is Arugula bad for birds?

Arugula is stuffed with important nutrients that are great for the overall well-being of your birds.

However, you should never feed it in excess amounts to your bird as that can cause indigestion issues especially if you are newly introducing it to your bird. This is because arugula contains nitrates in them, just like all other leafy green vegetables.

And feeding them in excess amounts can lead to a stomach upset. Hence it is important to balance their diet in the rightful proportions and not to give them too much of one particular food item.

• Start by slowly giving them a leaf or two more like as a treat than a part of regular their meals.
• Do it once or twice in the beginning and see how everything goes. Then you can increase the portions by a bit gradually if you want.
• If your bird has any health-related issues then it will be best to consult with the vet before you make any kind of new changes in their diet.