How Much Does a Parakeet Weigh?

While weight and weight maintenance are a constant topic among humans with considerations that range from poor dietary habits to underlying health issues.

Pets are no different, and variations in weight, whether weight loss or weight gain should capture our attention and motivate us to discover the reasons for this. It’s a good idea to know how much your pet should weigh, monitor its weight, and choose its food accordingly.

Parakeets are rather small in size, but these little birds are lots of fun. Because of their small physique, it may be problematic to see if they are losing or gaining weight. To evaluate if your budgie is experiencing weight variation, you’ll need to observe your bird closely and regularly.

How much a parakeet weighs will be influenced by its age and breeding. If you have any worries or doubts, check in with your veterinarian.

How Much Should a Healthy Budgie Weigh?

Generally, a healthy parakeet will weigh between 1.1 and 1.4 ounces which is the same as 25 to 36 grams of weight. If your bird weighs less than 1.1, this suggests malnutrition. If your bird weighs more than 1.4 ounces, your budgie is considered obese.

To monitor your parakeet’s weight, you will need to weigh your bird several times a week, however, you should weigh your bird at the same time when weighing.

This is because the weight may fluctuate at different times during the day. It’s a good idea to weigh your parakeet in the morning before it eats breakfast.

For your budgie to maintain a healthy weight, your parakeet will need a healthy diet and, believe it or not, exercise as well.

By furnishing your parakeet’s cage with ropes, ladders, and toys, your bird will be stimulated to move more through walking climbing, jumping, and perhaps a bit of flying depending on how large the cage is.

How Parakeets Grow in Weight

Parakeets grow relatively quickly and there will be weight changes as well. As soon as they emerge from the egg until they reach 40 days in age, incredible body changes take place.

They will gradually develop feathers and colors on wings and the body, as well as muscle mass. They grow during their first month of life and when they reach 40 days of age, they have completed growing feathers and are fully matured.

Parakeet Development Weights

How Will I Know if My Parakeet Is Overweight or Obese?

If you weigh your parakeet and it weighs more than 36 grams, it’s overweight. Obesity in volatiles is more common than one thinks, and it’s very dangerous. Obesity can be lethal if not treated. It can lead to other health issues and diseases like fatty liver disease.

You will be able to observe specific signs that your bird is overweight yourself. Look for

• Fat on the jaw or neck which are not feathered and is more easily visible.

• Fat on the breast muscles. If your parakeet seems to have impressive cleavage it signals that it weighs too much

• Heavy panting after walking, climbing, or a short flight

How Can I Weigh My Parakeet?

The easiest way to weigh your pet bird is by using a bird scale. Bird scales are available in most pet stores. A scale for weighing food can be used to weigh your parakeet.

Check out the parakeet weighing scale on Amazon with a ton of positive reviews.

What Is the Treatment for an Overweight Parakeet?

For caged birds to be overweight is actually quite common and even more so than one might surmise. But there’s no need to worry because obesity can be treated.

If, however, your bird does not receive treatment, it will inevitably lead to other diseases and health issues. It may result in being fatal for your bird. Most owners do not know much about feeding their pet birds. They may also give their parakeet human food. 

Human food is not a healthy choice for a small bird. Giving your parakeet breadcrumbs or crackers, which are high in calories, is not a good idea. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, and bird pellets are the healthy choice.

For a budgie to lose weight and fight obesity, it will need to burn more calories than it takes in. One of the quickest ways to help your parakeet burn calories and lose weight is to permit it to fly more and this means outside of its cage.

Flying is most probably the healthiest type of exercise that a parakeet can engage in.

If you do not have the possibility of allowing your parakeet to fly outside of its cage, you’ll need to provide as large a cage as possible, so that it has a lot of space to move around in.

Bird furnishings like ropes, ladders, or swings are great options for birds that have less opportunity to fly around, as these will keep your pet moving.

How Will I Know if My Parakeet Weighs Too Little?

If your bird lacks quality food that contains all of the nutritional essentials for its health, the result will be an unbalanced diet that can result in malnutrition.

If your adult budgie weighs less than 25 grams, it is most likely underweight. While there are physical symptoms of obesity, there are also physical symptoms when a bird is underweight.

Run your finger over the middle of your bird’s breast area. If the breastbone can be felt, your bird is underweight and needs an adjustment to its diet immediately. Laziness or lethargy and uncared for feathers can also signal too little body weight.

What Should I Do for My Underweight Parakeet?

Lots of volatile diseases can be traced back to malnutrition. In the case of an underweight budgie, get your veterinarian involved and request a consultation as soon as possible.

The quickest way to aid your parakeet in gaining weight is to increase food that they particularly like. High-calorie foods can be integrated into their diet. You might try sunflower seeds or some nuts in your bird’s diet.

See also: Why Is My Parakeet Standing on One Leg?

How Does Weight Influence My Bird’s Health?

Regardless of if your parakeet is underweight or overweight, it is in danger. Either condition requires medical assistance. Abnormal weight changes are evidence that something is off, and that there is a problem. Your bird needs help ASAP.

Weight loss usually indicates nutritional issues, however, several diseases can also be a cause of weight loss. These include

• • • Enteritis
    • Respiratory infections
    • Lymphoid leucosis
    • Immune suppressive diseases
    • Yeast infections

Excessive weight gain in a parakeet is likewise worrying. Your bird may end up being obese or with fatty liver disease. Birds store extra fats in their liver. As they gain weight, fat deposits increase. As fat accumulates it can interfere with the liver working correctly.

Both excessive weight loss and excessive weight gain are dangerous hazards to your parakeet and can prove to be fatal.

Diet Recommendations for a Healthy Parakeet

For any living being, a balanced diet is ideal.  Consider these recommendations for your budgie’s meals:

1.) Purchase high-quality parakeet food from a pet store.

2.) Make sure that 20% to 25% of your budgie’s diet is made up of vegetables and fresh fruit. Make sure to wash them adequately and cut them into small pieces.

Do not leave any piece of vegetable or fruit in the birdcage for long as they can turn bad. Not all fruits and vegetables are appropriate, and some are toxic like avocado.

3.) Limit mixed seeds in your bird’s diet. Parakeets love them but they have a high-fat and carbohydrate content. Favorite seeds should be an occasional treat and not a regular diet.

4.) Birds enjoy pellets, however, they must not be mixed with seeds. These should be fed alone and preferably in the morning.

5.) You can also offer your parakeet a bit of yogurt or egg, but not every day.

The Bottom Line

Abnormal weight loss or weight gain can be the first symptom of an underlying health issue. You should attempt to keep track of your pet’s weight at regular intervals and adjust your budgie’s diet if need be.

Your bird’s health is a priority, so any anomaly or abnormal fluctuation of your parakeet’s weight should be considered serious. It should not be taken lightly, and you need to visit your vet as soon as you are able to.