FAQ: Treats for birds

In moderation — treats add to regular food but do not replace it. For most birds a small amount a few times a week is enough, and the manufacturer gives exact advice on the pack.

Not always. Treats for budgies, canaries, finches and large parrots differ in seed size and ingredients, so check which species a treat is made for.

A common guideline is that treats should be no more than about a tenth of the daily diet. More than that pushes out the main food and can lead to obesity or nutrient deficiencies.

The main food is formulated to meet a bird's daily needs, while treats are often fattier, sweeter or one-sided. They are meant to add variety, keep the bird busy or reward it, not to feed it.

Yes, if the portion is very small and follows the manufacturer's advice — a few seeds or a small piece of fruit, for example. Hanging a whole stick or millet spray every day is not advisable, as the bird will start eating only that.

Signs include leaving the main food untouched, picking out only favourite seeds, gaining weight or becoming less active. In that case cut back on treats, and talk to a vet if you notice weight changes.

They are seeds, grains or pieces of fruit glued onto a wooden stick that hangs in the cage. The bird husks the seeds itself, so the stick keeps it busy as well as feeding it.

Usually one stick a week or less is enough, especially for a single bird. The manufacturer states the exact frequency, and a half-eaten stick is worth removing so it does not get damp and mouldy.

The binder is usually honey, sugar syrup, egg white or plant starch. It is worth reading the ingredients on the pack, as a lot of sweet binder adds calories.

The stick is usually untreated wood and is only there to hold the seeds. Once the seeds are gone it is best thrown away, as a stick chewed for a long time can splinter and the metal hook can bend.

Fix the stick to the cage wall so the bird can reach it from a perch, but not directly above the water or food dish. That way husks and droppings foul the water less.

There are separate sticks for canaries with small seeds they can husk. Sticks made for large parrots, with big grains and nuts, are not suitable for canaries.

Yes, sticks for large parrots usually contain bigger seeds, nuts and fruit, and the stick itself is sturdier. A parrot's strong beak gets through a stick made for small birds in a few minutes.

Some birds are wary of a new object in the cage at first. Hang the stick near a favourite perch and leave it for a few days, and if the bird still ignores it, break a few seeds off into the food dish so it gets to know the taste.

Keep the opened pack tightly closed in a dry, cool place and use it within the time the manufacturer states. If the sticks have got damp, smell mouldy or have moths, throw them away.

Husking seeds and gnawing the stick work the beak a little, but that is often not enough. For beak care a parrot also needs chew toys, natural wood perches and a mineral block or cuttlebone.

Yes, a large stick can be snapped and given a piece at a time, which makes it easier to control how much is eaten. Keep the rest in a sealed pack so the seeds do not get damp.

Birds have favourite tastes and often go for the fattier seeds first. That is normal, but if sticks are given often the bird may start picking through its main food the same way, so it is worth offering treats less often.

It is dried millet heads with the seeds still on the stem. Many small birds love it because they can pick the seeds straight off the spray, as they would in the wild.

Millet seed is fairly high in calories, so the usual advice is a small piece of a spray a few times a week. A whole spray every day is not advisable, as the budgie may refuse its normal food.