Food For New Bourke Parents, A Question & Answer

This Spray Millet has been worked over by the birds.
Not all the seeds are there any longer.

Question: My Rosie Bourke just had a baby hatch, this is our first. Do I need to give her special food? Is there anything I can do or should do? She has 2 more eggs in there with her!

Answer: Your Bourkes can exist on seed alone, however, there are healthy things you can add. I provide Petamine Breeding Formula because it has healthy vitamins. They don't need a lot of it, just some each day. It's not a requirement, however. They also like fresh vegetables ... spinach, broccoli, kale, lettuce. Also cooked mixed vegetables, cooked peas, cooked corn, cooked carrots (or fresh shredded carrots). Mine enjoy an occasional piece of bread, especially with added seeds in or on it (like sunflower or sesame, etc.).  Birds also enjoy rice.

A young Bourke eating Spray Millet. Parent birds below.

Spray millet is high in fat content and very good when birds are feeding their young. Parents typically lose weight during the weeks they're feeding babies, so spray millet is healthy then. The rest of the year, you want to only give it sparingly so they don't become obese ... that's not likely to happen when they're raising their families, however.

Again, you don't have to give them all (or any) of this ... but, a varied diet is healthy. Greens are especially good for Bourkes all year round.

Best of luck. If you can, send photos of your mother and babies. I'd love to see them.

Young Rosy Bourke Parakeets. Two with pink eyes.
For young birds Spray Millet is a good introduction to eating on their own.

Peace & Blessings.