What To Feed A Bird With A Broken Beak (And What to Avoid!)

Is it time to figure out what to feed a bird with a broken beak?

Birds with a broken beak should be fed foods such as mashed sweet potatoes, ground-up bird seeds, tiny pellets, and/or mushed vegetables.

It’s highly recommended to soften anything that’s being fed to your bird with a broken beak. For example, if you were to take bird seeds, it’s never a good idea to give them “as-is” because this requires aggressive biting on the part of your bird. Instead, mash the bird seeds and create almost a puree before giving it to your bird.

On the other hand, do not give your birds anything that’s hard. This includes hard vegetables, fruits, large seeds, and anything that requires force to digest.

Bird owners should also look for signs that their bird isn’t happy with the food.

These signs can include:

  • Constant Crying/Whining
  • Refusing to Eat
  • Hiding in the Cage (Staying in One Spot)
  • Shivering

Remember, a broken beak is highly uncomfortable for your bird and it will require time to heal.

You have to focus on understanding what to feed a bird with a broken beak by choosing the right foods. As long as you do this, it will become a lot easier to keep them healthy and happy.

This guide will focus on what to feed a bird with a broken beak and why these are the foods to go with.

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Tips on What to Feed a Bird with a Broken Beak

Food #1: Mashed Sweet Potatoes

As you figure out what to feed a bird with a broken beak, it’s best to start with sweet potatoes.

These are adored by birds due to their sweet taste making it easier to keep them calm. Plus, you can have peace of mind knowing they are getting enough calories to stay healthy too.

When giving your bird mashed potatoes, please make sure to mash them beforehand.

Placing an entire sweet potatoes or large chunks in front of your bird may lead to unwanted pain. They will try to eat naturally and it’s going to hurt them.

Experts Say...
Sweet potatoes are great for healing birds and are easy to digest while still working well with the bird’s taste buds.

As you learn more on what to feed a bird with a broken beak, it’s these details that matter.

You have to make sure to warm the sweet potato and then ensure it’s mashed into almost a paste. This will be easier for the bird to eat and won’t hamper its taste buds.

This is a win-win for bird owners!

What To Feed A Bird With A Broken Beak

Food #2: Ground-Up Bird Seeds

Bird seeds are a classic food that your birds will love.

However, you can’t take a bag of bird seeds and pour them into a bowl for your pet. This is dangerous when you are dealing with a bird that has a broken beak!

Instead, you want to take the bird seeds and mash them into smaller pieces.

Grounding up the bird seeds will make it easier for birds to digest the food without having to bite hard.

This will allow your bird to scoop up the seeds and swallow them whole.

When figuring out what to feed a bird with a broken beak, you want to start with this option in the back of your mind. It’s an easy one to implement and will keep your bird happy.

Food #3: Tiny Pellets

Pellets are a good option.

You want to take the pellets and smash them into smaller pieces, so they are easier to digest.

The reason to go down this path has to do with nutrients. They are going to be formulated to pack quite a few nutrients and that’s ideal when a bird is healing.

What To Feed A Bird With A Broken Beak

Food #4: Mushed Vegetables/Fruits

Whether it’s plums, cherries, apples, bell peppers, beets, or spinach, the goal is to provide your bird with a good option that it likes eating.

This is going to vary from bird to bird depending on its taste buds.

However, you will have quite a few options to work with as you learn more on what to feed a bird with a broken beak.

Experts Say...
Mushed vegetables and/or fruits can be high in key nutrients and perfect for helping a bird recover from its broken beak.

Take the listed vegetables or fruits and mash them into a puree.

This is going to allow the bird to enjoy the fruit without hating its taste. This is a simple adjustment that is going to lead to amazing results.

A common mistake that’s made is to assume something soft like a cherry is okay as it is. No, you still have to mash it into a paste, so it’s easier for the bird to digest.

With a broken beak, your bird isn’t going to have an easy time with what you perceive to be soft. It will flinch and the pain will be awful to deal with!

Final Thoughts

This is all you need to know when it comes to learning about what to feed a bird with a broken beak.

Take your time, create a list of foods, and go from there. You have to take the time to keep the bird as comfortable as possible and this starts with what it’s eating.

Whether it’s mashed vegetables, mashed sweet potatoes, and/or ground-up seeds, you need to have a plan in mind.

It’s also recommended to consult with your vet when it comes to creating a diet plan for a bird with a broken beak.

Here’s more on how to care for a bird – dealing with beak discoloration in birds, helping budgies survive, getting a bird to eat celery, and how to stop bird from biting.