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The key to a healthy cockatiel is a varied diet, with many types of nutrients and vitamins. That means that, instead of sticking to a strict diet of commercial produced pet foods, you should also feed it many of the same foods you eat. However, you need to be mindful of food safety when caring for these small, often delicate animals.
Steps
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Prepare fresh food appropriately. Any fresh food given to your cockatiel should be cut into small pieces, no larger than half an inch. They should also be washed well. Pesticides on fruits and vegetables can be toxic to your pet. [1] X Research source
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Store food in closed containers. Seeds, pellets, and treats are all susceptible to being infested by fungus that could be deadly to your cockatiel. To be sure that this does not happen, store food in tightly closed containers and in a location that is cool and dry. [2] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Provide a clean food dish. You should feed the cockatiel with a clean bowl. Wash the bowl daily with hot, soapy water. Consider having two sets of bowls that you can switch out when the other is being cleaned. [3] X Research source
- Cockatiels are naturally foragers, who enjoy the opportunity to search the ground for food. Consider occasionally scattering food across the floor of the cage so that they can forage. In providing cockatiels with this opportunity, however, you should be cautious about food hygiene. [4] X Research source
- Placing food directly on the floor of the cage is more appropriate for foods like pellets and commercial treats, which will not rot. Be sure that fresh foods are easy to find and extract from the cage so that no rotting food is left in the cage.
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Remove fresh food after an hour. Fresh foods left in the cage for more than an hour will begin to rot and could pose a health threat to your cockatiel. Feed your bird fresh food in a bowl and remove the bowl by the end of the day. Search the area for any remaining scraps on the bottom of the cage. Remove these as well. [5] X Research source
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Provide a clean water bowl. As with the food bowl, the water bowl should be washed daily in hot soapy water. If you notice food particles, feces, or any other solid particles in the water, you should take it out and clean it immediately. [6] X Research source
- If you do not trust the local water enough to drink it yourself, you shouldn’t give it to your cockatiel either. Provide your cockatiel with bottled water, if necessary. [7] X Research source
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Eat with your cockatiel. Cockatiels are social animals that, in the wild, eat with their flock. Try to feed your cockatiel around your own meal times to build a closer social bond. [8] X Research source
- To encourage bonding, you can also try to hand feed it. Place a few seeds in your hand and hold them out for your cockatiel to eat. [9] X Research source
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Aim for variety. Cockatiels need to consume a variety of nutrients and vitamins. The best way to accomplish this is to mix up your cockatiel’s diet. Be attentive to what your cockatiel eats and does not eat and follow its lead when designing your cocktail’s diet plan. [10] X Research source
- In addition to the base diet of pellets or seed, you should aim to feed your cockatiel some sort of fresh green daily. A couple of times a week supplement this with a second course of protein or carbohydrate. When serving either, limit the portion to a couple of very small, finely chopped pieces.
- In addition to your bird’s staples, which should be either seeds or pellets, you should serve a couple small pieces of a varied fresh food twice a day. [11] X Research source
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Make seeds or pellets the basis of your diet. There is a lot of controversy over whether seeds or commercially produced pellets are the best source of nutrients for cockatiels. Either way, you should make sure that you pick a mix that is specifically designed for cockatiels, because they have specific nutritional needs that differ from some other species of bird. [12] X Research source
- Cockatiel's are not inclined to overeat, so provide your pet birds with as many seeds or pellets as they are willing to eat. When you provide fresh food, which you should do once or twice daily, they will cut down on the amount of pellets or seeds that they eat.
- In general, cockatiels will eat approximately 15 grams of food per day. [13] X Research source
- To add some variety, consider providing pellets occasionally if your bird is on a seed diet, or seeds if it is on a pellet diet.
- Watch to make sure that your bird does not only pick out certain seeds that it likes. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies because your bird might only eat the ones that taste good and avoid the healthier ones.
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Provide adequate calcium. Your bird will need calcium to maintain its bone structure. To do this, provide it with dark, green vegetables like kale, cilantro, beet greens, turnip greens, bok choy, endive, chard, collard greens, and mustard greens.
- Alternatively you can also provide your bird with a mineral block to snack on.
- Cockatiels cannot process lactose. However, they can consume lactose free dairy products, like yogurt and cottage cheese. [14] X Research source
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Provide protein. For protein you can feed your cockatiel meat or eggs. Chicken, turkey, beef, fish, and hard boiled eggs are ideal. Serve them freshly cooked. Do not give your bird reheated meats or eggs. [15] X Research source Keep portions small, only a couple of tiny pieces per serving. [16] X Research source
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Give your cockatiel carbohydrates. For carbohydrates, feed your winged companion cooked rice, cooked beans, baked sweet potatoes, oatmeal, or fresh corn. These are less essential to your birds diet and should be served in moderation, only a couple of times per week. [17] X Research source
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Feed your bird fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables should be served to your cockatiel so that your bird has sufficient vitamins in its diet. Some fruits and vegetables, however, can be problematic in excess. Try not to serve the same variety more than twice per week. Do not serve fresh food that is discolored or bruised. Wash fresh food well and chop into small pieces to prevent choking.
- Good vegetables to feed your bird include cooked sweat potatoes, sprouts, cooked beets, broccoli, carrots, carrot tops, corn, chard, endive, fresh sprouts, wax beans, parsley, pumpkin, red or green sweet peppers, watercress, yellow squash, zucchini, and dark green lettuce. [18] X Research source
- Iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and celery are not a good source of vitamins.
- Good fruits for your cockatiel include apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cantaloupe, cherries, honeydew, pears, pineapple, mangoes, nectarines, plums, and watermelon. [19] X Research source
- Cockatiels are allergic to the pits found in many varieties of fruit. If you are feeding your bird a pitted fruit, cut it up carefully and be certain to remove all pits.
- Although you should refrain from giving your cockatiel the same type of fruit or vegetable more than twice per week, you should provide some amount of fresh produce daily. Two or three pieces of finely chopped greenery should suffice.
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Consider vitamin supplements. You should consider getting vitamin supplements for your cockatiel, particularly if you are afraid that you aren’t giving it a sufficiently varied diet. The best vitamin supplements are served as powders or hard treats. Vitamin supplements that dissolve into water are less effective. [20] X Research source
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Don’t forget treats. There are a variety of commercially available treats for cockatiels, which, while not essential to their diet, make for a fun distraction. Talk to the people at your local pet store about which treats they sell would be appropriate for a cockatiel. [21] X Research source
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Do not feed your bird nuts. Shelled nuts often contain a fungus that can be toxic to your cockatiel. You should also avoid nuts in their processed form, including peanut butter. [22] X Research source
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Do not feed your bird shellfish. Shellfish contain bacteria that our bodies can tolerate but that birds have trouble processing. As a result, you should never feed your bird shrimp, crab, or lobster. [23] X Research source
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Do not feed your bird canned food. Canned food is heated in a way that causes it to lose much of its nutrients. It also has unhealthy levels of sodium. Stick to fresh fruits and vegetables. [24] X Research source
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Beware of toxic fruits and vegetables. Cockatiels are allergic to several varieties of fruits and vegetables. Refrain from feeding them avocadoes, mushrooms, rhubarb, tomato, and eggplant. They are also allergic to the pits of apples, apricots, organs, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums. [25] X Research source [26] X Research source
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionCan you feed a cockatiel sunflower seeds?Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.Sunflower seeds are to cockatiels what chocolate is to people. They are a treat and when eaten in moderation are perfectly fine. The problem arises when the bird eats too many and becomes overweight, which strains their liver and heart and can make it difficult to fly.
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References
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/disinfecting.html
- ↑ https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/cockatiel/
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/disinfecting.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/cockatiel/
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html
- ↑ http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html
About This Article
Article Summary
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To feed a cockatiel, use a seed or pellet mix made specially for cockatiels as the main basis of its diet. Then, supplement its diet with fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure that your bird gets enough vitamins and minerals. Make sure to wash your produce thoroughly, since the pesticides on fruits and vegetables can be toxic to cockatiels. Additionally, provide your bird with protein by feeding it a few small pieces of cooked eggs, chicken, or fish twice a week. For carbohydrates, try giving it a spoonful of rice, corn, or oatmeal once a week. For more advice from our Veterinary co-author, including how to provide a safe eating environment for your cockatiel, keep reading!
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