What do cockatiels love to eat?

Cockatiels are intelligent birds which can do a lot of different activities such as singing and head-bobbing dance. They can also whistle following the trained song and do handshakes or fly after commands.

Cockatiel birds are often kept in a large wire cage both indoors and outdoors. But they are a social bird and they love to have some company, so make sure to grow this bird species in pairs or groups. And they also need human interaction with some training exercises every day.

When it comes to the cockatiel’s nutrition and diet, the most important element to consider is variety. Feed your birds with the food that they like. Cockatiels will let you know what they like and dislike to eat, so it is very essential to realize that and never force them to eat the food they do not want to.

What do cockatiels love to eat?

Their main diet includes seeds, dry nuts and pellets. Also, they love to eat many different fruits and vegetables, just make sure to serve them in small amounts and in very small pieces

Pellets and seeds

Most cockatiel owners feed them with seeds and pellets in their daily diet. This kind of food will keep them fit and healthy. Seeds are natural and healthy food, but they do not provide the birds with enough calcium and vitamins. That’s why cockatiels need to eat pellets as well which contain the necessary amount of calcium and minerals for their growth.

Actually, it is quite hard to transform the cockatiels diets completely to pellets unless newborn chicks are trained to pellets at the very beginning. However, there is nothing wrong with seeds when your birds are familiar with this food, just make sure they have variety.

Before serving your birds with their favorite foods, make sure that their food tray is completely dry because moisture is the main cause of bacteria. Cockatiels often extract seeds from the husks, making their bowl full of empty husks that the birds do not eat. It is also needed to clean the food tray regularly with hot soapy water to not allow bacteria and fungus to grow.

Vegetables

Beans, sprout, carrots, turnip greens, potatoes, cabbage, spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens, pumpkin, broccoli

Fruits

Apple, mango, banana, apricots, cherries, papayas, coconut, peaches, grapes, kiwi, oranges. 

What should you never give your cockatiels?

Cockatiels like other kinds of social eater, wild birds tend to feed in flocks, like to share the mealtime with their companies. As the tamed pat, they love to have meals with either other bird pets or a human caretaker. That is a great way for them to socialize. However, that does not mean you can share every food for the cockatiels. Some of the food is not good and even toxic to cockatiels’ digestive system.

The following is the food which you should not give to your cockatiels:

Avocado

Avocado leaves contain persin, an acid substance to kill fungus in the plant. When the birds eat this substance, it can cause damage to their heart and their respiratory system, even sudden death. Actually, there are some certain types of avocados that are safe for cockatiels. But if it is not clear to you, just simply leave this food away from your birds’ diet. So it is a great idea to offer them with some other fruit like mango, papaya, or grade.

Chocolate and Caffeine

Many people cannot resist chocolate and caffeine foods like coffee and soft drinks, but even just a very small amount of these foods can be toxic to cockatiels.  These foods cause vomiting and diarrhea, also increase heart rate and cause death in birds. Instead, feed them with a carrot stick or bean pod.

Chocolate can be toxic to cockatiels

Fat

As you might know, the danger of consuming high-fat foods such as oil and butter can lead to the build-up of cholesterol on the walls of arteries and cause heart disease, stroke, and many other health problems. This has no exception for birds, specifically cockatiels, so just limit the consumption of these foods. Of cause, to provide the birds with more protein, you can occasionally feed them with lean cooked meat, but just in very, very small pieces

Other tips while feeding cockatiels

• Sprouting seeds can be used as a fresh food when there is a lack of vegetables in the diet of the birds.
• They should be fed twice in a day, once in the morning and the other in the evening.
• 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of pellets or seed are enough for each time in their daily food.
• Water is also very important in the bird’s diet. Both tap and spring water are fine with them, just make sure to clean water bowls regularly to make it free from bacteria.
• Always keep their cage clean by removing decayed food from their place to keep them away from bacteria. And to make your birds healthy, feed them with their favorite food.

To conclude,

So what do cockatiels love to eat? Besides the main foods which are seeds and pallets, cockatiels love to eat many other kinds of food including vegetables and fruits. Also, while feeding this bird pet, bear in mind to avoid some foods that are toxic to the birds and how to feed them properly, then keep their living space clean. This will make your bird fit and healthy. Finally, it actually does not take a lot of effort to raise a cockatiel as a pet, but for beginners, there are some important notes to take in this bird’s diet. Enjoy your time with the cockatiels!