CharlieHave you got a new pet bird? Commonly, cockatiels are playful and friendly. However, not yet. Your lovely parrot might be a bit scared. Now, there are many questions. Feeding issues are among the primary ones. Meanwhile, can cockatiels eat bread? Which one is healthy? Let’s try to lay out a personal diet plan for your pet.
What Can Cockatiels Eat?
The first weeks the parrot lives in a new house are ahead. Now, there are a lot of things to do. You are to prepare a list of essential stuff. It’s necessary to socialize and tame the bird. The place he or she lives is to be safe.
Cockatiel’s nutrition is to be considered in beforehand. It’s important for the bird’s health and vitality. Above all, what can cockatiels eat? So, how to feed your pet? Quite naturally, cockatiels are herbivores. The best food for cockatiels commonly includes:
- Seeds and grains.
- Greens and weeds.
- Nuts.
- Blossoms.
- Safe vegetables and fruits.
The birds are also called granivores. It means free-ranging cockatiels eat mainly grains and grass seeds. Your pets enjoy berries and non-toxic fruits. Meanwhile, the diet is to be varied. Obesity is to be prevented.
Can Cockatiels Eat Wild Bird Seed?
According to research, parrots can grow on low-protein foods. Wild bird seed can make the basis of the diet. Its best types are:
- sunflower (black-oil);
- pumpkin;
- safflower;
- thistle seeds;
- corn (both cracked and whole-kernel).
Can cockatiels eat pumpkin seeds? Quite naturally, they do. The birds like them a lot. The seeds can be roasted, but not salted. Salt can poison your cherished pet birds.
Meanwhile, cockatiels come from Australia. They are desert birds. Does it mean that your pets prefer plants and seeds that grow in Australia? They like grass seeds most of all. Native nuts and blossoms would be desirable. However, can we get them? Edible flowers and blossoms are still highly recommended by avian vets.
Can Cockatiels Eat Budgie Food?
Cockatiels eat food designed for small budgies and birds. All-seed diet is possible. Let’s study an example of a healthy diet.
| Food | Percentage in the Diet |
|---|---|
| Seeds and pellets | 50 |
| Fresh foods | 25 |
| Rice, pasta and corn | 15 |
| Grains, cereal, bread, meat, etc. | 10 |
However, the cockatiel bird food menu is to be as varied as possible. If your bird is used to eat up to 75% of seeds, it’s not good. The diet is unhealthy. The seeds are to be substituted by pellets. Do it gradually. Week by week, add some amount of pellets. Reduce intake of seeds.
Do you see your cockatiel not eating or drinking? It might happen due to the new environment. The bird is to get used to the cage. Need to find best budgie cage? View here! This is will also be useful!
What Do Cockatiels Eat for Treats?
A diet consisting of 60-80% of pellets is acceptable. Meanwhile, fresh foods are also essential for cockatiels’ health. Vegetables and fruits make up to 25-40% of the daily intake. Quite naturally, not all of them are safe. Onions, rhubarb, garlic, and avocado are toxic.
What else can we tell from the chart? Bread is available there. Its amount is to be quite small. It can be given as cockatiel treats for training together with:
- hardboiled eggs;
- cooked meat;
- favorite fruits and vegetables.
Cereals and greens and within this scarce 10% of the food. Meanwhile, adult male birds may need some meat. Eating chicken skin is beneficial for them. This way, they get the amount of energy they require. However, the amounts of meat are to be tiny!
Female parrots are commonly indifferent to meat. For example, Yo-Yo likes cooked chicken and turkey. Sweetie doesn’t eat it. She likes carrots and pumpkin. Female birds like fruits more than male ones. All cockatiels adore corn and parrot bread.
Can Cockatiels Eat Toasted Bread?
Commonly, bread is safe for birds. However, which kind of bread is preferable? The question is a bit controversial. In one respect, cockatiels like soft bread. White bread is not recommended. It has no nutritional value.
Have you left a sandwich on the table? What happened if your pet bird takes a crumb of it? It should be salt-free. Fats are also unhealthy. Onions are to be absent. Additionally, make sure white bread is not contaminated by fungus or mold. Store it in a cool, dry place. Whole grain or toasted bread is recommended. Is it better to buy or bake it?
Parrot Bread Recipe
Quite naturally, you can buy the bread in your local health food store. Meanwhile, it’s possible to cook the special bread for your lovely birds.
The cockatiel treats homemade baked can be based on:
- Sunflower seeds.
- Oatmeal.
- Corn muffin mix.
- Pellets.
Frankly speaking, I would not add salt. Some eggs and fat, like buttermilk, cooking oil or so, are essential. Can cockatiels eat oats? They are to be cooked. Otherwise, it can cause digestive problems. However, oats are great bread ingredients. Dried or fresh fruits and vegetables are to be added. Cherries, apples, and carrots can be used together. Add some raw, unsalted nuts. Just chop them and mix the ingredients together. Bake the bread. It can be served slightly warm. Cockatiels like it!
Do you know, what birds can be kept with cockatiels? In the wild, the birds live in flocks. So, they get along with parrots and budgies quite well. The cage for cockatiels is to be much larger than for budges. Do you own a pet shop? If not, you would not need to breed a lot of different birds.
General Representation
Meanwhile, a healthy cockatiel diet is essential. Your pets are to consume fresh food: vegetables, greens, and fruits. Small amounts of bird bread can be given as treats. If you are busy, just buy well-balanced pellets. They contain all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Don’t forget about fresh water and let your cherished cockatiels be healthy and happy!
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