COCKATIEL PARROTS NUTRITION AND DIET
A wide variety of commercial formulated diets are available for cockatiels. This is available as a seed mix of as pellets. In the wild cockatiels eat seeds, grains and whatever fruit or vegetable greenery they can find. It is best to avoid a seed-only diet because of the high fat content of seeds. Cockatiels can develop fatty tumors if they have too much fat in their diet.
Cockatiel food should offer the bird plenty of variety. It is advisable to supplement a commercial diet with greens such as, dandelion leaves, carrot tops, seedling grass, watercress, diced celery, peas and millet. Spinach is another excellent supplement that can also provide calcium to the cockatiel’s diet. In the wild, cockatiels will eat various weeds. However, it is best not to feed a pet cockatiel weeds unless you know exactly what the weed is to avoid giving the bird any toxic plants.
Cockatiels also enjoy fruit. Diced bananas, apples and oranges are excellent choices to offer as a supplement. Do remove the apple seeds as they can be toxic. Cockatiels will also enjoy raisins as a treat.
In addition to fruits and vegetables, cockatiels can benefit from an addition of protein to the commercial diet. Canned or dry dog food, chopped bard-boiled eggs, or a commercial protein such as, mynah pellets, are good additions to their diet.
These supplements are important to add to a cockatiel’s diet in order to supply them with the phytonutrients that are missing in commercial formulated diets.
It has been found that cockatiels do not need grit in their diets and that they can, in fact, be harmed by ingesting it. Cockatiels shell their seeds before eating them and therefore do not need the addition of grit in their digestive tracts to help break down the seed shells. They can benefit from a cuttlebone for calcium and to help keep their beak trimmed and in shape.
As with all birds, do not feed cockatiels, avocados, chocolate, coffee or salt. Chocolate and coffee contain theobromine, an alkaloid that is toxic to birds. Avocado is also toxic to birds. Foods with a high salt content are harmful to birds because they can not excrete salt.
