Cockatiel

Can cockatiels eat other bird seed(such as parakeet seed)My bird just won't eat those colored seed. I really waste a lot.

deereemp said:

Can cockatiels eat other bird seed(such as parakeet seed)My bird just won't eat those colored seed. I really waste a lot.

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What do you mean by 'colored seed'. Like, pellets? What brand and style are you feeding?

Optimally, seeds and nuts should only be a limited part of the diet. Fed in large amounts (like those unhealthy seed mixtures marketed to pet birds) contribute to a shortened life due to Hepatic Lipidosis, also known as Fatty Liver Disease. Here is an explanation.

A high quality pellet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables every day is best. Seeds and nuts can still be offered to keep the diet varied (since some fat is needed still), but a bird will choose to eat them and ignore the (nutritionally) better stuff. When offering a child candy or spinach, what are they most likely to choose? Usually the candy, and to a cockatiel, those foods are their version of candy.

Captive birds are incredibly sedentary compared to their wild counterparts, even with plenty of toys and human interactions. They're not flying for miles everyday. So while wild cockatiels in Australia may gorge on seeds and nuts when they're available, they burn that off surviving or when living during leaner times.

Also, birds in general always waste a lot of food. It is kind of a bird thing. No matter what you feed, plenty of it is going to end up on the bottom of the cage.

I agree with everything Stacykins has said, so I will try not to repeat too much!

I know how difficult it can be to get a bird to switch diets. Sometimes it seems near impossible. Unlike other species, parrots will literally starve themselves before eating something new.

If your bird is just wasting, that is perfectly normal. You can try things like feeding less at one time or putting the food in a few different bowls. I do feel like when owning a bird, you just expect a lot of waste!

If you can switch over to a pelleted diet, that would be best. Then seeds can be given as a treat. Just remember to do this slowly and always make sure the bird is eating the new diet before removing the old. There are lots of tips and tricks online to help your bird learn the new diet is edible!

In short, cockatiels will eat parakeet food, but it is more like junk food is to humans and shouldn't really be the majority of any bird diet.

Avoid Sunflower Seed mixes. Use a Safflower Seed mix with unsalted cooked pasta, healthy safe fruits and vegetables ( no avocado !) Peanut Butter is a ok treat.

Sunflower Seeds are not healthy if used as main diet. Offered as a training treat or on occasion is fine.

Examples:
http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet2.html

http://www.cockatiel.com/nutrition.html


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