Whenever your cockatiel eats table foods, he will cut back on the amount of
pellets consumed that day proportionately. Birds only eat as much food as they
maintain their energy level. According to Tom Roudybush, avian nutritionist who
conducted research at UC-Davis for 15 years, pet cockatiels
consume approximately 15 grams of high energy food daily. The goal is to get your bird to eat 15 grams
of foods that have a high concentration of nutrients. In addition to pellets,
offer your bird a variety of healthy foods daily for a well balanced and
nourishing. diet. Avoid the toxic foods
that are described below. They can
make your bird sick or cause death. Some of the information on this page is in a list format which you may print out for reference.
: Birds need fresh, clean water at all times. Water
should be changed daily and whenever droppings, food or
feather dander are present throughout the day. If you wouldn't drink the water, neither should your
bird. Bacteria and fungus that can make your bird sick can accumulate in
water pipes. Let the faucet run for several minutes to flush before filling your
bird's water dish or use bottled water. If you use a faucet water filtration
system, change the filter regularly. Water filters will harbor bacteria if not
maintained. Adding vitamins to water promotes the growth of
bacteria because they contain flavor enhancers. That's what that slimy feeling inside of the
water dish is. If you
have lead or galvanized metal water
pipes in your home or
your source of drinking water comes from an underground well, avoid giving your
bird tap water to drink and bath in. The water could contain lead or zinc. Give
your bird bottled water instead. Symptoms
of heavy metal poisoning include
loss of balance, muscle weakness, inability to fly, red droppings,
vomiting and respiratory distress.
Sources of calcium include fresh dark green, leafy vegetables, kale, cilantro,
beet greens, turnip
greens, bok choy, endive, chard, collard greens, parsley, mustard greens, watercress, romaine
lettuce, broccoli leaves and stalks and yellow wax beans. Keeping a cuttlebone
and mineral block in your bird's cage may supplement calcium needs.
Dr. Warren Briggs, DVM, states that "When we observe a bird gnawing on a
cuttlebone, the bird may be just playing, rather than ingesting it. A bird's
diet should be well balanced so that even if there were no cuttlebone present
(or ingested), there wouldn't be a problem."
are a rich source of calcium. However, birds do not have the enzyme lactase which is necessary to digest milk products
containing lactose (milk sugar). Yogurt and cottage cheese as well as some other types of cheese
do not contain lactose
and are generally considered safe to feed to birds by
board certified, Avian Veterinarian,
Dr. Margaret Wissman. The living
organisms in cultured yogurt consume lactose, rendering yogurt lactose
free. Milk products containing lactose can remain
undigested in the large intestines and there is a potential for digestive
problems. Because of this, some
avian vets advise against the inclusion of all milk products in a bird's diet.
Cockatiels will benefit from having protein added to their diet, especially when
molting. Protein rich foods that are nutritious for you, are also nutritious for your
cockatiel. Offer well cooked chicken, turkey, lean meats,
fish, hard boiled
or scrambled eggs, cottage cheese. Serve your bird these foods when they are freshly cooked, not
after they have been cooked, refrigerated and reheated. Remove from cage after
30 minutes to prevent spoilage.
Vitamins Vegetables and Fruits:
Iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and celery are mostly water and have little
nutritional value. If your bird enjoys them, serve as an occasional treat. Bright orange and dark
green vegetables have the most vitamins. Offer cooked sweet potatoes or yams,
raw or lightly steamed fresh asparagus, cooked beets, fresh beet greens, bok choy, broccoli (leaves, stems and florets), carrots, carrot
tops, corn, chicory greens, chard, cilantro, collard greens, endive, fresh
sprouts, green and yellow wax beans, kale, cooked lima beans, fresh mustard greens, peas,
parsley, pumpkin, red or green sweet peppers, turnip greens,
watercress, romaine lettuce, yellow squash, zucchini, dark green lettuces.
Some vegetables should be served in moderation, only once or twice a week.
Spinach and parsley contain oxalic acid
which binds with calcium, blocks the absorption of calcium and puts stress on
the kidneys. High levels of oxalic acid in the diet can also cause poor blood
clotting and convulsions in birds. Other vegetables with lesser amounts of
oxalic acid include beet greens, carrots, collard greens, lettuce, turnips, and
berries. Serve these foods in
moderation. Low levels of oxalates can result in decreased growth, poor bone mineralization and kidney stones.
Some foods like broccoli contain phytate or phytic
acid. Phytates have the same effects as oxalic acid, blocking the absorption
of calcium, as well as blocking the absorption of zinc and iron. Phytates can
be found in broccoli, legumes, nuts, carrots, potatoes, green beans,
sweet potatoes and berries. Serve these vegetables in moderation as well.
Carrots and sweet potatoes
are high in sugar and can contribute to yeast infections. Serve in moderation.
Fruits: apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cantaloupe,
cherries, honeydew melon, kiwi, mango, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears,
pineapple, plums, watermelon may be offered although cockatiels are not big
fruit eaters. Be cautious with strawberries and grapes. They spoil faster than
other fruits. Mushy, discolored, bruised fruits or vegetables should never be
served to birds because of possible bacterial or fungal contamination.
Note: 1. Should you eliminate some of the above foods from you bird's diet? Of course
not, only eliminate foods that are listed as being toxic (below). Serving in moderation means
offering your bird certain foods once or twice a week and offering a variety of
fresh vegetables and fruit each day. Avoid serving the same foods day after day.
Since many of the vegetables and fruits that birds enjoy contain an enzyme
inhibitor, anti-nutrient, or a natural toxin that has not been specified above,
it's important to vary the foods in a bird's diet. In addition, different foods
contains different nutrients. A variety of fresh foods will ensure that your
bird receives maximum nutritional benefits. 2. Greens contain high amounts of water, 80%-90%. Too many servings of greens each day
may cause polyuria, excess water, (urine), in droppings.
Cooked pasta, cooked rice or brown rice, cooked dried beans, baked sweet potatoes, bird bread, whole wheat toast,
oatmeal and other cooked cereals, cold cereals (cheerios, shredded wheat and grape nuts),
fresh corn and fresh peas are all good sources of carbohydrates. They are
also high energy foods so should be served in moderation.
Because some cold cereals contain zinc, serve as a treat a few times a week or purchase
brands that do not contain zinc. Zinc is a nutrient that is found in many fresh
foods and birds do require a very small amount of zinc in their
diet. According to my avian vet, the zinc in food is NOT the same as the toxic form of zinc which
is found in heavy metals. Several avian vets were interviewed for an
article in Bird Talk Magazine. All stated that when served in moderation, cold cereal
that contains zinc is not harmful to pet birds.
Pet shops have an enormous variety of treats for your bird to enjoy. Treats
range from biscuits and
yogurt balls to fruit treats that resemble Gummy Bears. Larger treats, like honey seed sticks, can be broken up into several
smaller portions to stretch over a week or two. Other treats include unsalted popcorn,
animal crackers, cold cereals like cheerios, rice krispies, cornflakes, grape nuts or mini shredded wheat,( 1 or 2 pieces a
day), birdie breads, a small amount of loose seeds, 1-2 sunflower seeds daily,
millet seed once a week (or as often as your avian vet recommends), or one AviCake,
Nutriberry or other small treat daily. Honey seed sticks can be
broken up to provide a week or two of smaller treats. This site
also has a recipe section which you can find on the main index. There are all
sorts of recipes submitted by visitors for making birdie breads and other
homemade treats. Click
Here. Serve treats in moderation, 1-2 treats each day.
is not toxic to pet
birds, according to Petra Burgmann DVM. There is no evidence to suggest this.
It's a rumor. Parsley induced photosensitivity was reported in ostriches and
ducks fed large quantities, but only when they were exposed to unfiltered
sunlight. Parsley has many nutritional benefits and smaller pet birds like
parakeets and cockatiels enjoy an occasional sprig. Since parsley does contain
oxalic acid, which blocks calcium absorption, serve in moderation, 1-2 times a
Fruits and vegetables contain pesticides which are toxic for birds. Wash, scrub,
peel and rinse several times before serving. Soaking
veggies/fruits for a few minutes in a mixture of grapefruit seed extract and water or apple
cider vinegar and water will help to remove pesticides.
Should be provided for birds on an unbalanced, all seed diet. Choose a vitamin
that comes in a treat form or powder instead of one
that is added to water. Vitamins in water degrade rapidly, becoming dilute and
ineffective. They also promote bacterial growth due to the added flavor
enhancers. Never supplement the diet of a bird on pellet
diet with commercial vitamins. This can cause a toxic overdose of Vitamins A and
Grit or bird gravel is composed of tiny pieces of sand and stone,
(granite or quartz). In the past, grit was thought to be an essential aid in the
digestion of food in a bird's gizzard. Some species of birds, (
turkeys, chickens, pigeons, doves), benefit from some grit in their diet because
they consume entire seeds without removing the hull. Grit helps to grind up seed
hulls so they can be digested. Cockatiels and most other pet birds crack open seeds and remove shells before eating
seeds. Healthy cockatiels
and other pet birds, with the exception of canaries, finches, doves and pigeons,
do not need grit to aid in digestion.
Feeding your cockatiel grit or using sandpaper type
cage liners/perches can make your cockatiel very sick. Veterinarians report that
grit is one of the most widely abused substances used with birds. Birds with health problems and
abnormal appetites may consume too much grit. Using the incorrect size of grit
can cause internal injuries. There have been confirmed reports of lead poisoning,
crop and gastro-intestinal impactions and other health problems in in birds that
ingest grit. Avoid using grit
with your cockatiel unless your avian vet prescribes it for
Human saliva contains bacteria that is potentially
toxic to birds. If you are getting a cold or the flu and you develop a secondary
infection, your bird can get sick
from you. Avoid this habit and offer you bird a separate portion of
Avocados, rhubarb, leaves and stems from potato, tomato, eggplant and bean plants, alcohol, coffee, tea,
chocolate, sugar, salt, greasy foods, tobacco, fruit seeds or pits from apples,
apricots, oranges, cherries, peaches, pears and plums are toxic and can
make your bird sick. If a large quantity is ingested, some foods can be
lethal to birds.
Shellfish, Meat, Eggs & Beans: Avoid feeding your bird
shellfish. (shrimp, crab, lobster etc.) because of high levels of bacterial contamination. A bacteria count that is considered safe for humans may not be
safe for birds. Serve your bird freshly cooked meat, fish and eggs. Do not feed your bird meat, fish or eggs that
have been refrigerated and re-heated after cooking. Uncooked dried beans, barley, oats, rice, sweet potatoes, turnips and beets contain enzyme inhibitors
that will interfere with your bird digestion of food. Cook them first to deactivate
Vegetables in cans are often high in sodium content. The heat used during processing
also destroys the vitamin
content. Avoid them and use fresh or frozen instead. If you must use canned, rinse
several times under running water to remove sodium.
Seeds, grains, fruit, meat, cheese, bread and other foodstuffs can become toxic
if contaminated with mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic
compounds produced by many species of mold-causing fungi. Under the right conditions,
fungi will multiply
rapidly, producing high levels of mycotoxins. "Moderate levels of this compound,
if ingested, will cause lesions on a bird's organs and may have carcinogenic
effects (cancer causing). High levels of mycotoxins are lethal and can cause mortality within 2-3
days." (Source: Avian Medicine, Principles and Applications, Ritchie,
Harrison & Harrison, page 27) Birds and
other pets are especially susceptible to being poisoned by mycotoxins because of
poor quality control and improper storage of
food. Although some molds are visible, like the fuzz on old bread and
strawberries, mycotoxins if present, can not be detected by sight, taste or smell
and they can not be destroyed by cooking or freezing. Never feed your bird
mushy, discolored, bruised fruits or vegetables or a food that has mold growing on
it. "When in doubt,
throw it out."
Fresh Peanuts & Moldy Foods:
Fresh peanuts, Brazil nuts and other nuts in shells are often contaminated with
a toxic, mold-causing fungus. Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus
parasiticus are most commonly implicated. These 2 species grow beneath the
shell of the nut and produce a mycotoxin (toxin from a fungus)
called Aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is undetectable by sight, smell
or taste and it can not be destroyed by cooking or freezing. Ingesting food
contaminated with a high level of Aflatoxin is lethal and will cause
death . Avoid feeding your bird fresh peanuts, other fresh nuts, bulk peanut
butter or peanut butter sold in health food stores. All can contain deadly
levels of Aflatoxin. Commercial brands and dry roasted nuts are monitored for
this. Dried corn, grains and birdseed can also become contaminated
with Aflatoxin. Keep your bird safe. Store all seeds, pellets, treats, grains in
tightly closed containers, off the floor and in a cool, dry area.
Offer your cockatiel low energy, fresh food at least twice a day. Remove all
cooked fresh foods after 30 minutes and remove fresh, raw vegetables after 1
hour to prevent bacterial contamination. During hot weather remove
all fresh foods after 30 minutes. Always wash feeding dishes thoroughly with hot soapy
water after each use.
Eat with your bird. Cockatiels are flocking birds. Just as birds in the wild
prefer eating with their flock, your bird will enjoy eating with you. Offer fresh
fruits and vegetables in the morning, afternoon or while you have dinner, not late evening.
Cockatiels love eating dinner with the family. Take advantage of this and serve
your bird a small portion of healthy, fresh, foods from you dinner menu.
Scrambled eggs with shredded carrots, cooked sweet potatoes, brown rice with
assorted veggies and mashed chicken are big hits with Mama & Cookie.
Before bedtime, offer your bird a small amount of loose seeds from the
palm of your hand to further bonding. A bird's crop should be filled with seeds or pellets before sleeping.
Always read the labels on foods before buying or serving to your bird. Avoid
products that have chemical additives or products that have a high fat, sugar or sodium content.
For a well nourished bird, include a variety of fresh, dark leafy green
and other table foods in your bird's diet. Variety assures
maximum nutritional benefits, since each food contains different nutrients. Offer foods that have
different colors, shapes, textures and flavors to prevent boredom. Also vary the presentation of
foods. Serve them chopped, sliced, diced, minced, mashed etc. Eating nutritious
table foods should be an interesting and enjoyable experience for your bird.