Cockatiel Healthy Snack Advice

Hello everyone!
Our family recently acquired a one year old Lutino Male Cockatiel named Keely (now named "Kiwi") from a family friend who had not taken him out of his cage in a year and never gave him any affection. He is a very sweet bird but very shy, only coming out of his cage when he is ready every few days or so. He also was very weak when we first got him and couldn't even fly and would get very exhausted easily. He's since become much stronger, bigger and healthier and loves flying. We are currently feeding him F.M. Browns sunflower free recipe and Nutriberry treats but I am trying to get him to eat veggies (carrots, kale, bok choy, cucumbers, ANYTHING) but he just isn't having it.

This is our first Tiel so any advice on ways I can entice him to eat a few other things would be fantastic! Thanks so much everyone and have a great day!

Good for you for taking on this challenge!

First, I would add the sunflower seeds ("WHAT??" the masses scream, "THEY ARE POOOIIISSOOONNN!!!") Lol, they are not poison. Yes, they have a fairly high fat content, but sunflower seeds are an important source of Vitamin A. Think of Vitamin A for your bird like Vitamin C for you - it is important for a lot of things especially your immune system. I'm not familiar with the brand of food you are using, but assuming it is a decent one just go buy some black oil sunflower seeds at the pet store and add four or five of them to his food a day. Better yet, use them as treats! A bribe or two can go a long way with a bird BTW, has he seen a vet yet?

Ok, as for the veggies. I have learned that for some reason it is really hard to switch a bird from seeds to veggies, but really easy to switch from seeds to sprouts and not terribly hard to go fro sprouts to veggies when done right. I'm not sure why, but it has worked for me on every bird I have tried it on, even hard-core seed junkie budgies and cockatiels. I suggest sprouting whatever seed mix you are using (as long as it doesn't have any pellets in it) and feeding him that for a while instead of his seed. Then, once he is good and used to that, add veggies. Don't add them in big chunks though, use a food processor or blender to get them as tiny as you can, try not to let any pieces be bigger than his seeds. Mix a small amount in with his sprouts each day, gradually increasing.

Keep in mind though, Cockatiels are grass parakeets and should ideally always have a small amount of dry seed in their diet, and sprouts should be a significant portion as well, since it is close to what they would eat in the wild than veggies, unlike some larger jungle species. variety is key, but keep in mind what they need and what they would get in nature. Also, with fresh food you need to be VERY SURE you don't let it spoil even a little bit.

Awww, Congrats to You and Keely! Keely had a sad start. Cockatiels are so affectionate and playful, how awful for him to be locked in a cage so much of the time.

Cockatiels are scientifically grouped with cockatoos, although they do share habitat with grass parakeets, their dietary needs are a bit different. Everyone has their own ideas about diet. It does take some time to convert a seed eater to a healthier menu, but it's worth the time and effort. As SilverSage said, offer tiny pieces of veggies, shredded carrot, cucumber, apple, squash, bell pepper. My tiel likes cooked veggies and grains, quinoa, brown rice, couscous, beans, peas. There's a very long list of healthy foods other than seeds. All my birds get some seed, but it's not a huge part of their diet.

Have you offered Keely sugar snap peas. My tiel likes to take the pod apart and peel the peas one at a time. Nutritious entertainment.

I'd love to see Keely pics.

Thank you so much to you SilverSage and Allee for the wonderful advice it really has helped put my mind at ease tremendously! He's just the sweetest little guy, much more chill (once we get him settled) the our lorikeets but he will definitely take some work. I have a small pot of sprouts growing (small millet sprouts, peppermint and safflower) and our keets love it and I put a small sprig in his bowl tonight for dinner so I will see if he ate it. I also gave him a bowl of vegetables to ponder (sounds weird saying that but he wasn't regularly fed before and what he was fed was Hartz diet bird seed which he wouldn't eat).

SilverSage you answered yet another question I was going to have, I will make sure to empty the veggie bowls tonight and won't leave anything. Question, what type of sprouts do you recommend? Store bought fresh bean sprouts or sprouts from a sprout garden? Also would you think and herb garden (like a small window box) would be good to grow for me to grow sprouts that way? Or do you think the old put a seed in a wet napkin and place it in a ziploc bag overnight method is good? I have lots of leftover seeds from last years vegetable garden I can use!

Allee thank you for the grain suggestions I am still learning about their diet and it is SOOOOO much more diverse then I originally had been taught. I have some brown rice and I will cook some up for him. I am going to the store tomorrow and I am adding your suggestions to our family list!

Thank you so much to you both for your support and advice it helps TONS!

I buy sprouting seed from by local pet shop. It contains over one dozen different types of seeds so there is plenty of variety in there. I leave it soaking in water for the day, drain and rinse with cold water then leave in a tea strainer sitting on a cup of water (increases humidity). Run seeds under the tap a couple of times a day and in 36 hours (or less) they're ready to eat. Most cockatiels will eat it without hesitation.
Cockatiels have a deserved reputation for being fussy eaters. If they haven't experienced much variety in their first 3-6 months they struggle to try different foods. Once you overcome this hurdle , usually a few months or more, their natural inquisitiveness takes over.

An angel just rang a bell for your deed!

Edward is basically right on about how to sprout for birds you can also just sprout his regular seed mix as long as there are no pellets. Sprouts are just the first stage of growth, not the whole leafy plant. Please do not use the bag method you mentioned, that sounds like a good way to get bacteria be sure your sprouts smell (or taste) fresh not sour when you feed them.

I picked up a sprouting jar. One of the members recommended I check out the sprout people website where they have an inexpensive sprouting jar as well as a seed mix designed for different sizes of parrots. Basically it's a plastic jar with a strainer lid and you put some seed in there. You soak it for the recommended time and then dump the water. Twice a day thereafter you rinse and drain the seeds until they sprout. It's very easy. I have a jar full right now and I'm trying to get my birds to eat small portions a day until they get used to it.

Do Not use the left over garden seed, most are treated with fungicide!

THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE! Looking up everyone's suggestions tonight! I will take pics and post when I get some sprouting seeds and sprout jars per everyone's suggestions! I am just to pot the seeds I have started and get the birds a "Parrot Mix" just for them! The seeds I started are GMO, herbicide and untreated from s local seed bank in our state but I will play it safe!

I have such a green thumb so I am really looking forward to this little adventure parrot gardening! Oh one more question, has anyone here ever made "Bird Bread?" My keets would just play with it but if it's an effective way for Kiwi to get nutrients or have something different I would do it. Anyone have any experience making home made treats? Thank you so much!

Try broccolini! My birds are extremely reluctant to eat anything fresh, but broccolini was a hit! My tiel loves it!

Thank you for that suggestion veimar I will look that up now! I am currently researching the different containers for sprouting. There is SOOOOO much to this!

Kiko was a hard-core seed junkie and I tried everything over and over again. And then, one day, when he was on my shoulder...I grabbed a Broccoli clump and separated the little 'heads' from the stalks. They looked just like seeds to him, and he tried it. Apparently it tasted really good once it became disguised as a 'seed'. Now he will eat the Broccoli bunch and all without any problems. In my experience I think getting a parrot to try a new food is the hardest part. Once they try it, the process we!ms to be more easier after that.