Cockatiel diet??

[nimble]

Hey! I'm the proud mommy of Nimbus, an almost-3-month-old cockatiel. When I first got him from the breeder, he was on an all seed diet. Nearly all the research I did beforehand said that parrots should not be on a seed-only diet, and that this could cause fatty liver disease and other problems ultimately resulting in a short, unhealthy life. Which is certainly not a thing that I'm willing to let happen to Nimbus!!

I understand the importance of diet and nutrition, but the problem is I just don't know much about proper parrot nutrition! While I could spend all day talking about equine nutrition and the horse's gastro-intestinal system, I am just about clueless as to that of a parrot. Mudpie's diet is carefully planned, presented, and monitored, and I can tell you exactly what feed and supplements he is getting and, perhaps most importantly, why.

I've seen lots of different suggestions as to what a proper parrot diet is, but for the most part people seem to just "wing" it (pun intended). It would be really helpful to me if someone could give me a clear idea of what Nimbus should be eating and how much and, if possible, why.

Currently, he gets free choice ZuPreem AvianMaintenence Natural Bird Diet for Cockatiels, and some spinach, romaine lettuce, and broccoli. So far he will nibble spinach and lettuce, and sort of play with the broccoli. Whenever I offer him fruit (I've tried mango, apple, and banana) he acts afraid of it and sort of just runs away. He'll eat millet out of my hand, and pick up spinach out of it, but isn't really up to trying new things. (I tried to give him a cooked noodle, too, and he really wasn't into it) Is there a way I can help change that?

He was hand fed and is totally friendly and cuddly, so I'm pretty sure it's not me he's afraid of.

If there's anyway someone could give me tips on a) how to introduce and get him to eat new foods, specifically fruit and b) a structured, planned out diet -- be it weekly or daily -- of pellets, fruits, and veggies, and whatever else.

Also, he spends nearly all day out of his cage with me, and even though he has access to food and water, he does't usually eat very much. Even when he's in his cage he doesn't spend a lot of time eating, so I'm not really concerned about him overeating. (should I be?!?!)

Thank you very much for your time!!

 

[cockatielgirl]

no dont be concerned all tiels are diffent check out the website cockatiel cottage it has loads of info on tiels diets!

 

[MikeyTN]

I give my tiels Cockatiel seeds that's been re-blended, I add more Parakeet seeds within to blend it down. Like 2 and a half pound of Cockatiel seeds to 20 lbs of Parakeet seeds. That's pretty much how I blend it since Cockatiel seeds have way too much sunflower seeds. There's also pellets blend in as well, I like to give my smaller birds the mix! Then they get their regular treats and fruits & veggies. It just takes time for them to get used to them. IF you try eating it first in front of them then offer it to them, they usually would take it from you. If you want to go all pellet, that is a good choice too.

 

[adellelauren]

I've had a hard time getting my Cockatiels to adjust to pellets. I've tried every trick in the book. Some people do a 50 to 50 mix of the two. I use to mix 5 pounds of Cockatiel seed with 5 pounds of Pellets. I've tried pretty much every pellet also. In the long run I realized that I was spending money for food that was being wasted. But every bird is different. My U2, two Quakers, and Pineapple Green Cheek Conure will eat pellets.

 

[halogen]

As for feeding him, you should definitely give him pellet. It has much more nutrition than seed, especially calcium. To get him to eat it, just mix it in with his seed, about half and half. At first, he'll probably pick out the seeds, but let him. Just slowly remove the seed until only about 10% of his food is seed, this way, if he's hungry he'll have seen the pellet enough in his bowl to know it is food and he can eat it. My cockatiel didn't get that pellet was food until I put seed in with it because she'd been fed all-seed at the place I got her from.

Additionally, although it may sound odd, Arya won't eat anything new unless I try it first. You may have to eat fruits and veggies in front of Nimbus for him to muster up the courage to try it. Talk in a happy voice while you eat and he should get that you're enjoying the food. Offer him a piece of what you just ate and he might be more curious about it at the very least. If you want to feed him the food you're eating, keep him at the table while you eat, whatever it may be, and offer him occasional bites of the food. This way, he can see that you're willing to eat and enjoy the food and he can, too.

What I found is that there are some things Arya will never touch. She hates mango, broccoli, and generally anything yellow or hard like corn. Just like people, some birds will never eat one food, so just keep experimenting and seeing what he likes. I've heard that adding a couple drops of apple juice on food may help because it's one of the few things that birds can smell well. According to my vet, table food is some of the best things for our bird to have access to because of the variety in nutrients. As long as it isn't salty, greasy, or just generally unhealthy, your bird can have it. Pasta, rice, chicken, steak (in moderation), salad, veggie burger, etc. The reason is that they need to have variety. Eating the same thing every day is boring and seed/pellet won't give your bird everything he needs in terms of nutrients. Also, it keeps your bird mentally healthy. The nutrient do this, but imagine eating your favorite meal every day. After awhile, it gets to be a nightmare. Same thing with birds, they need variety. Also, unlike say, a dog, birds CAN eat table food. If you feed your puppy table food, he'd just get fat and unhealthy. For a bird, it's much the opposite.