Are you worried about how to feed your cockatiel? Then you are at the right place to find a guide on how you should feed your pet. Feeding is a critical factor for your cockatiel’s survival, and you should discuss it with a veterinarian if possible. Nutrition for the bird is an important aspect that every homeowner needs to consider. You, therefore, need to feed your cockatiel a varied and balanced diet to prevent it from diet-related issues.
How To Feed Cockatiels?
Feeding cockatiels at least twice a day is the most crucial aspect. It is reasonable to provide the bird in the morning and early evening before dusk. Accordingly, both the adult and weaned cockatiels require two meals a day. However, an adult cockatiel will need 1- 2 teaspoons of seeds or 30- 40 grams of pellets.
Notably, it would help if you feed your cockatiel to maintain their life. However, you need to feed it with the right foods that will help to thrive and flourish. The cockatiel’s health highly depends on how well it provides. The feeding will also determine the lifespan of your cockatiel. Poor feeding and poor hygiene may lead to the health problems of the bird.
Food For Cockatiel- A Balance Schedule Of Cockatiel Care
Balanced diet
Cockatiels require a well-balanced diet to avoid obesity, iodine problems, and other diet-related issues. The components include feather picking, egg binding, among others. Your cockatiel requires 1.5 to 2 levels to measure a teaspoon of seeds per bird. Additionally, birds require pale vegetables with high water consumption. When feeding the pet birds fruits, you need to wash them thoroughly to remove chemicals, then cut them to manageable sizes. The pets’ dishes require thorough cleaning daily.
You should note that cockatiels need extra minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. Therefore ensure you add extra to their diet. The cockatiel keepers should feed egg-laying birds with calcium supplements.
Clean Water
They need clean water at all times. Tap water is acceptable for your birds. However, spring water is always beneficial. Notably, water bowls for your bird are a health hazard if not changed daily. If the bowls aren’t changed daily, bacteria and fungus may start to flourish in the stagnant water. You should use bleach, hot soapy water, or disinfectant in cleaning the bowls.
Water is also essential not only to cockatiels but all birds. Ensure that you provide your bird with clean water. Don’t give your pet contaminated water, as it may lead to your bird’s death.
It would be best if you aimed at feeding your cockatiel with a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Notably, when deciding your cockatiel’s diet plan, know what your bird eats and what it doesn’t eat. Additionally, consider a diet of seeds or pellets, and add some fresh green to the food daily. Moreover, when feeding the cockatiel, ensure the food pieces are of small sizes and finely chopped. Accordingly, serve the bird with the varied fresh foods at least twice a day.
Calcium and vegetables
For healthy bones, your cockatiels will need calcium and vegetables. To do so, provide your cockatiel with green vegetables like kale, cilantro, turnip greens, chard, endive, mustard greens, and collard greens. Additionally, you can offer mineral blocks for your bird to snack on them. Your birds can consume lactose-free dairy products like cottage cheese and yogurt.
Proteins
Your cockatiel will also need protein during their survival. Accordingly, feed the birds with eggs or meat. Turkey, chicken, fish, hard-boiled eggs, and beef are ideal. However, it would be best if you served them freshly cooked. Notably, you should avoid giving your bird reheated eggs and meats. When serving, keep the portions small, mostly tiny pieces in each serving.
Carbohydrates
Cockatiels need carbohydrates in their diet. They include cooked beans, oatmeal, baked sweet potatoes, cooked rice, and fresh corn. However, carbohydrates are less critical to the bird’s diet, and you should serve them in moderation. Provide them at least twice per week.
Avoid some foods
It would help if you avoided certain types of foods when feeding your pet. Foods to be avoided will include chocolate, high salt foods, and alcohol as they are not healthy for your birds. Accordingly, avoid feeding your birds with canned foods as heated food loses most nutrients. Besides, prevent toxic vegetables and fruits such as mushrooms, avocadoes, eggplant, and tomato. Moreover, cockatiels are allergic to apricots, apples, cherries, pears, plums, and peaches.
Cockatiel Cage
Since cockatiels are playful birds, they require a large cage for comfortable feeding. A large cage will accommodate the long tail and head crest of your bird. The minimum recommended size of a cockatiel cage is 18’’ wide, 24’’ tall, and 24’’ long. You should ensure that your pet cage has horizontal bars on two sides. Accordingly, the size of the cage will also determine the feeding process of the bird.
Notably, it is necessary to keep most cockatiels at room temperature. You should ensure that you keep your bird and its cage away from hot places or drafty areas. When your pet is in a conducive environment, it will feed without stress and maintain good health. Additionally, make sure your bird’s cage has at least three perches of different shapes, sizes, and texture to ensure its feet’ health.
If you decide to place your bird’s cage in a quiet room, you should obtain a cage cover to help the bird sleep at night. However, if the bird lives in a more active place, low volumes can make it awake. If the bird doesn’t get enough sleep, it may develop health problems. Additionally, using a sleep cage ensures the bird has a good night’s sleep. If the pen you choose for your bird isn’t comfortable for it, it will affect the bird’s feeding process either directly or indirectly.
Conclusion
For the good health of your pet, proper nutrition is a crucial factor. A balanced diet will keep pets healthy and fit. Feeding also involves giving your pet clean drinking water. Furthermore, it requires a clean living environment to keep fit. Therefore, customers need to visit our website and study more about feeding cockatiels before making the wrong choices on what to feed your pets.
Helpful Resource: Cockatiel Diet Guide