# healthy treats?



## ally (Jun 16, 2012)

i know birds need fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement their regular food, but what are some options? i have gotten Puff to eat fresh broccoli (she loves the stuff) but she refuses all fruit. im guessing that is a cockatiel thing to only eat veggies...? can i maybe get some ideas as to what else she may like to eat?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> im guessing that is a cockatiel thing to only eat veggies...?


That's right - most tiels don't like fruit.

Clean, chemical-free lawn grass is a great tiel treat. Unripe seed heads are a bonus. Dandelion leaves are excellent too. My birds like leafy greens hung up in the cage (for example organic baby salad mix), corn cut off the cob, cilantro, asparagus - anything that looks like a seed or a fairly thin stem appeals to them. They go crazy for chard when they're breeding, and they like it the rest of the year too. Some cockatiels like cooked veggies (mine don't) and will eat things liked cooked sweet potato. Sweet potato shouldn't be offered raw though.


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

Hi ally, you are correct in saying that cockatiels usually don't eat much fruits although it would be great if they only would!  I strongly recommend you check out the sub-form "Food and Nutrition" that is under this current forum, esp. the stickied threads that provide lots and lots of info on this topic, such as lists of fruits/veggies that are safe for cockatiels to eat, how to sprout (incredibly healthy and nutritious for tiels and very easy), tons of recipes, and lots of ideas as to what would be healthy treats for tiels. 

My Sunny loves sunflower/pumpkin seeds, walnuts, millet, (sugar-free) Cheerios and Shreddies and (sugar-free) granola flakes. So I usually offer her these things as a treat but of course in sparing amounts since seeds are so fattening and cereals are generally high in sugar but you can get the sugar-free kinds like I do (it's better for my own health also ). I also try to make sure she has eaten a fair share of her regular bird food (Harrison's) before I offer her treats to prevent her from filling up on "junk food" and become to full to eat the regular healthy stuff. Seeds and nuts are also healthy so they should also be a part of a tiel's diet but make sure it's just a small amount due to the fat content. The rule of thumb is to make sure the treat is no bigger than your thumb nail (no pun intended ). Keep in mind that what may not be very big to you would be HUGE to your tiel!  When I give her walnut, I would just break off a TINY piece that is about the size of a tiel's dropping. Walnut is good for your brain and I believe it is also good for Sunny's brain too.  Good luck!


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## ally (Jun 16, 2012)

thank you guys so much  now all i need to do is take a trip to the grocery store  and i'll also look for that sub-forum


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## Pikatiel (Jul 3, 2011)

Generally, anything that your tiel sees you eating, it'll want to eat. So, if you take a look at the recommended foods list and cook yourself something from there, your tiel will absolutely want a bite and it's a great way to get them to eat their fresh foods.

When I really want to give my boy a treat, I'll buy him some air popped popcorn. It's his favorite food. I let him nibble one every now and again when he's being an affectionate bird.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> I'll buy him some air popped popcorn


Here's an easy way to make popcorn for birds: take a few kernels of plain unpopped corn - the kind from the grocery store that's meant to be popped in a pan with oil, not the microwave kind. Wrap it loosely in a paper towel or microwave-safe container so it has room to pop but won't fly all over the place. Put this in the microwave and nuke it until it pops. If you count the kernels in advance you can count the pops and will know exactly when it's finished. Let it cool down and have a birdie feast.


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## Pikatiel (Jul 3, 2011)

tielfan said:


> Here's an easy way to make popcorn for birds: take a few kernels of plain unpopped corn - the kind from the grocery store that's meant to be popped in a pan with oil, not the microwave kind. Wrap it loosely in a paper towel or microwave-safe container so it has room to pop but won't fly all over the place. Put this in the microwave and nuke it until it pops. If you count the kernels in advance you can count the pops and will know exactly when it's finished. Let it cool down and have a birdie feast.


This is a good idea. I've always stayed away from the pop it yourself because I don't want to saturate them in oil, but I'll try it in my microwave if I can find non-microwave specific kind here in Japan.


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

Lafeber's has a kind of birdie popcorn (called Gourmet Popcorn Nutriberries) which is popcorn with seeds stuck to them. I give one to Sunny every now and then and she loves them. That way you don't have to do anything and you know that they are good for birds.  Or you can pop them in one of those old-fashioned popcorn poppers, if you know which type I mean, but they are hard to find nowadays. You can see if you can get one at a second-hand store.


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## ally (Jun 16, 2012)

the popcorn nutriberries sound really cool, but is it a local thing? i just want to know if there's any way i can get them in Virginia


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Any large chain pet store should carry them.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

enigma731 said:


> Any large chain pet store should carry them.


If they don't, you can order them online as well


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## Annie (Nov 20, 2009)

If you go to the Lafeber's website (www.lafebercares.com), you will be able to see their products, with the popcorn nutriberries being one of them.  Here's a direct link to this product:

http://www.lafebercares.com/pinnacl...pcorn-nutri-berries-for-cockatiels-4-oz.-bag/


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