# What should i feed my Cockatiel?



## Kaja (May 26, 2010)

I need some advice as I have read and heard several different things now in regards to what i should be feeding my cockatiel and am now a little bit confused, right now i have my bird eating seeds and pellets mixed in together with the occasional healthy table scraps  

But I have talked to other cockatiel owners that swear by having the bird completely switched over to pellets, but then i have heard the complete opposite from somebody working in a pet store who said that they should be kept mostly on seeds because its more of a natural diet for them??

Is it kinda like with cats with the wet food/dry food thing, where its just a matter of which ever they prefer so long as there being fed, or what!?
Please help, im a bit confused therefore im feeding her a little bit of everything to stay on the safe side!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Their beak is designed to crack seed, so they should have some seed. They also need a varied diet, so pellets (prefferably in a separate dish) are good. And they eat veggies and greens, and are not big fans of fruit. I personally avoid anything that is cooked...because cooking destroys the natural enzymes in food.

Not matter who you ask you will always get varied opinions.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

There's no agreement on what the ideal diet is, so I offer a wide variety of foods (pellets, seeds, sprouts, veggies, and various other items) and let the birds eat what they want. Each of my birds eats at least a little bit of everything.

Both all-seed and all-pellet diets are known to be bad - variety is the key. Your birds will have a better diet if they have daily access to leafy greens and any other vegetable that they'll eat. 

Sprouting is a wonderful way to enhance the nutritional value of dry seeds and grains. The germination process reduces the fat content and sets off a variety of other beneficial chemical changes in the seed/grain. It's not a difficult thing to do - I spend about three minutes per day on it. There's more information on sprouting at http://www.littlefeatheredbuddies.org/info/nutrition-sprouting.html and many other sources.


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## clawnz (May 28, 2009)

There is not much to add what has already been said.
A mixed diet is by far the best way to go.
There is mounting information that an all Pellet diet may not that good for the smaller Fids.
I am glad to say my Tiels do not seem to target any one type of food that they have available at all times.
Keep the veges as fresh as you can. And try sprouting, it is some of the best food you can feed. Again everything in moderation.


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## Peanutbutter (Jun 29, 2009)

I did a lot of research ---understatement--- and decided to aim for 50:50 seed: pellets complimented with whatever fresh I have around.... by this I mean I keep a dish of pellets full all the time... but only offer about a teaspoon or two of seeds each day. I'm not particular in the quantities unless holly starts getting nesty-- then her seeds are limited to less than a tsp. a day.

I also switch my pellets between the variety of zupreem blends and roudybush. Both are great quality pellets that are also affordable for me.
I use Volkman No-Sunflower blend as my seed base... very clean & balanced seed. Love it.
(www.birdsafestore.com is the best price I've found on my pellets and seeds; I can't find GOOD seed with no Ethoxyquin (BAD preservative) locally so I have to order online)

Their diet includes occasional sprouted seeds (very easy to do). A wide variety of fresh vegis and greens (dandilion, kale, carrots, etc.)... fruit sometimes. Mine like apples and peaches.

You can even scramble a plain egg and offer that sometimes. Crush the shell right up in there and cook it 'well done'. My tiels also like chicken.... LOVE a nibble of spaghetti.

There is a Safe Food List somewhere around here... 

Labefers Nutriberries are great treats... Zupreem just came out with "cookies", haven't tried em' yet.... and Roudybush has a new soak & feed type mash... sounds Yummy.


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## kab0116 (Mar 17, 2010)

Anyone know of some softer pellets than Zupreem? For some reason Noki can't crunch them up, she just sort of rolls them around in her mouth and then spits them out uneaten, like they're too hard. She'll eat parakeet pellets but I'd like to get her back to normal tiel food.


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## Peanutbutter (Jun 29, 2009)

I feed mine the parakeet zupreem too. They like them better... and they are exactly the same nutritionally, only difference is the size of the pellet. No worries.

Roudybush crumbles are awesome too... Defiantly less dense than the zupreem. My fids do fine with the 'crumble' and the 'mini' size Roudybush.

My girl prefers roudybush or zupreem natural; my boy zupreem-- mainly the green ones in the fruity bag.


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## Asha0430 (Jul 24, 2010)

I feed my tiels the parakeet size too, they won't really touch the bigger pellets.


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