It is generally very well received by cockatiels and they have a fondness for almost any fruit that you can provide. With these factors in mind let us take a closer look at the best fruits you can offer before looking at those you may want to avoid! Most fruits are great to feed cockatiels. However, you must do so as a treat. As an owner, you are ultimately responsible for ensuring that your bird meets all of their nutritional requirements and needs, and does not become too dependent on any food, especially fruit.
However, fruits can be included as part of a healthy diet. The best fruits for cockatiels are organic and seedless. In the section above, we looked at a selection of fruit that is ideal for feeding your feathered friend, most of which are available to buy in your local supermarket.
Let us now take a closer look at the benefits of five of the most commonly fed fruits for your cockatiel:. Apples are delicious to eat all year round. Make sure that you remove the seeds as seeds contain cyanide, which is toxic to your bird. Equally, its a good idea to cut apples up into smaller, more manageable chunks and to peel the skin off first.
This will make them easier to eat for your bird. Bananas are an excellent snack for your cockatiel as they are soft and easy to eat. Bananas are full of potassium, and a nice treat all year round.
Banana peel is even safe for your bird to consume; it has no harmful effect whatsoever. Just make sure if you offer the peel you opt for organic bananas. Grapes are available and taste delicious all year round. Make sure there are no seeds inside the grapes before you feed them. You can also mush them up to make them easier to consume. Strawberries do have a lot of seeds, but they are not harmful. Strawberries are a great snack in the summertime, and you can serve them whole or cut them up.
They are generally low in sugar and calories so serving sizes are less of an issue. As you can see, some fruits are higher in energy than others. Equally, different fruits will provide a different amount of vitamins and minerals.
The best thing you can do is to offer a variety of fruits, including those above, and to routinely mix them up and change them. Tropicals such as papayas, mangos, guavas and kiwi fruit are a good choice.
Melons such as cantaloupe and watermelon are well received. Cherries may turn their droppings dark red — it looks like blood, but is harmless.
Feed less fruit overall than vegetables, as it is mostly sugar and water, although citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit do provide vitamin C. Wash all fresh fruit, cut into small pieces, and remove all cores, stones, large seeds and pits. If you have no fresh fruit, try dried fruit such as prunes, cranberries and raisins, as long as they are unsulphured. Offer ample greens such as romaine, leaf lettuce, bok choy, kale, Swiss chard, watercress and mustard greens.
The darker the color, the more nutrition they contain — iceberg lettuce is mostly water. Yellow and orange vegetables such as sweet potato and winter squash provide vitamin A, but your bird may prefer these cooked to raw. Because of this, birds never evolved to produce lactase, the enzyme necessary to help digest lactose. It is not recommended for cockatiels to eat dairy; as most types are high in lactose, salt and fat.
They can eat some cheeses in moderation that are low in lactose and as discussed above , but produce like butter, yogurt and milk are all best avoided. Yogurt and cottage cheese as well as some other types of cheese do not contain lactose and are generally considered safe to feed to birds by board certified, Avian Veterinarian, Dr.
Margaret Wissman. Although not technically toxic, studies show that birds cannot digest lactose, which is found in milk and other dairy products. As the amount of dairy in the diet increases, birds can develop diarrhea. Many common disinfectants and household cleaning agents release fumes that can be toxic or fatal to birds. Chlorine bleach, phenols and ammonia can all have dangerous vapors that can cause irritation, toxicosis and even death in pet birds.
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