The Cockatiel Part 3: Diet

One of the first things any new, or even existing, bird owner asks is, "What should I feed my bird?" The food companies don't help the issue. Any bird magazine will find ads for seed diets, pelleted diets, and combinations thereof, not to mention all the cooked diets that are on the market. Bird catalogs feature everything under the sun, and then some, to feed a pet bird, and each owner has his or her way of feeding birds.

Whenever planning a specific diet for a pet bird, the needs of the bird have to be taken into consideration. Healthy food ranks at the top of the list. Birds also require variety and mental stimulation with their food. It's like giving a child a bowl of alphabet soup. Not only does the child receive nutrition from the soup, but he or she makes words, spells things, and finds the shapes of the noodles entertaining. This is what feeding a pet bird should be like.

The first thing any owner should do before planning a diet is to take the bird to a veterinarian. Birds need to have "well bird" check ups once a year, and by taking the bird to a vet when it is sick, baselines can be established so that the vet can better treat it when it isn't well. Avian vets also have access to the latest research on bird nutrition.

When I look at feeding my birds, I look for variety. Feeding a seed-only diet isn't healthy anymore than feeding a pellet-only diet. Even after many years of research, we still don't know exactly what nutrients a bird requires. It is better to offer a variety of foods not only to ensure your bird's physical health but his mental health as well. In the wild, birds do not find a bowl of pellets sitting on their favorite branch; therefore, why do we provide just that for our feathered children?

The basic diet, whether it is pellets or seeds, needs to be supplemented with fresh, clean produce. The very act of eating mother nature's foods provides variety, for one eats corn on the cob differently than a carrot. Organically grown foods, such as that from a natural foods store or farmers market is better. Even if organic, fresh foods need to be washed.

Cockatiels can be prone to obesity; therefore, a base diet should be made up of at least 50-70% pellets, with most of the remainder comprised of fresh fruits and the cook and serve diets on the market. A small bit of seeds can be fed as a treat, but due to the possible health problems, should not be fed all the time.

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