Do Cockatiels really need raw fruits and veggies in their diets?

[Pearly]

Hi all,

As a novice, I have been mixing Zupreem smart select seed mix and Roudybush Maintenance pellets on a 50:50 basis to feed my Cockatiels. They finished the pellets most of the time.
My Cockatiels hardly eat raw fruits and veggies, except sliced apple. Even then, they only nib a little bit of the slices. Most of it ended up in the bin.

Having read in other threads and in other forums that how aged cockatiels could still be hale and hearty despite eating only seed mix and pellets throughout their lifespans, it makes me wonder whether there is a real need in introducing raw fruits and fresh veggies in their daily diets? I read in some cases, owners actually feed them what they eat on the table top.

Aren't those pricey feed manufactured by reputable brands and recommended by Vets good enough since they are supposedly full of vitamins and contain essential minerals required by the birds?

Are we worry too much and pamper them unnecessarily?

What do you think?

Thank you.

Regards,

 

[birdy.929]

yes, cockatiels do need fresh vegetables daily to stay happy and healthy. since fruits are high in sugar, i only feed them 2-3 times a week. along with vegetables, i also feed my birds roudybush pellets and a variety of sprouts, grains, herbs, and healthy nuts. i believe that pellets and seeds are not enough to keep your bird healthy.

 

[Zara]

I´m not an avian nutritionalist, but given that your bird eats the pellets, you have a lot less to worry about than say someone whos bird only eats seed.

Keep trying with the veggies, but your bird should be getting vitamins from the pellets. (Be sure they have vit D3 in).

Have you ever tried bird bread? I hear lots having success with it. You can also try sprouting seeds

 

[budgieluv3]

I agree with @birdy.929 . I think the veggies are a very big part of thier diet and are necessary.

 

[taxidermynerd]

My budgie lived his 4 years quite happily on a mostly pellet diet, without veggies. Until he fell ill at the end of his life, the vet said he was very healthy.

I think it's excellent if your bird does eat veggies, but so long as your bird is on a nutritionally complete pellet, you should be okay I think.

 

[Sunni Tiel]

Even If you are feeding pellets, veggies are still important. My cockatiel is very picky, and after a month of trying to convince him to eat veggies, the only way he will eat them is if he sees me eat them for a while, then he will beg to come over and steals them off my plate. The only ones he has tried are peas, apple, and lettuce. Veggies make a more healthy and complete diet. They should also have some seeds, and limited fruits. Human food is usually not healthy for birds, and they definitely could not live healthily off of it. If it's not healthy for you, it's not good for your bird. human food can sometimes be fed as a treat, but only if you have read the ingredients and know for sure it's safe. Good luck with your tiels!

 

[sunnysmom]

I believe that pellets were made to be nutritionally complete (ish) because most birds don't eat healthy diets- with varied fresh food, etc. (Some pellets are better than others.) If your bird only eats pellets and seeds, is it okay? I think basically, yes. But shouldn't you want to go the extra mile and give him the best diet you can with vegetables? (Cockatiels generally don't like fruit- although mine, like yours, will eat a bit of apples sometimes.) It took me months of trying everyday to get my first tiel to eat vegetables. Then, he absolutely loved them. My current tiels love freeze dried vegetables (which retain 98% of their nutrients) and I like them because I can safely leave it in their bowls while I am at work all day. (I actually aim for about 50% seeds, 15% pellets and the rest vegetables.) It's a little like with people- you can eat food that's fortified with vitamins but shouldn't you still eat your vegetables too?

 

[Pearly]

(I actually aim for about 50% seeds, 15% pellets and the rest vegetables.) It's a little like with people- you can eat food that's fortified with vitamins but shouldn't you still eat your vegetables too?

Well said. For now, I am taking the short cut .
Right now, they are on 50% Zupreem Smart Select and 50% RoudyBush Maintenance Pallets.
Once finished, I am switching to 30% Zupreem Sensible seed and 70% Zurpeem Nutblend Pallets. I have already stocked the two.
Anyway, the Cockatiel eat so little and it takes month to finish them.

By the way, I read from somewhere that it is always better to buy 1 size smaller for the seed mix and pallet. What do you think?

Thank you.

Regards,

 

[sunnysmom]

Well said. For now, I am taking the short cut .
Right now, they are on 50% Zupreem Smart Select and 50% RoudyBush Maintenance Pallets.
Once finished, I am switching to 30% Zupreem Sensible seed and 70% Zurpeem Nutblend Pallets. I have already stocked the two.
Anyway, the Cockatiel eat so little and it takes month to finish them.

By the way, I read from somewhere that it is always better to buy 1 size smaller for the seed mix and pallet. What do you think?

Thank you.

Regards,

I find that my cockatiels like the smaller sized pellets. For seeds, I don't think it really matters.

 

[aweb]

If I was a manufacturer of pet food, any pet, I would print on the package that a good portion of your pet's diet, the majority actually, should consist of whatever I'm producing. I'd convince you that this is convenient for you and that my product this is science backed diet by paying vets to agree with me. Maybe in cash, maybe in supplies, at minimum I'd give them free food, that I have manufactured, for their strays and ferals, in exchange for their endorsement. The absolute last thing I would tell you as the consumer is that this food you're holding, the one I have manufactured and want you to purchase, needs supplementing in any way.

Follow the money.

 

[iMoosker]

I am lazy so I keep some frozen veggies in my freezer and thaw them out in the microwave and quickly chop them up when I'm heating up my lunch. It's fast, easy, cheap and takes about 60 seconds. There's no way I'm buying fresh veggies every week lmao.

Also, I bought a huge bag of bird-safe sprout seeds and just grow those too. Like I said, I am lazy and growing sprouts requires like zero effort. You just soak them overnight, then put them on a dish and spray them with water every day until they are ready. Truly only takes 2 minutes out of my day.

I do not have an adult diagnosis of ADHD or anything but... the easier something is for me to do, the more likely I am to do it. If something requires no effort, it takes much less burden off of me.

Also my cockatiel was hand-raised and weaned into a veggie/pellet/seed diet so the transition was easy

 

[aweb]

I am lazy so I keep some frozen veggies in my freezer and thaw them out in the microwave and quickly chop them up when I'm heating up my lunch. It's fast, easy, cheap and takes about 60 seconds. There's no way I'm buying fresh veggies every week lmao.

Also, I bought a huge bag of bird-safe sprout seeds and just grow those too. Like I said, I am lazy and growing sprouts requires like zero effort. You just soak them overnight, then put them on a dish and spray them with water every day until they are ready. Truly only takes 2 minutes out of my day.

I do not have an adult diagnosis of ADHD or anything but... the easier something is for me to do, the more likely I am to do it. If something requires no effort, it takes much less burden off of me.

Also my cockatiel was hand-raised and weaned into a veggie/pellet/seed diet so the transition was easy

I love the frozen veg idea! Never crossed my mind but now I can think of several instances where that might be useful. Moving, vacationing, extended sickness... and the variety of frozen veggies available these days is immense. Going to have to play with that. Thank you for the tip!

PS. Lazy is simply the refusal to do the unnecessary. My engineer husband says "A lazy engineer is a good engineer". Efficiency is where it's at.

 

[Shezbug]

Always double check with your purchased frozen veg that they don’t have added salt. Some of them unfortunately do contain salt I’ve been told.

 

[Sylvi_]

They definitely do need some. Mimi has always been a stubborn butt and has a dislike of anything that’s mushy besides scrambled eggs & maybe broccoli florets if she’s feeling it.

She gets her daily 40/40 zupreem/goldenfeast base, with the rest being freeze dried chop from Texas Freeze Dried Chop and a bit of volkman’s soak and serve.

Definitely give freeze-dried a try if fresh veggies are being ignored, in my experience the tiels can prefer it.

 

[Mizzely]

Technically people could likely survive on just breakfast cereals. They are fortified to have most of your daily nutrition needs, especially if you eat a bowl at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You could take a multivitamin to fill in the blanks from there.

Why do we bother with other foods then?

Moisture, antioxidants, trace nutrients, focused nutrients, and enrichment. It is not pointless or pampering to provide fruits and vegetables. Food is not just about the numbers.

 

[finchly]

Don’t forget - they do need some seed in their diet.

My tiels will only eat veggies “up” in the feeders and not “down” on the cage floor (on a plate) like everybody else. And one of them has to have me hold a cup so she can eat from that.

I notice you said slices. Have you ever tried chopping it in the food processor? I mix several foods together. Today I added hard boiled egg - they can’t resist that. You can also give them a spoonful of mashed sweet potato, which apparently tastes like candy. Or you could sprinkle the veggies with crushed pellets, or seeds.

I read in some cases, owners actually feed them what they eat on the table top.

Well, that depends on the kind of food those owners eat. I see people giving theirs yogurt (they lack the enzyme to digest milk products), soft drinks (they aren’t able to pass gas - so where does the carbonation go?) and many fatty foods. None of those are good.

We’re vegan, but sometimes our spices prevent us from sharing. What you can share is most parts of your salad - no onion or avocado. No dressing. It becomes second nature to clean a little extra and set it aside.