What cockatiel food and hand-feeding formula is available in Egypt?

Thanks for your question. I’m sorry to hear that pellets are not available in your area, as these are the most ideal diet for parrots. I’m not sure if you would have access to them via the internet or not? If this is not an option, I would recommend feeding vitamin A rich produce items, with a focus on vegetables. I’m not sure what is available in your area, but typically the dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables are good options. I would also feed calcium rich produce, again focusing on vegetables when possible. The reason for these is that seed mixes are often lacking in these two nutrients and it is common to see malnutrition and deficiencies because of this. For seeds, I would recommend feeding them in moderation - for a cockatiel they don’t need more than a couple of tablespoons offered to them per day. Try to transition the diet slowly, as birds can be challenging to introduce to new things. I would recommend weighing your bird 3-4 times per week during the transition as well to ensure that there is no excessive weight loss. You can get a digital gram scale online, or hopefully from a store in your area. They are typically in the kitchen section. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for all of your questions! You do not need to provide a cockatiel with grit - as a parrot, this material is not necessary for them to digest their food. For produce, I would recommend focusing on vegetables that are high in vitamin A and calcium - this is typically the brightly colored vegetables (such as bell peppers) and dark leafy greens. For fruits, ideally you would focus on tropical fruits, as they have more fiber and less sugar than our temperate fruits. These would include fruits such as mango and papaya. For feeding, I would recommend feeding 60-70% pellets, 20% vegetables, 5% fruit, and 5% seeds. An average cockatiel can be offered about 1/4 of food per day - some birds spill more than others so this would just be a place to start and you can then increase or decrease as needed. We want them to be eating portions of each food item, so don't offer too much food, or they will just pick out what they like (typically the seeds and fruit). You can offer multiple bowls of water - often cockatiels will bathe in one and drink from the other. Tap water is acceptable, as long as it is safe for you to be drinking as well. You don't need to offer insects, as the diet that I outlined above is nutritionally complete. I hope that answers all of your questions, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

They can eat scrambled eggs. Avoid excessive amounts of butter or oil. Hardboiled eggs can also be offered. Shells can be rinsed then lightly toasted and crushed before offering. I give my birds (or rather they take!) eggs, dry toast and potatoes from my plate. You can offer these foods once a week or so as long as they get mainly a commercial pelleted diet (Lafeber, Harrison's, Pretty Bird). A bit of fortified seed mix and fresh fruits and greens can round out the diet.

Cerelac is a human baby food, and your baby bird should be on a baby bird food so that he is getting the right nutrients to grow. If he's starting to feather, you can start to add in and offer some mashed up or soaked cockatiel feed/seeds to encourage him to eat a little more since he is old enough to start transitioning.

There are various recipes available online, usually these are based on products such as cereals for human babies, peanut butter, apple sauce and baby food (e.g. https://www.cuteness.com/article/make-homemade-baby-cockatiel-food). I cannot really recommend those, perhaps only as a last resort. If you can get commercial pellets for adult parrots and grind them with water (pre-boiled) to prepare a slurry, that would work, but the commercial formulae are better. Please note that the food should be at 40-41C and prepared fresh for each feeding.

They would be fine with a sufficient quantity of a fortified cockatiel seed mix, water and a few seed sticks or blocks. Avoid the dried fruits as they can be sticky or may attract pests. If you can have a neighbor, friend or family member check in on them, that would be optimal.

Thanks for reaching out about Pasha and including photos. Cerelac is a carbohydrate source meant to supplement human breast milk. It is poor in protein, essential vitamins and minerals. Start adding pureed vegetables, a legume/bean puree also. Leave it more and more thick, offer via hand so start weaning. Feathers are ruffled probably due to poor nutrition. A veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.