How much fruit, veggies, calcium, protein does my cockatiel need?

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.

You should not need to be supplementing these items as long as the parents are feeding the baby from their own balanced diet, or you are providing a baby bird formula for the bird to eat. You can however, provide extra calcium for the mother to help with any future egg-laying and prevent egg-binding.

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!

Birds require calcium for more than just egg laying. It strengthens bones, aids in enyzme and hormone function, muscle development, nerve transmission and certain metabolic processes among other biological functions. A cuttlebone or mineral block should always be available. Limit dehydrated fruits that can be high in sugar. Fresh fruits, vegetables and greens would be preferred. They should make up no more than 25% of the diet. Pellets should make up the majority of her diet at 75%. Fresh foods can make up the remaining 25%. Generally, anything good for you is good for her except for chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and avocado.

Thanks for reaching out about Kiki and including a photo. Vegetables are more important, including those that are red, yellow and orange in color, to provide a wide range of vitamins. Fruit are less important as mainly sugar, and should make up at most 10% of diet. Beans and legumes as a protein source is also important. Good luck.

Birds are very messy eaters. If Tam is trying good other than seeds it's likely she is ingesting some of it. Seed is not a great diet for pet birds bc they will pick and chose what they like most and not get a balanced diet. It's like letting kids pick between candy or vegetables. I recommend trying to switch her more to a pellet based diet and continue to offer veggies and fruit and small amounts of other foods. Here are some articles that may help introduce new foods. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cockatiels-feeding http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/education/ https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-food-guide/

Unless your vet recommended it specifically, I would be giving eggfood or even cuttlebone/oyster shell as a calcium alternative to the Tums if you need a long-term calcium boost (Tums is great for short-term after an egg-binding episode, but longer term eggfood or oyster shell may be easier on your bird's GI tract). Otherwise, her diet and routine looks pretty good!