How to switch my new, older cockatiel from seeds to pellets?

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!

Without knowing how long you've had your bird, it would be hard to give more tailored recommendations. Birds can be very picky and afraid of new things at first, especially if you've recently purchased it. I would continue to offer a variety of items to let your bird get used to seeing them, etc, and give it a chance to finally sample some. Be sure to pick up anything spoiled and keep trying!

The only way i know of that works is a pretty simple one. you mix the pellets with his old food mix. first day 10% pellets and 90% old food. every day you increase the pellets by 10% and decrease the o;d food by 10% until you switch to pellets completely.

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/

Since she is young, consider transitioning her to a commercial pelleted diet such as Harrison's, Lafeber, Pretty Bird or KayTee Exact. You can still supplement with a bit of a fortified seed mix and fresh vegetables and fruits. Moisten pellets with warm water to make a mash and offer to Luna daily. Mix the pellets into her food and gradually increase the amount over a week or two until she is eating mainly pellets.

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.

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.