My cockatiel struggles to eat fruits and veggies. What can I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | unspayed | 0.18 lbs
My cockatiel doesn't seem to understand how to eat anything but seeds? She tries to eat fruits and veggies but she tries to "de shell" them like she would a seed but everything just falls out of her mouth! What can I do?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on June 18th, 2017
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/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 27th, 2020
Feeding her a pelleted diet would be best. I suggest you use Lafeber foods and they have excellent information on their website on how to transition birds from seeds to pellets. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/cockatiel/#2 https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/how-to-switch-or-convert-your-bird-from-seeds-to-pellets/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 24th, 2018
Birds are curious and may explore and munch on things they shouldn't. Making sure to clean the cage daily, and that there is a grate down to collect droppings without allowing Luna to hop into it and eat it is best. As for food, most pet stores will carry balanced diets for cockatiels that consist of a balance of seeds and pellets that provide nutrition and vitamins/minerals. You can also offer in a few treats such as fresh fruits and veggies to help supplement her diet and keep her healthy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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