Ask Lafeber

cockatiel eating habits

My female cockatiel is eating poop . is it normal? While male cockatiel don’t eat .

Hi,

Some birds do this and it isn’t really known why. The most common theory is the bird may have a nutritional deficiency. You should be feeding your birds a nutritionally balanced food like pellet, and not a loose seed mix. You should also encourage them to eat greens, veggies and fruit. Ideally you should buy a cage with a metal floor grate so she can’t reach the droppings. She can end up getting sick if she continues this.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda