Ask Lafeber

Cockatiel food

We had a Cockatiel for over 23 years. After losing him, we got a 7 month old one. My first one ONLY ate Parakeet food, didn’t like the extra stuff in the Cockatiel food, and also shared a cage , with a Parakeet for over 10 years. It’s funny how, I had left over Parakeet food , so I mixed it with Cockatiel food, and the new 7 month old Cockatiel, only eats the tiny seed and picks out the big pieces, of apple etc. Honestly, food is so expensive, and I’m wondering if , I can just keep buying Parakeet food??? He does love the Mullet Seed Trees. We also tryed fresh fruit and veggies, NOPE. THANK U !!!

Hi,

The only difference between a parakeet mix and cockatiel mix is the size of what is in the food. They have similar nutritional needs so the foods can be interchangeable. However, we know that a loose seed mix is not the ideal diet for pet birds because they offer very little nutrition. We recommend a nutritionally balanced diet such as pellets or our foraging diets.

Birds will eat a lot more of a loose seed mix than a balanced food, because they are trying to meeting their nutritional needs. So while a balanced diet may cost more, it’s not more expensive in the long run since the bird doesn’t need to eat as much. It can also save you on Vet bills since poor nutrition is a leading cause of illness in pet birds. As for fresh foods, it’s much to soon to give up on your bird accepting them. It his age, he is still learning what he can eat and what he likes. Just because he rejects something once or twice isn’t a reason for you to give up. It’s like allowing a child to determine what he will eat, even if it’s only candy. I’ll give you a link to our feeding guide and a webinar you might want to check out on feeding your bird.

Bird Food Guide

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda