Switching My 'tiel To Pellets

[K.J.]

I've read about how hard it is to switch your cockatiel to pellets, but I never thought it would be this frustrating and heartbreaking.

Gia (more often known as Big Bird) is a 6 month old lutino, presumably female cockatiel. She has been on seeds for most, if not all, of her life. To help provide her with an ultimately longer life, I've read I should switch her to pellets. But she doesn't like pellets. She hates fruit. All she'll eat is the dried fruit in the store and seeds. I've tried several methods, but it's heartbreaking to see her go to bed hungry. What method worked for you?

Thanks.

 

[joycould]

When I got my quaker he was 9 months old on a mixture of seeds and some pellets. I would only give him a little seed in the morning the take that away and give him pellets. I offered him all sorts of other foods since I don't cook with either salt or sugar he eats pretty much what I eat such as broccoli, bananas and apples are my snacks and I would offer him that as well as having the pellets. I work second shift so I would give him a little seed in with his pellets before going to work. Now the only seed he gets is a pumpkin seed a couple of times a week. He also gets cook noodles and spaghetti when I cook. One very annoying thing he does is dip his pellets in the water to soften them up. I have to change his water a couple of times a day.

 

[K.J.]

When I got my quaker he was 9 months old on a mixture of seeds and some pellets. I would only give him a little seed in the morning the take that away and give him pellets. I offered him all sorts of other foods since I don't cook with either salt or sugar he eats pretty much what I eat such as broccoli, bananas and apples are my snacks and I would offer him that as well as having the pellets. I work second shift so I would give him a little seed in with his pellets before going to work. Now the only seed he gets is a pumpkin seed a couple of times a week. He also gets cook noodles and spaghetti when I cook. One very annoying thing he does is dip his pellets in the water to soften them up. I have to change his water a couple of times a day.

My bird always hangs over the water dish and poops in it. I have to change it at least four times a day. He likes being in front of the cage, evidently. My problem is he will only eat hard things - seeds and dried fruit. I've offered strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, celery, oranges, apples, grapes, everything. No luck. It would be so much easier if he liked fruit.

 

[joycould]

My bird has a couple of places in his cage he likes to poop I put piece of junk mail in those places for easy clean up. When he is out of the cage and sitting on me he will get off and poop to bad my keyboard is one of his favorite places. If he perches on top of his cage he hangs it over the side so it falls on the floor. Lettuce isn't all that good for birds it makes the poop to runny. What type of bird do you have? My bird thinks all good stuff comes from the microwave and fridge. He beeps like microwave, even when I am looking in the fridge and he is on my shoulder.

 

[K.J.]

My bird has a couple of places in his cage he likes to poop I put piece of junk mail in those places for easy clean up. When he is out of the cage and sitting on me he will get off and poop to bad my keyboard is one of his favorite places. If he perches on top of his cage he hangs it over the side so it falls on the floor. Lettuce isn't all that good for birds it makes the poop to runny. What type of bird do you have? My bird thinks all good stuff comes from the microwave and fridge. He beeps like microwave, even when I am looking in the fridge and he is on my shoulder.

She's a cockatiel. I tried to feed her lettuce, but like I said - no go. She's playing on my bulletin board (no nails, just paper) right now. She doesn't seem to mind pellets as much when shes out, but do I have to take her out every time she needs pellets? Birds eat all day...

 

[joycould]

I had a cockteil before they made pellets. That long ago but I still gave her food from the table. She never did get really tame always a nipper. It really is worth the trouble of switching them to pellets even if it takes a few months. They live longer and much more healthy.

 

[K.J.]

I had a cockteil before they made pellets. That long ago but I still gave her food from the table. She never did get really tame always a nipper. It really is worth the trouble of switching them to pellets even if it takes a few months. They live longer and much more healthy.

But she won't eat pellets, that's the problem. Why doesn't she eat fruit? It seems to be the texture, she only likes hard things.

 

[joycould]

I had a cockteil before they made pellets. That long ago but I still gave her food from the table. She never did get really tame always a nipper. It really is worth the trouble of switching them to pellets even if it takes a few months. They live longer and much more healthy.

But she won't eat pellets, that's the problem. Why doesn't she eat fruit? It seems to be the texture, she only likes hard things.

Have you tried to give her warm food? Like a noodle or even just a boiled bean. If she eats that you might try to soak the pellets in warm water. My bird tries to eat anything called food if it is good or bad for him. He knows when we have cheerwine (it is a cherry cola) he will actually come over and pull the can or glass away from my lips so he can have a taste. At about 6 months she has been weaned for about 4 months at the most.

 

[KathyM]

Why do you want her on pellets? There's a good feeding advice group on Yahoo (Feeding Feathers) who gave me lots of advice on feeding my budgies. I too was thinking about pellets, but decided against it after their advice.

 

[K.J.]

Why do you want her on pellets? There's a good feeding advice group on Yahoo (Feeding Feathers) who gave me lots of advice on feeding my budgies. I too was thinking about pellets, but decided against it after their advice.

From what I've read on books/websites, it greatly impacts their life by making it longer and healthier. I guess, IMO, seeds would be the equivalent of eating ice cream instead of fruits and veggies.

 

[KathyM]

'Tiels and what-have-you eat seeds in the wild and it doesn't impact their lives in any way. I would think a good varied diet including a good seed mix is healthier than a un-natural diet? I wouldn't worry about switching to pellet food if she won't eat them.

 

[K.J.]

'Tiels and what-have-you eat seeds in the wild and it doesn't impact their lives in any way. I would think a good varied diet including a good seed mix is healthier than a un-natural diet? I wouldn't worry about switching to pellet food if she won't eat them.

Yeah, but isn't it unnatural for her to eat only seeds? That's all she'll eat. Period. No fruit either. Is this just her natural preference? I though all birds loved fruit.

 

[omen666]

Yeah, but isn't it unnatural for her to eat only seeds? That's all she'll eat. Period. No fruit either. Is this just her natural preference? I though all birds loved fruit.
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Not always do birds take to new foods. There is no guarantee that the bird will take to Pellets. I've tried them and my birds will not touch them. As for fruit , the same thing goes.

I feed my birds on porridge oats, lettuce, carrot, boiled egg, brocolli, even peanut butter on toast, mine will eat most anything. What I have done also is cook cornbread with pinto beans and black eyed peas , and corn inside of it. I freeze it and then give it to them as they want it. Seeds would be there main diet in the wild and it certainly does them no harm , just make sure their diet is not purely sunflower seeds.

In the wild : Cockatiels forage on the ground for grass seeds and in trees for fruit and berries.

In captivity : Commercial seed mix. Apple, lettuce, chickweed.

 

[Karl1987]

We have two cockatiels jim who is 15 years old now and rosie who is 12 years old. We only feed ours seed with the occasional fruit and veg like lettuce, grapes and apples which they love. We have never tried them on pellets but no doubt they would eat them too. They love crisps aswell especially ready salted and cheese and onion when they hear the crisp packet they just wont shut up until they get one.