For bird lovers and keepers, cockatiels are a top pick. Cockatiels make excellent household pets with low maintenance needs and friendly nature. They get along well with people and other cockatiels. But, like any other pet, cockatiels need to be cared for properly, including knowing what to feed them. “Can Cockatiels eat bread?” “How much bread can your cockatiel eat safely?” and “What kinds of bread are best for your pet bird?” are the most common questions people often ask. Keep reading to learn more on Canvas Personalized Blog.
1. Can Cockatiels Eat Bread?
Yes, Cockatiels can eat bread. They like toast because it makes the bread crunchy and dry. You might also give the bird whole bread, which, in addition to whole grains, also offers a variety of other nutrients.
Cockatiels sometimes have little bread, but too much of it can be bad for them. The main part of a cockatiel’s diet should comprise 75% pellets and 25% seeds. Also, you should give them fresh fruits and vegetables daily, like melons, berries, papaya, or kiwis.
2. Kinds Of Healthy Bread To Feed Your Cockatiel
Even though there are many kinds of bread on the market, here are the most common kinds that are much healthier for your bird:
Brown bread
Because it contains fiber, brown bread is a nutritious option. The bird can digest carbs more slowly because of the fiber. This, in turn, causes consistent levels of glucose in the blood.
Whole Wheat Bread
Whole wheat bread is an excellent choice because of the natural whole grains it contains. It has carbs, but the fiber slows digestion, so the cockatiel gets more steady energy. Therefore, caution should be exercised while serving whole-wheat bread. The bird might easily die of dehydration.
The best thing to do is to crumble up the bread. You could also dip it in water to make it soggy and easier to eat.
Toasted Bread
Toast is the preferred food of cockatiels. It’s drier and crunchier. Therefore, it’s more appealing to many pet birds. Nevertheless, there is one thing. There shouldn’t be any salt, onions, or fat on toasted bread.
Banana Bread
Bananas are a popular treat for cockatiels. As banana bread is loaded with essential nutrients, it’s a great choice. It’s easier to digest than whole wheat bread because it isn’t as dense and dry. Unfortunately, it contains a lot of sugar and calories. So, be careful with the amount, especially when using store bought banana bread.
3. Kinds Of Bread That You Shouldn’t Give Your Cockatiel
Avoid giving this bread to your bird if at all possible:
Rye Bread
Rye bread has greater health benefits for humans due to its higher concentrations of beneficial fiber, vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, it’s too dense and thick for your bird to consume. Hence, if you choose to offer it to your bird, you should limit both the quantity and the frequency.
Garlic Bread
Even small amounts of garlic bread can hurt your bird’s health. It has toxic chemicals that can cause stomach problems and hemolytic anemia. A cockatiel also shouldn’t eat it because it has a lot of butter and fat. So, don’t serve garlic bread under any circumstances.
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread has health benefits for humans. Because it has not undergone excessive processing, it retains more of the natural minerals and vitamins. Unfortunately, making bread involves fermentation, which can harm your pet. Also, your cockatiel might not like its sour taste.
White Bread
You shouldn’t try to feed your cockatiels this kind of bread since it doesn’t give your pet any nutrients. All of the nutrients have been taken out of white bread during processing. Giving your bird a few white breadcrumbs as treats occasionally won’t hurt it, but it won’t help it either.
4. Can Bread Be Given To Baby Cockatiels?
As a treat, providing adult cockatiels with bite-sized pieces of bread is OK. Bread should be avoided when it comes to feeding young cockatiels. Do you know the reason why?
Young cockatiels can’t eat bread since their digestive systems aren’t mature enough to process it. They also have a greater chance of choking and suffocating on dry bread. Even larger cockatiels have trouble digesting bread, so imagine how difficult it must be for these little ones.
Thus, is it possible for baby cockatiels to eat bread? Not at all; they should not. But, if you only have bread, make sure the crumbs are tiny and soak them in water.
5. Things to Remember When Giving Your Cockatiel Bread
- Give the bird some bread that is low in sodium or salt-free.
- Purchase a freshly processed loaf rather than a regular loaf. Verify the ingredients list as well.
- Break down the bread into bread crumbs to prevent the likelihood of suffocation.
- To feed your cockatiel bread, have a water bowl nearby.
- Bread shouldn’t exceed 5% of the cockatiels diet.
6. Should Your Pet Bird Be Eating Bread Regularly?
Bread is one of the cockatiels’ favorite foods, particularly toasted bread. They enjoy how crunchy and dry it is. Nevertheless, can cockatiels eat bread regularly like people? No
Cockatiels can have little amounts of bread once or twice a week. Why? Because there are many carbohydrates in bread. It may experience digestive issues if it consumes a high-carbohydrate diet.
In addition, the cockatiel cannot benefit nutritionally from eating bread. While making and processing ordinary bread, vitamins and minerals are taken out. This means the bread will fill the bird’s stomach but won’t help its health. Also, regular bread has additives, preservatives, salt, and sugar that can be bad for your pet bird. Here is why:
- Fats: Consuming lipids in bread makes a cockatiel more prone to developing coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, and elevated triglyceride levels.
- Salt: Cockatiels are sensitive to salt. Too much salt in the diet can lead to electrolyte disturbance and fluid imbalance. As a result, your pet birds become dehydrated, have extreme thirst, develop kidney failure, and maybe die.
- Sugar: Sugar has a high-calorie content. When consumed in large quantities, sugar causes obesity and other health problems.
Does this mean you should never again offer your cockatiel any bread to eat? Are not. Instead, you should search for the bread of higher quality, just like we suggested earlier.
>> Another related post that you may be interested in:
- Healthy Pet Bird Diets: Can Parrots Eat Asparagus?
- Exploring Pet Diet: Can Parrots Eat Pistachios Without Any Risks?
You now know the right answer to the question, “Can cockatiels eat bread?” Cockatiels can eat bread but aren’t fed regularly. When it comes to feeding your pet bird, our best advice is to give it a balanced diet full of protein, carbs, fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy treats. Read other posts on the Canvas Personalized Blog to find out what foods are good and bad for your pet. If you think this article is helpful, send it to your family or friends!
