Cockatiels are one of the most common parrots in captivity.  They are often considered "starter birds" due to their moderate size (typically weighing no more than 3 or 4 ounces) and relatively easy care.  Hand-raised cockatiels can be quite personable and gentle.  Although they can speak, they more typically whistle and chatter.

Unfortunately, cockatiels need a lot more care to stay healthy than most people expect.  Cockatiels need balanced diets (not just seeds), spacious cages with different heights of perches and different diameter perches, , access to fresh sunshine (or an ultraviolet-B emitting lamp such as Zoomed's Avisun), and regular baths and showers to stay in peak condition.

Caging

A cockatiel needs lots of opportunity for climbing and hopping around its cage.  Many cockatiels like to be in the ground playing so it is often better to have a cage that has lots of floor space rather than a cage that is very tall.  Perches should be placed at different levels so that your cockatiel can fully explore the cage.  Although most perches should be the same diameter, just a little bit wider than the foot can curl, it is a good idea to provide a couple of perches that are a little thicker and one that is a little smaller so your cockatiel may flex its feet in different ways as it moves from perch to perch.

Cockatiels appreciate toys.  Twigs, leaves, and flowers from a hibiscus bush or mulberry tree are easy safe toys for a parakeet to shred. Small pieces of notebook paper, paper towels, or plastic bottle caps (such as from the top of a 2 liter soda bottle) are other readily available home-made toys. Lots of small bird toys are available with bells and leather strings.  Avoid toys with mirrors as some cockatiels become obsessed with them and treat their image as a mate.  Avoid toys with metal pieces unless you are sure the metal is safe.  Do not use charm bracelets or other metal trinkets as they may have dangerous metals such as zinc and lead that can be deadly if chewed.

Cockatiels need access to bright (but not hot) sunlight.  The high intensity white light stimulates normal behaviors and the ultraviolet-B rays in sunshine help maintain a normal skeleton and allows the hens to better use the calcium in their diet to produce normally-shelled eggs.  Putting your cockatiel near a window may help provide the white light but glass and window screen block the ultraviolet-B rays.  If you do not have a safe way to give your cockatiel access to unfiltered sunshine, a safe alternative is to provide a lamp that emits ultraviolet-B, such as Zoomed's Avisun.

Cockatiels produce a fine powder that helps waterproof their feathers.  You may notice this powder on the surfaces around your cockatiel's cage.  A regular bath and shower can help keep plumage clean and bright and clear out any secretions in a cockatiel's nostrils.  Many cockatiels learn to love their baths and will get quite excited when they see you run the water.

Diet

Most commerical cockatiel diets are made of seeds.  Unfortunately, seeds do not provide enough vitamin A, iodine, and other trace minerals, and many are also low in protein.  Even the "balanced seed mixes" do not work well for the typical cockatiel because it will just pick out the easy seeds, such as millet, and will throw aside seeds that may be more difficult to crack and open to eat.  Over time, this diet leads to problems such as abnormal fat deposits (lipomas),  scaley skin, brittle feathers and overgrown beaks (vitamin A deficiency), and problems with egg-laying and abnormal bone growth (calcium deficiencies).  Even if you offer supplements such as fruits and vegetables, they simply do not have enough nutrients to overcome the problems with seeds.

A nutritionally complete pellet diet is the best option for many pet cockatiels but not all pellets are equal.  Some pellets are heat processed which decreases their nutritional value, some do not use certified organic ingredients, and some may have excessively high levels of certain nutrients, such as iron, and so on.  It is quite possible to be feeding strictly a “complete” pellet and still see signs of nutritional deficiency or overdoses of things like iron.  It is also possible to run into issues with the artificial dyes and flavorings used in some commercial diets.  Many pellets put in colors and flavorings that do nothing for the cockatiels but are appealing to the human buyers!

At Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, we strongly recommend that Harrison’s Bird Diet High Potency Fine Pellets be a part of a cockatiel's diet. Some cockatiels can eat a diet that is 90% Harrison's and 10% fruits, vegetables, and other healthy treats.  Other cockatiels may need some seed mix along with the pellets in order to do well.  Since there is no way to predict which cockatiels will develop these issues, it is a good idea to make diet changes under the supervision of a veterinarian. If you are switching your cockatiel to a pellet diet and you notice weight loss, regurgitation, or diarrhea, a veterinary exam is needed as soon as possible.

Harrison's Bird Mash is a good way to introduce your cockatiel to this new diet.  It can be mixed with seeds, particularly seeds that have been coated in a little bit of red palm oil, and your cockatiel will then get a little bit of health mash along with each seed it eats.  You can also soak the mash and mix it with seeds and form tiny little dough balls. As your cockatiel picks out the seeds from these dough balls, it is getting used to the taste of the mash.  Over time, pellets can be substituted and your bird will make the switch.  There are many other tips that can help your cockatiel make the transition to pellets.

For cockatiels that can't tolerate 90% pellets, there are some seed-based diets that are good choices, such as Lafeber's Nutriberries and Avi-Cakes.  If you are using unsupplemented seeds, it is important to give vitamin and mineral supplements.  We recommend the supplement Bird Builder in the water of a cockatiel that only eats seeds and are happy to go over vitamin and mineral supplements that can help balance the seed diet.

Copyright 2009
Kevin M Wright and Jay D Johnson
Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital
744 N Center Street
Mesa, Arizona 85201
(480) 275 7017
info@azeah.com