Can Cockatiels Eat Peanuts? Can They Digest It?

If you are wondering whether your pet cockatiel can share your snack of peanuts and whether it will be a healthy snack, you’re in the right place. Yes, cockatiels can indeed have peanuts. Your bird does not need to stick to a pure seed diet or a pellet diet to have a balanced one.

So, can cockatiels have peanuts? Yes, it is perfectly safe to give your bird peanuts. Peanuts are healthy treats for your pet bird. So, you can slip them a few peanuts in between those fruit seeds without worrying. Cockatiels benefit from foods such as pistachios, almonds, and cashews, all of which provide protein.

Now that we have established you can give peanuts to cockatiels, can your feathered friends have any other foods that contain peanuts? Let’s find out!

Can you feed peanuts to cockatiels? Yes, you can!

Food for cockatiels usually includes fresh foods like fruits and fruit seeds since cockatiels are commonly known to have rich seed diets. You can also give cockatiel unsalted peanuts besides seeds. Although peanuts are nutritious snacks, all types of peanut or peanut-containing foods cannot be fed to cockatiels. Cockatiel owners are advised not to give their pet birds raw peanuts. Instead, roasted peanuts should be used. Raw peanuts have chemicals that can pose health risks to cockatiels. However, keep the peanut shells as far away from your birds as possible.

Peanut shells contain aflatoxin which is toxic to cockatiels. Aflatoxin causes liver damage. Prolonged exposure can even lead to liver cancer. Cockatiels peanuts need to be fresh, without any additives. Salty peanuts need to be avoided. The peanuts should not have any sugar coating either. Plain peanuts should be used. Some peanuts such as pine nuts and walnuts need to be rinsed in water before feeding to birds.

So, bits of peanut butter can make a delicious treat besides providing additional proteins. Bird owners need to be cautious while choosing peanut butter brands for their pets since some brands add artificial sweeteners to their products. In this case, giving butter to birds will do more harm than good. So make sure to choose a reliable peanut butter brand so that your bird does not miss out on the benefits of peanut butter.

Do cockatiels like peanuts?

Cockatiels will adore peanuts as snacks. You can also give your pet bird a dab of peanut butter on toast from time to time since plain peanuts can lead to a bland diet. Peanut butter makes a more varied diet.

Nutritional Benefits

We already know that peanuts and nut butter are both good sources of protein for birds. Peanut butter also has Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps build a stronger immune system for your feathered friends. Vitamin E also boosts the count of antioxidants in the bloodstream. Peanuts contain trace amounts of Vitamin B-6 which also aids the immune system. Nevertheless, peanuts and peanut butter still contain large amounts of fat and fatty foods should be given in moderation.

Peanut butter is not too different. Dabs of peanut butter should be given only as occasional treats. Bulk peanut butter can never be a part of a regular diet. Organic peanut butter would be best for your pet birds since they do not contain aflatoxin or additives. Organic peanut butter also spends little to no time in a food processor which doesn’t only make them a better human-grade product but is also more beneficial to your birds. The risk of kidney disease can be minimized.

Giving baby cockatiel peanut butter

Yes, it is completely safe to treat the young with peanut butter too without facing any adverse effects. Since the birds are young, you can give them bite-size balls of crunchy peanut butter to avoid choking. So, bird owners are encouraged to include peanut butter in baby cockatiels’ diets. Peanut butter will make a healthy diet. Plain peanuts can also be fed alongside regular foods. Similar to adult cockatiels, unsalted peanuts should be fed without any sugar coatings.

A balanced diet

Cockatiels have a daily diet consisting of seed mixes and pieces of fresh fruits, fruit seeds, and vegetables. This ensures a varied diet. Edible fruits include papaya, kiwi, and grapes among a variety of items. Veggies include bean sprouts, mustard greens, and turnip greens.

Other special treats include sweet potatoes and birdseed balls. Birdseed balls are made with a mixture of bird seeds and lard. Bread crumbs can also be a delicious treat. To avoid any nutrient deficiencies, supplements can be mixed with fresh water and it should be ensured that birds sip enough water daily. This will ensure a balance of nutrients.

Balls of peanut butter may become an indulgent treat that should be readily avoided due to a large amount of fat present in it. A dab of peanut butter should be added to regular seeds in food bowls only occasionally. Any nutty treats should be devoid of salt peanuts.

What to avoid

Cockatiel viands include any type of salty foods and sugary foods. The birds cannot have chocolate, avocado, or any alcoholic beverages. Cheese can be fed in a small amount but only the types that are low in sodium and lactose. Cottage cheese has high sodium and lactose levels and should be avoided.

Risk of obesity

Wild cockatiels burn a lot of the calories they intake by flying around. The same does not apply to your avian friend at home. To avoid an imbalance of nutrients that can lead to obesity, food such as bread and peanut butter should be kept at a minimum keeping blood glucose levels in mind.

Not following a proper diet will soon result in obesity which can have detrimental effects on health. Pet birds are dependent on their human caretakers to be responsible with tasty treats to avert any risks of heart disease.