Have you ever wondered whether certain types of fruit are safe for your cockatiel to eat? For instance, you may have you’ve asked yourself, can cockatiels eat strawberries?
Well, ponder no longer, because the answer to your question is yes, your cockatiel can eat strawberries and they will love every single morsel of this heart-shaped fruit.
There is more to strawberries than just the fruit, like the seeds and the leaves that accompany it.
Unlike apple and apricot seeds that are poisonous to birds, strawberry seeds are safe for your cockatiel to eat and they’ll have an enjoyable time picking at them with their beaks.
Strawberry leaves are none toxic so are safe for your cockatiel to eat, although they may cause irritation to some birds, so it’s a question of choice really.
Besides, there are plenty of other green-leaved foods out there if you choose not to feed your pet bird the leaves from this berry.
Are Strawberries Good for Cockatiels?
As long as you don’t give your bird too many strawberries, or any fruit for that matter, then yes, these tasty little berries are a fantastic addition to your cockatiels healthy and nutritious diet.
They are high in Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps support healthy skin and maintain a strong immune system, ensuring your bird is well equipped to fight off illness and disease.
Your cockatiels digestive health is helped by the high fibre content in strawberries. The fibre helps feed the friendly bacteria in your bird’s gut, preventing many potential ailments for your bird.
Tissue development and cell functionality play a significant role in the health of a cockatiel. The ample amount of folate found in strawberries is quite capable of meeting these needs.
The potassium found in these red berries contributes to several bodily functions, but most importantly, they help control the balance of your cockatiel’s blood pressure.
Manganese, which is found in nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables, is also seen in strawberries and plays a major role as a co-enzyme, which helps with the metabolic function inside your bird’s body.
Having seen the fantastic benefits of this delicious fruit, it’s reassuring to know that cockatiels can eat strawberries.
With many valuable vitamins and minerals in the fruit that can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases in birds, they should be encouraged to do so, in moderation…
How to Feed Strawberries to a Cockatiel?
Berries of any sort should only be fed occasionally and only as a treat. Remember before you feed your bird any type of fruit, wash it first to remove any pesticides that may be on the fruit.
When you mix a messy eater with red juicy fruit, there will only be one outcome.
A squidgy mess. Not that this is really going to be of any concern, as long as our lovely cockatiels are getting a healthy diet and enjoying themselves at the same time.
It would be a good idea to cut the fruit up into smaller chunks to minimize any mess. This will allow your bird to pick them up by themselves and nibble away at their heart’s content.
One problem you may run into is your cockatiel being fearful of a strawberry that is put into his cage. This is down to the colour of the fruit. They may see the bright shiny red berry as a danger.
If you do come across this type of problem, you can help your cockatiel overcome their fear by camouflaging any strawberry pieces amongst some greens such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, and parsley.
Birds love to dunk their food in the water. They do this because it makes the food easier to eat. For this reason, it would be ideal if you can place the berries near their water supply.
You can put your fruit in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up before serving them to your bird.
Cut them up after taking them out of the microwave to allow them to cool down quicker, and make sure they are not hot before giving them to your bird.