Young Tiels - pellets too large

[redwritergirl]

Hi there,

I have 2 baby cockatiels ages 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 months, both male. Cajun (grey) and Cayenne (Lutino). I just got them 3 weeks ago and they have been on a seed only diet. I am trying to introduce pellets to them but they seem to hard/large for them. Are they too young for pellets? If not can I buy pellets for parakeets that are a smaller size? Wanting to ensure optimum nutrition for these babies. Also...I have been introducing them to a few veggies and fruit...they show zero interest in that. I have been placing the cut up (very tiny pieces) fruit/veggies on a separate plate in their cage. Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

I've had bird before but not this young.

- Diana :

[Wolf]

Hi;
I think that they are too young and probably should still get some soft food a couple times a day.
I will not tell you to not feed pellets, but I don't feed them and unless the feed companies change the current formulation of their pellets, I am unlikely to ever use them. Any way you really can't expect much success at getting your birds to eat vegetables and/ or fruits if you are going to offer them at the same time as they will choose the seed over the fresh foods every time. try giving them the fruit and vegetables in the mornings for breakfast and their seed mix in the evening for dinner. It will still take a few days to get them to start eating the fresh foods, but they will eat them.

[Tman007]

I agree with wolf they need more soft right now. But you can have a pellet that is called a crumble. It is by Roudybush it should be alright. But just give them time. mix some of the pellets in with the seeds and see if they try it. But a all seed is not that great for them. get them on some veggies too. This may sound funny but use baby food. I started mine on baby food, I would give it to them on a spoon. and they would lick it off. I got them started on sweet potatoes \, squash, and green beans that way. a few times on the spoon and I could cut up the veggies and they loved them. So before trying to get them on pellets get them on veggies. I do feed pellets and veggies also. My get some seeds as treats when their out of the cage.

[Pajarita]

Yep, soft food is in order (a good quality multigrain bread, cooked corn meal or couscous or Irish oatmeal, for example) because they are still very young. You can mix the soft food with some finely chopped veggies (they love corn, baby peas and cooked and diced carrots as well as chopped broccoli). I don't feed pellets, I just don't think they are healthy for them in the long run and tiels and budgies do particularly bad on them but I also don't put seeds in a bowl and leave them there all day long (they get about a heaping tablespoon for dinner but not a cockatiel mix but a good budgie mix). Mine get gloop, a piece of fruit (which they never eat ) and a leafy green (they love greens like red Swiss Chard, romaine lettuce, chicory, escarole, etc)