Cockatiels can be fed on a variety of foods as treat. However, the major part of their diet should consist of pellets and seeds.
Cockatiels enjoy fruits and vegetables served to them as treat. They provide them with other nutrients but in minimal quantities.
Have you ever asked yourself if cockatiels can be fed with dairy products? Whether it can affect their health or not and which is the right amount to be served to them?
Cheese is one of the dairy products. It contains calcium, fats, proteins, vitamin A and B12, zinc, phosphorous, and riboflavin.
Can cockatiels eat cheese? Yes, they can eat cheese although in small amounts so long as it is low in lactose and salt and should be fed infrequently.
There are various types of cheese but a few are recommended for cockatiels as they contain low salt and lactose.
Swiss, Cheddar, and Parmesan are the recommended types of cheese to be fed to the cockatiels. It can either be served in small chunks or be grated.
Do Cockatiels Like Cheese?
Yes, they do. Because of its high-fat content, cockatiels like cheese. Some types of cheese do not contain lactose hence they will not cause any harm to the birds.
However, the cheese should be served to the birds in small amounts. If served in large amounts, the birds may gain a lot of weight because of the fatty content in it and this may be unhealthy for the bird.
Hard cheese is the best for cockatiels but you can do away with cheese as there are various foods that can be used as a treat in place of cheese.
The owner of the pet bird has to put a lot into account before feeding it with any type of cheese as the impacts may be great.
Is Cheese Safe for Cockatiels?
Yes, it is safe. However, the question of whether safe or not depends on the type of cheese being served to the birds.
There are various types of cheese on the market. Some contain a high amount of lactose and salt that may affect the birds while others are lactose-free and do not contain salt.
The types of cheese that are lactose-free and do not contain salt are the preferred ones to be given to the birds. They include; Swiss, Cheddar, and Parmesan.
Cockatiels do not produce the lactase enzyme that is responsible for breaking down proteins found in cheese and other dairy products. This will make the birds struggle while breaking down the proteins found in this product hence not advisable.
Soft cheese can get stuck on a bird’s intestines hence you should only offer hard cheese to the birds. Soft cheese also has high lactose and salt.
However, even the recommended types of cheese should be offered in a very minimal amount as it may not have lactose or salt but may contain other additives to make up for the flavor.
Generally, cheese is not safe to be served to the birds as a treat. You may consider other foods as treats instead of cheese.
Is Cheese Healthy for Cockatiels?
Absolutely no. Cheese is not healthy for cockatiels. Other threats may be considered instead of cheese as the nutrients may be found in other foods.
Cheese contains proteins, vitamins, and minerals but still, they can be obtained from other food sources that have less risk to the birds’ body.
Pellets, seeds, and leafy greens are rich in calcium and are easily digested by the birds’ digestive system hence it can be a better option than cheese.
Even though there are better choices of cheese to be offered, they still contain little amount of lactose and salt. Some contain other additives to make up for the flavor of the cheese hence still not healthy for the cockatiels.
If you have to offer cheese to your bird, do it in small amounts and not often, and be keen to observe the amount of lactose and salt in it first before serving it.
How Much Cheese Can Cockatiels Eat?
As cheese is not safe for cockatiels, they should not consume it in large amounts. You should limit it to 3 to 4 grams of cheese a day.
Not that cheese should be served on a daily basis, it contains a lot of fats and if served daily, the cockatiels may gain a lot of weight hence becoming obese.
The cheese may also contain some lactose and salt which may make the cockatiels to be affected negatively.
If cheese needs to be served as a treat, then it should be in a very minimal amount and infrequently served to the cockatiels.
How Often Should Cockatiels Eat Cheese?
Not very often. Cockatiels should eat cheese once every 1 to 2 weeks. Cheese has a lot of negative impact on the body of the bird hence it is not recommended in its diet.
To avoid the pet bird becoming picky and even completely refusing to eat, you should serve them with a wide variety of foodstuff as treat.
Their main diet should contain pellets and seeds then the remaining percentage should contain food served as treats.
Cheese is not the best option to be served as a treat. The nutrients that can be obtained from cheese, can alternatively be obtained from other sources of food.
What Type of Cheese is Good for Cockatiels?
The best types of cheese are Swiss, Cheddar, and parmesan which should also not be offered regularly. They are lactose-free and do not contain salt hence the most preferred cheese.
Swiss cheese is recommended for lactose intolerant individuals and birds. It should be offered in small quantities as it still contains a high amount of sodium.
After the cockatiel is fed with swiss cheese it should be given plenty of water.
Cheddar cheese is also low in lactose but high in sodium hence a lot of water should be available to the birds after being served with cheddar.
Parmesan cheese enhances flavor and the cockatiels enjoy it when it is put between vegetables or fruits. It should be grated.
In Conclusion
Cheese contains calcium and is served to birds as treat. Calcium can be found in other food sources such as leafy green vegetables.
Cheese and other dairy products are not good for cockatiels to be served as treats. This is because of the lactose, salt, and other additives that may be found in the product.
However, some types of cheese are recommended as they are lactose-free and do not contain salt. These types should be served in minimal amounts as they still contain a lot of fats.
Calcium deficiency can cause cognitive and cardiac function. That is why many people will consider cheese in cockatiels’ diet.
Feed your pets with the correct diet. Ensure that the diet is balanced and they are getting all the nutrients needed by their bodies.
