Cockatiels can eat Cashew and it’s safe for them too. Cashew among other nuts is a healthy diet source that your cockatiel would enjoy. Please avoid feeding them salted nuts of any sort. Please make sure that the cashews you use are of human-grade to ensure quality before feeding your bird. Make a balanced diet chart for your cockatiel and then add cashews and nuts to it.
Importance of Purchasing Human Grade Cashews
Even though nuts such as cashews are considered a safe product for birds, several studies have shown some food-borne illnesses caused by Salmonella and aflatoxins.
Salmonella is a bacteria whereas aflatoxins are carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by the fungus, Aspergillus flavus, which is known to contaminate grains, nuts, legumes, and peanuts.
You must feed your cockatiel human-grade cashews as it is the only way to ensure that they are free from Salmonella and Aflatoxins. Proper handling and storage are essential to make sure that the cashews are not susceptible to disease-causing fungus and bacteria.
Moisture is another aspect you have to be wary of during storage and processing, and buying human-grade cashew is the only safe option here.
Can Cockatiels Eat Cashew?
Cockatiels can be fed nuts in moderation. A small amount of salt would not harm but just to be sure we recommend you avoid putting salt in nuts.
You can use cashews and other nuts as treats for your cockatiels. Just make sure you feed them in moderation otherwise they might become addicted to them.
What type Of Nuts Should I Feed My Cockatiel?
Nuts are nutrient-dense and are among the favorite food items of your bird. Make sure you feed them unsalted nuts only.
You can feed Almond, Cashew, Brazilian nut, Macadamia, hazelnut, Peanuts, Walnuts, and pistachio to your cockatiel.
Things To Keep In Mind While Feeding Cashews To You Cockatiels
Go through these pointers before feeding cashews to your precious bird.
- Are the cashews human-grade or not. This will ensure the safety of the nuts your bird is consuming.
- Variety is key, therefore mix different types of nuts.
- Unsalted nuts are preferred and a better choice than salted ones.
- Are these nuts chemically free, i.e., were they exposed to pesticides and insecticides?
- A minimal amount is okay for your bird. A rough estimate is that one grape to your cockatiel is like 365 grapes to an adult human.
Is it Okay To Soak Cashew In Water?
Raw nuts and seeds have high amounts of Oxalates and phylates, which reduce the nutrients and mineral absorption. Therefore, it is advised to soak the nuts in water overnight to allow them to sprout so that the enzyme inhibitor levels are reduced.
Soaking improves the absorption of important minerals and vitamins such as Vitamin B, which are especially beneficial for your cockatiel.
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Nuts such as cashews, walnuts, pine nuts, and Brazilian nuts do not sprout but soaking them neutralizes the effect of phylates and enzyme inhibitors. After soaking cashews, make sure that they are consumed within 2-3 days
My Cockatiel Has Become A Nut Junkie Or Seed Junkie
If your cockatiel has become addicted to seeds or nuts, it is mostly your fault for feeding too much of it to them. But don’t worry as this mistake can be rectified with some simple and proper steps.
Step 1: Cut back slightly on the number of nuts you give to your bird. Remove any excess amount.
Step 2: Mix other food items in very small quantities with seeds such as pellets.
Step 3: Leave some amount of pellets and other healthy food items such as fruits and vegetables in the cage overnight.
Step 4: Do not feed seeds to it until later the next day. You will notice your bird feeding on the healthy food if you don’t give in to its requests.
Step 5: Continue to cut back on its seeds or nuts addiction till it becomes a permissible quantity.
What Should I Feed My Cockatiels In Addition To Cashews?
Your cockatiels diet should consist of a variety of food sources such as seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, and pellets. This will help in developing its immunity and overall health. It will also improve its appearance and feathers.
Seeds
Cockatiels feed on a variety of seeds and these are an essential part of their diets. They are known to raid farm crops in search of seeds. Usually, a blend of various seeds is available on the market that you can purchase and feed to your cockatiel.
If not, you can make it yourself by mixing canary grass seeds, red and white millets, oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, and cotton seeds.
Fruits and Vegetables
You will need to experiment with the types of fruits and vegetables your cockatiel prefers. Make sure you serve it by chopping it into small pieces. Over time they will start nibbling out of curiosity.
You can feed them apples, bananas, broccoli, peppers, peas, green lettuce, corn, and oranges as cockatiels are known to like them.
Protein-Rich Sources
Good protein sources such as black beans, red beans, kidney beans, lentils, alfalfa, eggs, turkey, fish, and chicken are an important part of your cockatiel’s diet. Including high-protein food in the diet improves the growth of your bird.
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Grains
Include brown rice, whole wheat bread, corn, and other grains to fulfill all the carbohydrate requirements for your bird.
Nuts
You can either use nuts as treats for your bird or incorporate them into their diet. Almonds, pistachio, walnuts, etc, are some nuts other than cashew your cockatiel would enjoy.
Vitamins
Vitamins should be added to the water bowl for your bird. Make sure it drinks plenty of liquid so that your bird fulfills its nutrition requirement.
Conclusion
Cockatiels are omnivorous and therefore can feed on a variety of different food items. Make sure you feed them cashews in moderation. Also, offer a variety of other nuts to them too. By maintaining a healthy and balanced diet for your bird, you will develop its immunity against diseases and at the same time nurture growth.
