Basic Cockatoo Diet

Cockatoos are eccentric creatures and they appreciate an eclectic diet. The more variety the better! They'll happily munch on everything from noodles to apples to peanuts (with the shell), but there are a few key parts of their diet that should be fed to them on a regular basis.

Photo credit to the A Wing and A Prayer Bird Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Seeds: In the wild, seeds make up a very large percent of a cockatoos diet. So about half of their domestic diet should be made of seeds. Safflower, sunflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, flax seed, and squash seeds are all the perfect blend to feed your cockatoo.

Nuts: Whole nuts (with the shells) encourage your cockatoo to use that super strong beak they have! Walnuts and Brazil nuts in the shells are a great way for them to show off their strength. And other nuts, like almonds and cashews are a yummy treat they'll surely enjoy. Mix three or four nuts into their seed collection each day. Because nuts are pretty fatty, it's good to feed them only sparsely.

Vegetables: Both dried and fresh vegetables are a great addition to a cockatoos daily selection. Not only do they offer vital vitamins, they help add much needed variety. Try adding some dried peas, corn, and carrots to their seeds. You can also feed your cockatoo bits of fresh cauliflower, broccoli, and loose leaf lettuce every other day.

Pellets: Although many professionals recommend a purely pellets main diet- we don't. Why? It may give them the proper nutrition, but it doesn't give them the natural foraging appeal that cockatoos need to stay mentally healthy. A proper collection of foods will keep your cockatoo healthy while also stimulating their emotional well being. We do suggest making about 1/3 of your cockatoos daily seed mix pellets- but give them a good array of other things as well.

Fruits: Cockatoos enjoy both dried and fresh fruits. Fruits are high in sugars, so they shouldn't be fed every day, but they should be offered two to three times a week. Try dried bits of banana, coconut, or papaya and fresh slices of apple, pear, or kiwi.

Cockatoo Weekly Meal Plan

Photo credit to the UK Cockatoo Sanctuary & Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Cockatoos enjoy diversity. And if you have the time and motivation, feeding your cockatoo an individual daily diet is a great way to keep them mentally stimulated. It's also a great way to ensure they are getting the proper nutrients throughout the week. We've created a weekly meal plan specified just for a cockatoo's needs.

Sunday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, and squash seeds)
Large Nuts (walnuts, Brazil nuts)
Pellets
Fresh Greens (lettuce, spinach, alfalfa, timothy hay)

Monday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, and squash seeds)
Pellets
Dried Fruit (coconut, papaya, pineapple, banana, apple)
Dried Vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)

Tuesday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, and squash seeds)
Small Nuts (almonds, cashews)
Pellets
Fresh Vegetables (green beans, cauliflower, broccoli)
Tree Branch (apple, willow, cottonwood, maple)

Wednesday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, and squash seeds)
Pellets
Dried Vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)

Thursday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, and squash seeds)
Large Nuts (walnuts, Brazil nuts)
Pellets
Fresh Vegetables (green beans, peas, celery, carrots)
Dried Fruit (coconut, banana, apple, pineapple)

Friday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, flax seed, and squash seeds)
Pellets
Small Nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews)
Dried Vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)

Saturday:
Seeds (safflower, oat groats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, flax seed, and squash seeds)
Pellets
Fresh Fruit (apple, banana, kiwi, pear)
Dried Vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)

Homemade Cockatoo Kibble Recipe

Photo credit to the UK Cockatoo Sanctuary & Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Finding the right food for your cockatoo can sometimes be a bit hard. And finding an organic blend (without any preservatives) is practically impossible. Luckily, it's not too hard to make your own. With the right collection of seeds, fruits, veggies, and greens you can create the perfect cockatoo kibble.

Ingredients

2 Cup safflower seeds

2 Cup oat groats

2 Cup buckwheat

1/2 Cup pumpkin seed

1/2 Cup squash seed

1/2 Cup sunflower seed

1 Cup millet seeds

1 Cup Whole Walnuts

1 Cup Whole Brazil Nuts

1/2 Cup Whole Peanuts

1 Cup Dried Peas

1 Cup Dried Carrots

1 Cup Dried Corn

1 Cup Unsweetened Dried Coconut

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dried Banana

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dried Pineapple

1 Cup Dried Alfalfa

1 Cup Dried Timothy Hay

Directions:

Mix it all together and package into sealed 1 gallon bags. Serve your lucky bird about 2 cups a day (or fill their food dish full). Change out daily.

Cockatoo Snack Ideas

Photo credit to the California Parrot Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Millet Spray: Probably the most popular bird snack, universally known to all birds as being super yummy, is millet seed. Millet seed comes in the form of millet spray (which is basically the top of a weed that is full of seeds). You can hang these in your cockatoo's cage and let them go to work. One or two sprigs a week is good enough- as they will often gorge themselves on this particular seed and then not eat the variety of foods that they need to stay healthy.

Sunflower Heads: Okay, sunflower seeds aren't the healthiest snack for a domestic bird. In fact they're pretty fatty- so should only be fed sparingly. But if you want to give your cockatoo a super special treat (like perhaps to celebrate their birthday or adoption date) then a sunflower head is the best gift ever. We mean a full sunflower head complete with dried seeds. Look for a small one (no bigger than the size of your fist) and hang it on the side of your cockatoos cage over their food dish. We promise they'll love you for it.

Meal Worms: Dried meal worms- like the kind pet stores offer for reptiles, make a surprisingly tasty treat for cockatoos. Why are they so great? They offer up protein- which can be hard to come by in a cockatoo's diet. In the wild cockatoos will sometimes grab a bug to eat. And although it isn't a huge part of their diet, some cockatoos will enjoy eating an insect or two from time to time.

Pilot Bread Crackers: Pilot bread crackers are the perfect bird worthy cracker. They're hard so they test that beak strength. And they're unsalted, so unlike other crackers they're not that bad for your cockatoo to get it's beak around from time to time.

Whole Peanuts: Like sunflowers, whole peanuts aren't too healthy. That's why they are considered snack food. But cockatoos love them. Give them a few of the whole peanuts- complete with the shells, and they'll be squawking with delight.



Cockatoo Foraging Ideas For Snacks

A great way to keep cockatoos entertained and mentally engaged is to offer them ways to forage for food. In the wild cockatoos are very creative in the ways they find food. Domestic cockatoos can also have fun 'hunting for treats'. Here are a few great ways to keep your feathered child entertained while you are gone.

Photo credit to the California Parrot Rescue.

Click their name to learn more about this great rescue!

Intertwine Millet In Cage Bars: Millet spray is one of the most popular bird treats on the market. The great thing about millet is that it comes in long 'sprays' which can be intertwined into the cage bars. Take one spray and wrap it through as many of the cage bars as you can. Make it very 'tangled' so your bird will have to work to get all of the seeds.

Intertwine Greens In Cage Bars: Just as with the millet spray, you can also intertwine certain vegetables into cage bars. Things like loose-leaf lettuce, sprigs of bird-safe herbs, spider plant leaves, and even celery that has been peeled into strips can be intertwined into cage bars to create a fun eating experience.

Band Herbs To Perches: We don't recommend using rubber bands with birds, because they can easily be ingested. Rather opt for cloth hair ties or zip-ties. Even bits of sisal rope would work well for this idea. Take a few bird-safe herbs and attach them to different perches around the cage. You'll have your cockatoo eating from an entirely new angle!

Make Fruit Kabob Toys: Kabob toys can be found at almost any pet supplies store. They're great for foraging! Simply cut appropriately sized bits of fruits and veggies and then make a kabob with them using the toy. Hang anywhere in the cage where your bird can access it and let them munch!

Hang Foods From Ceiling of Cage: Cut a little hole in the end of a carrot, piece of celery, or other long fruit or vegetable and use a zip-tie to connect it to the top of the cage. Let it hang down near where your bird can work on eating it. This is a great way to inspire your bird to try new foods- because the way it hangs so closely mimics a fun new toy!

Cut Slits In Fruit And Place Them Around Food Dish: You know how many fancy pool-side services cut a slice of lemon or strawberries and place them on the edge of your drink cup? You can do the same exact thing to your birds dish with almost any fruit or vegetable. Yet another great way to change up their eating habits!

Sisel And Veggie Strips: Take a few long-shaped vegetables and slice them with a vegetable peeler. Carrots, celery, green beans, and pea pods work well for this. Then use a bit of sisel rope and tie them to different perches around your bird's cage and play stand. This not only allows them to eat at a new and unique angle, it promotes them to use their feet to grab onto food and bring it to their mouth.

Fruit Puree: People often don't think of pureeing fruit when feeding their birds, but pureed fruit can be used in so many ways. It can be filled into coconuts and other open-ended toys. Other fruit can be dipped into a fruit puree to add new and exciting taste-mixes to your bird's pallets. And fruit puree can also be placed in small dishes around your bird's cage as a fun treat. It can even be frozen, so on hot days your bird can nibble away at their own birdie popsicle.

Drilled Nuts On Hemp Rope: Whole walnuts, peanuts, and acorns make great items for this simple craft. Invite the handy-man in your life over for a quick favor- or if you're handy with a drill, try this activity yourself.  Simply drill small holes through different kinds of nuts. Then bead them onto a piece of hemp rope and hang the new creation in your birds cage or on their play stand. It can be tied virtually anywhere and is a great way to add protein to your bird's diet! For smaller birds this can also be done with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Hole-Filled Coconuts: Again this one takes a bit of handy-work, but it's well-worth the effort for larger birds. Drill a few holes in a whole coconut. Drain the milk, and then hang the coconut in your birds cage. The delicious fruit within will have your bird spending hours trying to get every last bit out of the husk.

Add Dried Fruit To Toys: Unsweeted dried fruit can easily have holes poked through them with a knife. Take thin slices of banana, apple, kiwi, and other fruits and then add them onto homemade toys. Bead them in with other wooden and chew-worthy items. They'll make a fun delicious surprise treat for your bird that they can discover while playing with their new toy.