When provided with constant access to food, it might appear to feast at any time of day, which can lead to health concerns. You may wonder if your cockatiel is malnourished, has an eating disorder, or if it’s in danger of weight gain.
Cockatiels have a fast metabolism which burns energy fast due to which they might eat a lot. Your cockatiel might also overeat due to stress, boredom, or an underlying health condition. Talk to the vet if you believe any of these issues may be the root cause of your bird’s eating problems.
Overeating can quickly lead to obesity in cockatiels, which is a very dangerous condition.
Since cockatiels have such a sensitive digestive system, they run the risk of developing complications in their gut that will require medical intervention.
Do Cockatiels Overeat?
In general, cockatiels do stop eating when they get full. There is a possibility that their dishes might be full and refreshed often, still they will not eat if they are full.
Your cockatiel may nibble something new out of curiosity, but even then they rarely eat much of it.
Besides this, when a cockatiel is given too many sugary treats, they will end up overeating them instead of munching on pellets or seeds.
The leading cause of obesity in cockatiels is an unhealthy diet. It is common for people to feed their pet birds too many treats (because they are just so cute when they beg) or give them a diet low in essential nutrients.
How Do You Know When A Cockatiel Is Hungry?
One of the easiest ways to tell if your cockatiel is hungry is by observing its eating habits.
If your cockatiel is eating less than usual, it may be an indication that your cockatiel it hungry.
Some other signs that your cockatiel is hungry includes restlessness, shirll chirps, and excessive grooming.
Another way to tell if your bird is hungry is to look at its stool. If its stool is soft or runny, this could be a sign of an unhealthy digestive system.
Again, it’s important to take your cockatiel to the vet to rule out any health problems.
If you’re still unsure, the best way to know for sure if your cockatiel is hungry is to offer them food.
If they eat it, then they were likely hungry. If they don’t, then they may not be as hungry as you thought.
You need to feed your cockatiel a balanced diet in the right quantities, which is a great approach. Your birds will not be hungry if you deliver them nutritionally dense meals.
How Often Should I Feed My Cockatiel?
It is crucial to feed our cockatiels appropriately. Most owners serve their cockatiel one-two tablespoons of seeds or pellets every 24 hours.
However, I prefer to serve my cockatiels one tablespoon of food every 12 hours.
Although it might seem the same a deal to you, serving two small meals instead of one large meal does make a difference.
Serving our little ones with two small meals in a day will mirror how cockatiels would eat in the wild.
Also, most birds hoard their food, so multiple meals will make sure that they at least eat some of their food.
Also, remove all the uneaten food every 24-48 hours. This will make sure that our birdss do not eat rotten food over fresh ones.
Rotten food has a foul smell which can easily lead to stress in our birds.
Why Is My Cockatiel Suddenly Eat A Lot?
There are several reasons why your cockatiel might overeat.
You will need to watch your bird’s behavior to figure out why they are eating too much so you can make the appropriate changes to their diet and lifestyle.
- Your cockatiel might end up eating a little more than usual if it has a big bowl full of pellets/seeds sitting around all day.
- If your have multiple cockatiels housed together, they may have learned that when they don’t eat their food all at once, it will disappear. Therefore, they might eat more than usual.
- When cockatiels are kept in a cage that’s too small for them, they are more likely to overeat because they are bored.
- Cockatiels can very quickly overeat when they have access to these sugary food such as, sweet fruits and veggies.
- Sometimes cockatiel also end up overeating if they are under stress or an underlying health condition.
Overeating can cause some serious health complications in cockatiels
So much of a bird’s health depends on their digestion working properly, and overeating is a sign of unhealthy eating habits.
What To Do If Your Cockatiel Is Eating A Lot?
If you’re still worried that your cockatiel seems to be eating too much, you can check to see if they are overweight.
The main danger of eating too much is weight gain and the multitude of health issues that come with it.
As mentioned, start worrying if your cockatiel excessively crosses its ideal weight.
Be your judge and start worrying if you notice any changes in the behavior, such as movements and energy levels.
You should weigh your bird weekly since it’s born or from the moment you get it.
You can use kitchen scales or jewelry scales such as these that weigh to the nearest 0.1 grams. Document weekly/monthly weight gain or loss to make any decisions.
Is My Cockatiel Eating Too Much
Before you get too concerned about your cockatiel who munches all day long, you should figure out if they really are overeating, or if they are munching the way birds should.
There is no sensible way to know that your cockatiel is overeating until your bird shows any signs of health issues.
You need to make sure that you are not feeding excessive amounts of the same food to your birds.
Generally, cockatiels will realize that they are full. However, they can still eat high sugar veggies or fruits even if they are completely full.
Serve your birds with limited treats only. It will limit the number of health problems that they suffer.
