Pellets for tiels?

[usamma]

I converted my conures to pellets quite easily, but have never been able to get the budgies to accept them. Now I have this new guy (who *finally* is trying regular tiel food and not just millet sprays like his other owners were giving him!), and I would ideally like to put him on pellets. Is it easy or hard to get a tiel to eat pellets? Any special suggestions if you were able to get your tiel onto them? Is it eavly realistic to get a tiel on pellets? I figure with the budgies, they are naturally grass seed eaters so they won't accept the pellets so well. Conures and bigger birds eat a variety of foods so maybe that's why they accepted them more easily.

[Monica]

I've gotten budgies to eat pellets because it wasn't *THEIR* food... and by offering finch sized pellets to the budgies, then putting a bit of millet on top.... or by mixing seeds, pellets, yogurt, an d some powder together and offering that.

Most cockatiels are curious creatures so may be willing to try a lot of foods.. (keyword: most). I've got one cockatiel whom I'm almost 100% sure has never had pellets before, and the first thing she ate from the "bar" I have for the birds was pellets... she ate them as if she's always eaten pellets, and continues to do so till this day. I've got one tiel, like the budgies, who'll try just about any food, so long as it's not *HER* food.... another tiel that I've never witnessed her eating pellets so I don't believe she does (unless it's in the yogurt mix), and two others who'll eat pellets, but only if there are no seeds available. I think they ate pellets because their kids ate em. Monkey see, monkey do!

[Lady Kakata]

Yogurt? Cockatiels can have yogurt?

[Monica]

Yogurt contains live cultures (of healthy bacteria) that can be good for them. If the yogurt doesn't contain live cultures, it's not really as good for them.... birds can't have *too* much as yogurt also contains quite a bit of sugar, unless you can find sugar-free or low-sugar yogurt.

[tielfan]

Yogurt? Cockatiels can have yogurt?

Yes. Most dairy products aren't good for birds because of the lactose content, but in yogurt the lactose has been pre-digested by the beneficial bacteria.

[prettypenguin]

One of mine LOVES yogurt, I eat plain greek style with a lil' bit of maple syrup in it myself and grape nuts, and she invades my plate (not HER food, so she MUST have it)! Ruby will also eat string cheese, but we try to limit that to crumbs. Something else both budgies & tiels really like is a wheatgrass square (organic) in their cage, natural grass eaters love it! The budgies eat the tops while the tiels eat the bottom. This was the first thing they would eat besides seed. Baby greens work well too, especially sprouts, but they must be really fresh. With pellets, I've noticed that the tiels in particular like small sizes, like finch size pellets. I've heard this from other tiel owners as well.