fat cockatiel?

Question

my son wants to buy a cockatiel to add to our flock of 3.The bird he has picked is a 8 week old hand reared,the only thing is ,it is extremely fat to the point where it wobbles when it walks,I checked its food bowl it contained only sunflower seed. Mine eat a small parrot mix which has a little sunflower in it and buk choy,apple ,carrot everyday with the occasional cracker as a treat they all maintain the streamline shape that they should have.So my question is will we expect any health problems with this bird?Will putting it on the same diet as mine reduce its weight safely?and what if it is not willing to eat what my other birds eat ?

Answer 1

At 8 weeks the bird would have only just been weaned. If you decide to buy him, keep him separate, as you should with any new bird. Buy a small amount of baby raising mix, or get some from the breeder. Mix it with a little water into a very thick paste, add some of your seed mix, then roll into small balls. Place a seed ball, and some very finely chopped fruit and veggies in his feed bowl. He will pick at the seed ball and get the taste of the other things at the same time. Cockatiels are very smart, he won't stave. Change the food morning and night, in a week or two you should be able to give him the plain seed. He'll lose weight when he starts to fly.

Answer 2

Fat Cockatiel

Answer 3

I personally would not purchase a tiel that had been weaned onto an all seed diet. 8 weeks is somewhat young to be weaned and they are still a little chubby at that age. so, you might just be seeing baby fat. Because, honestly it couldn't have been eating seeds very long...a week at the most? Tiels are weaned from 8-12 weeks depending on the breeder. The latter being the best choice. to answer your question about changing the diet. he will be fine. However, it may take some time to do this. You'll need to also offer whatever he is used to eating along with your new diet and then gradually take away the seeds with each feeding. If it is overweight due to a seed diet which is possible because seeds are extremely high in fat, the tiel will lose weight when put on your new diet. Again, the tiel is too young to be completely addicted to the all seed diet. he has been just barely weaned if he is weaned at all yet.

Answer 4

Sunflower seeds are full of fat, and highly addictive to birds. They should only be given as an occasional treat. Your new bird should be gradually introduced to the diet you are feeding the others, but will need to be monitored closely to make sure he is eating adequate amounts through the transition which may take a while. Weigh the bird every other day to monitor his progress. An adult Cockatiel should weigh about 90 grams. If you reduce his weight slowly he should suffer no long-term health problems, but a trip to the vet to confirm this would be advisable. Try introducing your entire flock to a more varied diet including seasonal fruit and vegetables, pasta, and sprouted seeds one item at a time. But remember, Cockatiels are very cautious and it may take some time for them to try new food items.

Answer 5

I can sympathize. I almost died when I took my 22 year old Double Yellow Headed Parrot in for a wing clip and the vet said not to worry this bird cannot fly he is too fat. You should have no trouble changing his diet providing you do it gradually. I would keep him separated for two weeks while he adjusts to his new diet. Adding him to a cage with existing birds and a sudden change in diet may stress him out to much. Keep him close to the others but separated, and that way you can monitor his diet change. Also, sunflower seeds are like candy for birds. They offer little nutrients and are addictive so that should be limited.