Is this an okay way to feed my cockatiels?
They get unlimited Zupreem Cockatiel Food and then once a day around the time I eat dinner, they will get a salad of veges, a little bit of fruit, some grains, and sometimes eggs or anything else healthy they can eat. Once a month, I put 1/8 a cup of seeds on their salad since I have three cockatiels. The seeds are either Ecotrition for cockatiels or Kaytee Fiesta for cockatiels, I still have not decided on which one is the best.
You bet!
I also get timothy hay (usually marketed for bunnies and gerbals) and put some in a tray and sprinkle seed in it. That is actually their natural way of feeding and the birds love playing in the hay, tossing it, chewing it. Doesn’t have to be a lot of hay or deep, just enough to cover the bottom.
My birds also love chicken (I give part of the chicken from inside…say, the breast (not inside the bird itself…) so that it isn’t exposed so much to seasonings, oils, etc. They like ground beef (I only give the low fat kind and just take some from the pan, unseasoned, before I add some seasonings and pasta sauces. They actually do like spaghetti sauce, I just prefer to give them plainer/unseasoned foods when possible. Try mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. I also give min couscous as it is extremely easy and fast to fix in the mornings, sometimes oatmeal (cooked). A tiny speck of butter and honey will not hurt them and treat sticks often add honey. Another great thing to try, is popcorn. The plainest you can get…(I bought an air popper so they get no oil/salt, etc).They love it.
It sounds like you are doing great. I try to give a variety and definitely some fresh or cooked item daily. Generally, I am the one benefiting from this as I tend to eat a greater variety of items, because they need them. Laugh. I have never been a breakfast eater, but when I got the birds, I began making more oatmeal, even cooking rice for breakfast.
Couscous is great for breakfast as well. It is ready in 5 minutes and is great with raisins and nuts. It is best to get in bulk, instead of the already seasoned kind (can be found in the rice sections of stores). With the bulk couscous, boil some water…1 cup is plenty if it is just for you and bird. For myself and two cockatiels, for breakfast, I use about 4 Tablespoons of couscous and put into small bowl while boiling the water. Then add 6 Tablespoons of water, and put a saucer or lid on the bowl. In 5 minutes it is done. Now, I have used couscous for a long time. If you have left over veggies, chicken,etc…for a fast dinner, put the grain, veggies and chicken in the bowl and add the boiling water and cover. Frozen corn/peas do great this way as well. If you are making larger amounts, I would add the “add-in’s” into the water when bringing it to a boil. Just measure the couscous 1:1 1/2. In other words…if you use 2T couscous, use 2T water plus another 1T. Use any spoon, cup, whatever to measure. Just use the same amount of water, plus 1/2 that amount. Same for breakfast…if you want nuts and raisins, add them before adding the water. The birds do like seasonings, I just try to keep it simple for them, and that is really best for me as well.
Have fun!
Budgie Breakfast!