tiels eating habits

Question
i have a tiel approx 1 yr old or so. just guessing. i measured his pellets out today to see if i can get it regulated as to how much he eats a day (so it doesnt go to powder) and i measeured 2 tsps. they weren't heaping either. he has over half of it left, but seems to eat like a little piggy. is it normal for him to eat this 'little bit of an amount'? he didnt get any seeds or millet at all today. but he is still active and playing and whistling but not talking like he was. everything seems to be normal other wise. he eats cheerios and broccoli and eggs but cant really get him to eat too much else but other stuff is offered and working on getting him to eat more of that stuff. he will eat dry oatmeal oats. is that ok for a tiel? some people say 'no' because it swells as it gets wet from fluids in his tummy. he will taste most vegies and walk away. he eats certain fruits, sweet potatoes pomagranate, apple bits, slivers of carrots etc. thanks lori

Answer
Hi Lori,

Good to hear from you.

Don't be shocked if i tell you that birds chew their food properly. Nuts, grasses, seeds and some veg, are pretty difficult to digest at the speed that a birds stomach moves. They need to grind stuff up as much as they can, because in a few hours or less, it will be out the other end. They need to absorb as much of the good stuff as possible, and the smaller it is, the better a job their stomach will do. He doesn't have lips to stop stuff falling out, so allot of the bits will fall in the cage or in the bowl when he is eating. He will go for the big bits first then eat the smaller bits. So, although you don't now, that why when there is lots of food in the bowl, there will be allot of dust.

Birds poop very regularly so it is just that bit less for them to carry about. They will often do it just before they take off.

They also have amasing eyesight, and will pick the tiny bits out before eating the dusty stuff.

I wouldn't worry too much about him not being as talkative at the moment. He is probably still adjusting to his new diet and may even be a little huffy about it.

Charlotte

I am not keen on the idea of feeding birds cherries. The stones are known to be toxic to birds and some of that toxicity gets into the flesh of the cherry. Although not as toxic as avocado, its still a food I would avoid giving birds.