training cockatiel

Question
How do I go about training my cockatiel not to poop in his feeding bowl? He also seems to be eating more often now that he's eating pellets.  Is this normal?

Answer
Hi, Grace,

I don't know how you would train your tiel not to poop in his feeding bowl.  Not sure this is possible.  Where is the feeding bowl positioned in the cage?  This might be the problem.  If below perch level, try moving the food bowl higher than perch level.  If the food/water bowls are under/below the bird's tail, s/he can't help but poo in the dishes if they are positioned in the right place.  If this doesn't solve the problem, you'll need to clean his/her feed dish(es) daily.  

Perhaps your bird likes the pellets and is eating more of them and/or perhaps your bird is eating more now because the bird is getting better nourishment from the pellets than the seed the bird was previously eating.  Seed is high in fat and low in nutritional value, therefore, not very nutritious.  If by eating the pelleted food your tiel is feeling better/healthier, this is likely why s/he is eating more pellets.  You would be wise to offer your bird more variety of food in addition to the pellets, such as cooked brown rice with veggies mixed in, greens such as kale, spinach, collard greens, corn bread....as much variety of healthy, nutritious foods as your bird will eat is the best diet for a parrot.

Chrys