Cockatiel · Grains, seeds & nuts
Can cockatiels eat bread?
Yes, in small amounts. Plain wholegrain bread or toast is safe for cockatiels as a rare treat, but it is low in nutrients and usually salted. Never give mouldy bread or raw dough.
- Portion
- A piece about 2 cm (3/4 in) square of plain wholegrain bread or toast
- How often
- Once a week or less
- Sugar
- 4.3 g / 100 g
How to serve it
- Use plain wholegrain bread without garlic, onion, chocolate, sweet toppings or sugar-free sweeteners
- Make sure there is no mould anywhere on the loaf
- Toast lightly and cool
- Offer a small dry piece rather than soaked bread
- Remove leftovers the same day
Why
Risks. Bread is mostly starch with added salt, and often sugar and fat, so it adds calories without the vitamin A and calcium cockatiels need. Mould can produce toxins, and uncooked yeast dough can expand and produce alcohol.
Benefits. Wholegrain toast gives a little fibre and is an easy food to share as a treat.
Questions owners ask 2
Can cockatiels eat bread every day?
No. Treat it as an occasional crumb. Daily bread would displace pellets and vegetables and add unnecessary salt.
What kind of bread is best for cockatiels?
Plain wholegrain bread or toast with no toppings, seeds coated in salt, or garlic. Sweet breads and flavoured crackers are not suitable.
Bread: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 39 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 252 kcal |
| Sugars | 4.3 g |
| Fat | 3.5 g |
| Protein | 12.5 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Calcium | 161 mg |
| Phosphorus | 212 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.76 : 1 |
| Sodium | 455 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
“Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 172688). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss bread for cockatiels (or for pet birds generally). Confidence: medium. Rated on the JOMIZOO Feeding Scale; when good sources disagree we choose the more cautious level.
- Feeding Your Pet Bird a Healthy Diet (client education handout) — LafeberVet (Christal Pollock, DVM, DABVP Avian Practice)
- Feeding Pet Cockatiels — VCA Animal Hospitals
- Foods Toxic to Pet Birds — Lafeber Company (Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, with Laura Doering)
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
