Cockatiel · Grains, seeds & nuts
Can cockatiels eat peanuts?
Better not. Peanuts are fatty and can carry aflatoxin, a mould toxin linked to liver disease in pet birds. They are common in cockatiel mixes, but safer treats exist.
- Portion
- Not recommended. If given at all, a small piece of fresh, plain, human-grade peanut
- How often
- Rarely, if at all
- Sugar
- 4.7 g / 100 g
- Fat
- 49.2 g / 100 g
If your cockatiel already ate some
A piece of fresh, plain peanut is not an emergency. After salted peanuts, provide water and watch for heavy drinking or weakness. If your cockatiel has had regular access to old or mouldy peanuts, mention it to your avian vet, and get prompt help for lethargy, poor appetite or abnormal droppings.
How to serve it
- Pick seed mixes without peanuts, or remove them
- Never offer salted, roasted-flavoured, candied or chocolate-coated peanuts
- Never feed peanuts that are discoloured, shrivelled, musty or mouldy
- Skip peanut butter, which may contain salt, sugar or xylitol
Why
Risks. Aflatoxin-producing moulds can grow on peanuts that are poorly stored, and chronic exposure has been linked to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in pet birds. Peanuts are also high in fat, and cockatiels are prone to obesity, fatty liver disease and lipomas.
Questions owners ask 2
My cockatiel's seed mix contains peanuts. Should I remove them?
It is sensible to. Peanuts add a lot of fat, and lower-grade peanuts are a recognised source of aflatoxin. If you keep them, buy fresh mixes and store them cool and dry.
Are peanuts in the shell safer?
The shell does not guarantee freedom from mould, and shells can themselves carry mould. Human-grade, fresh nuts are lower risk, but peanuts are still best kept out of the diet.
Peanuts: nutrition per 100 g
| Water | 6.5 g |
|---|---|
| Energy | 567 kcal |
| Sugars | 4.7 g |
| Fat | 49.2 g |
| Protein | 25.8 g |
| Fibre | 8.5 g |
| Calcium | 92 mg |
| Phosphorus | 376 mg |
| Calcium : phosphorus | 0.24 : 1 |
| Sodium | 18 mg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
“Peanuts, all types, raw”, USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, FDC 172430). Public domain.
Sources & method 4
The sources below discuss peanuts 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.
- Nutritional Diseases of Pet Birds — Merck Veterinary Manual
- Foods Toxic to Pet Birds — Lafeber Company (Christal Pollock, DVM, Dipl. ABVP-Avian, with Laura Doering)
- Food Hazards — Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version)
- Tumors in Birds: Lipomas — VCA Animal Hospitals (Gregory Rich, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM)
