Cockatiels can eat potatoes, yes. These starchy foods are safe for cockatiels, but that is only true if cooked. Potatoes offer many nutrients for cockatiels, but it can be harmful if fed you feed it raw. Further, it would be best if you only served starchy veggies such as potatoes in moderation.
Potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, making it an ideal side to dishes. Still, this food isn’t only for us.
If prepared correctly, it can also be an enjoyable snack for our cockatiels.
Let’s take a more in-depth look into it!
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Are potatoes OK for cockatiels?
Potatoes are OK for cockatiels because it doesn’t contain anything harmful if you cook it first. In fact, it can even offer some fantastic benefits to your pet.
To learn more about it, take a look at these nutrition facts. According to HealthLine, 2/3 cup or a hundred grams of boiled potatoes with skin has:
- 87 calories
- 77% of water
- 1.9 grams of protein
- 20.1 grams of carbs
- 0.9 grams of sugar
- 1.8 grams of fiber
- 0.1 grams of fat
Although potatoes are low in sugar, it has simple sugars, such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose.
Moreover, potatoes and other similar vegetables are starchy. Thus, it requires cooking for cockatiels to nibble on it safely.
Aside from these components, potatoes also offer different vitamins and minerals such as:
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Folate
- Vitamin B6
Some vitamins and minerals may get reduced during the cooking process. However, such a reduction is minimizable by cooking with the skin still intact.
Now, let’s talk about raw potatoes.
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Can cockatiels eat a raw potato?
No, cockatiels cannot eat a raw potato, just like any other animal, and even us.
If you look at a list of food that cockatiels should not eat, it has raw potatoes, and there’s a reason for it.
Raw potatoes contain a compound called solanine, the one you can find in tomato plants and leaves.
Solanine is a compound that can make anyone sick and can even kill any animal who ate, such even in small amounts.
Although the solanine content of raw potatoes won’t be enough to kill a human, it can be enough to kill your pet.
The only way to take away such components in potatoes is by cooking it thoroughly.
Still, it doesn’t mean every cooked potato is safe.
Can cockatiels eat french fries?
French fries are potatoes, in a sense. However, it doesn’t mean it’s safe for cockatiels to eat.
A bite or two of french fries won’t likely cause any issues. However, you should know that french fries have high oil and salt contents, which are harmful to pets.
For this reason, you should avoid feeding french fries, even as a treat or snacks for your cockatiel.
If you are snacking on some fries, it would be best to leave your cockatiel out of it.
Can cockatiels eat potato peels?
As I said earlier, potato peels are safe, and cockatiels can eat potatoes even with the skin still intact.
Also, boiling potatoes with the skin still on helps it retain vitamins and minerals. Since the potato skin is rich in fiber, it would help your pet get some of this nutrient by eating the peels.
The only thing you should remember when feeding the peels is to cook it before feeding it to your cockatiel.
As a general rule of thumb, treat potatoes and their peels alongside each other. Only feed potatoes and peels if cooked and in moderation.
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Can cockatiels eat mashed potatoes?
Mashed potatoes are safe for cockatiels as long as it consists only of potatoes. As long as you don’t add any seasonings, mashed potatoes are safe.
The only thing you should worry about is that mashed potatoes usually have some added salt and butter. Sometimes, it even has cream, pepper, and other seasonings.
Any mashed potatoes with added flavors are not ideal for cockatiels to eat.
As long as you made your mashed potatoes without any seasoning, you can offer some to your pet.
However, make sure that you are only giving small amounts of potatoes, not more than a couple of teaspoons.
Risks of feeding your cockatiel potatoes
If you’re planning to feed potatoes to your cockatiel, you should know the risks that come along with it. Thus, be careful of the following to avoid unwanted incidents from happening:
Feeding raw potatoes
As I said earlier, raw potatoes contain solanine, which can be harmful not only to us but also for our cockatiels.
As always, make sure you cook the potatoes thoroughly before offerings some to your pet bird.
Feeding too much
Another thing you should be mindful of is the number of potatoes you will give to your cockatiel.
Potatoes are among the vegetables. Thus, it should only form 30% or less of a cockatiel’s daily food intake.
If you are feeding other vegetables aside from potatoes, you may want to lessen it a little bit more.
Feeding with seasonings
When preparing potatoes, you should be mindful not to put seasonings, as it can be harmful.
Cockatiels can only eat small portions of potatoes. Thus, if you’re cooking for yourself and your pet, separate a small one and leave it unseasoned. That food is the one you should offer to your pet.
Summary
Cockatiels can eat potatoes, and it’s safe for your pet as long as you feed it cooked and in small amounts. Potatoes are rich in nutritious components, along with vitamins and minerals.
The only thing you should be mindful of in potatoes is to offer it in small servings, cooked and unseasoned.
As long as you serve potatoes only as treats, you can be confident that your pet is safe with the essential food.
