Cockatiels can eat rice, yes, and they can eat either the white or brown ones. When it comes to nutrients, your pet can get more with brown rice. The best way to offer rice to cockatiels is to cook it first, without any added seasoning. Further, you should only offer it in small portions and as snacks.
Rice does not only offer a variety of nutrients. Further, you can quickly get your hands on it from your local grocery stores.
Of course, like any other food, there are some things you need to know about rice before feeding such to your pet. Don’t worry, though. I got everything covered in this article!
Let’s take a look at it more!
Contents
Is rice OK for cockatiels?
Rice is not only good food for us. It can also be something we can share with our pets.
Cockatiels can eat rice, both white and brown kinds. To give you an idea of how rice can be beneficial, take a look at the following:
According to HealthLine, here’s a breakdown of nutrients one can get from a 1/3 cup of cooked rice:
| Components | Brown Rice | White Rice |
| Energy | 82 cal | 68 cal |
| Protein | 1.83 grams | 1.42 grams |
| Fats | 0.65 grams | 0.65 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 17.05 grams | 14.84 grams |
| Fiber | 1.1 grams | 0.2 grams |
| Sugar | 0.16 grams | 0.03 grams |
| Calcium | 2 milligrams | 5 milligrams |
| Iron | 0.37 grams | 0.63 milligram |
| Sodium | 3 milligrams | 1 milligram |
| Saturated Fatty Acid | 0.17 grams | 0.04 grams |
| Trans Fatty Acid | 0 gram | 0 gram |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligram | 0 gram |
Brown rice has a lot more nutrients since it has undergone lesser processing than white.
Nevertheless, you can give both kinds to your cockatiel, and it shouldn’t cause any issue.
Let’s take a look at white rice.
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Is white rice good for cockatiels?
White rice is good for cockatiels, and they would enjoy eating it as they would with the brown.
Since white rice went through more processing, it has lesser nutrients to offer. Still, it remains safe for cockatiels for consumption.
To compensate for the lack of nutrition, you can mix it with veggies or fruits upon feeding.
This way, you get some nutrition from rice with added components from vegetables.
At the same time, it would be best to cook the rice first before feeding.
Can cockatiels eat uncooked rice?
Raw or uncooked rice shouldn’t cause any harm to cockatiels. However, it’s highly likely that these birds would prefer it cooked.
When feeding your pet some rice, it would be best to cook it first. The same principle applies to whatever kind of rice you’ll offer.
Through cooking, you’re making the rice moist, soft, and a lot more delicious for your pet.
Feeding uncooked rice is not ideal for cockatiels, as these birds won’t enjoy eating such.
At some point, your pet may not even attempt to eat raw rice if you feed it.
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Can I feed cooked rice to cockatiels?
Cooked rice is best for your cockatiels. Still, it doesn’t mean you can feed any cooked rice you have.
Rice for your cockatiel should be plainly cooked, unsalted, and unseasoned.
Some ways of cooking rice involve seasonings to add flavor and improve the taste.
While it’s ideal for us, it can be harmful to our pets. Thus, when feeding rice, make sure you offer plain cooked rice.
Of course, you can add some vegetables and fruits as you give it to your bird.
The only thing you should avoid are seasonings, such as salt and artificial flavors.
It would be best to boil and steam the rice to make it soft. The same thing when you are cooking vegetables like broccoli and lentils.
This way, you can offer something safe and nutritious for your pet.
Aside from rice, you can offer other alternatives like bread and pasta. Both have a similar energy to provide your bird.
At the same time, you can give it a variation to your pet’s food plan.
What can a cockatiel not eat?
Like any other animal, cockatiels have foods they shouldn’t eat, which can be toxic to them.
Below is the list of the toxic food you shouldn’t feed:
- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Any Fruit Seeds
- Onions
- Garlic
- Alcohol
- Mushrooms
- Honey
- Salt
- Caffeine
- Dried or Uncooked Beans
- Rhubarb
- High-Fat
- High-Sodium
- High-Sugar Foods
It’s important to note such food to avoid unwanted incidents from happening.
Some of these are seasonings such as garlic, onions, and salt. If you put any of these three in your rice, you shouldn’t offer it to your pet, as it can be harmful.
As long as you stay away from these kinds of food, your pet should be alright.
Are almonds and chia seeds safe snacks for cockatiels? Check it out!
Summary
Cockatiels can eat rice, both white and brown. Rice is highly nutritious and beneficial for pets. At the same time, you can be sure your pet will enjoy eating if you feed it some.
Although brown rice offers more benefits than white, both are safe for your pet to eat.
The thing about rice is that it is best if cooked before serving. Serving raw or uncooked rice isn’t appetizing, and your pet may not even touch it.
When cooking rice, avoid additional seasonings and flavors. While it is safe and sound for us, it’s harmful to our pets.
The last thing to remember is that rice should only form a small part of our pet’s diet. Thus, it would be best if you incorporated veggies when feeding such. At the same time, pellets should make more of their daily meal.
Resources
HealthLine’s nutrition facts on brown and white rice
Image Credits:
- Photo by Pille-Riin Priske on Unsplash
- https://pixabay.com/photos/cockatiel-bird-animal-colorful-1213758/
