Popcorn is not harmful for a cockatiel provided it contains no butter and salt.
It is perfectly okay for cockatiels to eat popcorn, as long as it is unsalted, unbuttered and given as a treat. Cockatiels require a diet that gives them adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and proteins. So, just feeding a seed diet is not sufficient to have a healthy bird. A seed diet is high in fat and low in Vitamin A, protein and calcium. A typical diet for cockatiels should contain 65 percent cereals and grains, 20 to 25 percent vegetables, 5 to 10 percent fruit and the remaining protein.
Popcorn without Salt and Butter
Cockatiels can have unsalted and unbuttered popcorn occasionally. Added salt and butter, which also contains salt, could lead to a condition known as salt toxicity. This causes increased intake of water and increased urination. If your cockatiel has a mild kidney problem, it may end up consuming large amounts of salt. Adding salt and/or butter to the popcorn could lead to kidney failure, which causes a build up of fluids in the body, heart failure and neurological problems. Baby cockatiels fed too much salt experience poor feathering and growth.
Bird Pellets
While bird pellets are fine for a cockatiel, supplement them with other foods, such as vegetables and fruits. Most commercially available bird pellets provide cockatiels with the necessary vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. If you do not provide pellets to your cockatiel, keep a cuttlebone in the cage as a source of calcium.
Cereals and Grains
Feed your pet cockatiel with unsweetened breakfast cereals, cooked pasta, corn on cob, cooked rice, corn, barley and oatmeal, unsalted crackers, taco shells and wheat bread. The seed mixes provide the bird with some amount of carbohydrates, but they should never be their sole source of nutrients. That is why give your cockatiel popcorn as a treat on and off.
Vegetables and Legumes
Vegetables such as carrots, greens, broccoli, beets, green peppers, squash, zucchini, asparagus, ripe tomatoes, spinach, bean sprouts, Brussels sprouts and kale are healthy for a cockatiel. Just wash the vegetables well before feeding the bird. Legumes along with freshly cooked lean beef, chicken, fish and tofu is a healthy diet for cockatiels. Avoid giving your bird milk and iceberg lettuce. Cockatiels suffer from lactose intolerance and may get diarrhea on drinking milk. Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value for birds.
Fruits
Cockatiels love to nibble fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, peaches, kiwi fruit, grapes, berries and citrus fruits. Make sure to remove the seeds of apples, peaches, cherries and pears, as they are toxic to cockatiels.
Tips on Feeding Cockatiels
Remove uneaten meats within an hour to avoid bacterial infections. Remove uneaten fruits and vegetables from the cage after three to five hours. You can keep dry foods the whole day in the feeding bowl. So, you can keep the popcorn in the cage the entire day.
If you are feeding your pet cockatiel with just grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables, then dust some vitamin and mineral supplement on the food. Refrain from adding vitamin supplements in the bird's drinking water as it could cause proliferation of harmful bacteria. Also, if the bird takes a bath in the water, the chemicals could damage the feathers.
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