Nuts are a great source of protein, vitamins, and healthy fats for cockatiels in the wild, and it makes sense to give your pet cockatiel access to these beneficial nutrients too. But what about almonds? Can cockatiels eat almonds?
Yes, cockatiels can eat almonds. Almonds provide beneficial nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to your cockatiel’s diet. As with any nut, though, almonds should only be given in moderation due to their high fat content.
Also, they help lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, promote weight loss, and reduce blood pressure.
Almonds, like all other types of nuts, have certain hazards that you should be aware of.
In this article, we look at the potential benefits of giving almonds to your cockatiel and a few concerns to be aware of. So, let’s dive in!
Benefits of Feeding Almonds To Your Cockatiel
Nuts can be a delicious snack for cockatiels. Nuts are not only delicious but also incredibly nutritious. For this reason, nuts like almonds are suitable for cockatiels.
However, one ounce of almonds can offer the following:
- 3.5 grams of fiber
- 6 grams of protein
- 14 grams of fat
- 161 calories
- 2.5 grams of Carbohydrates
Also, almonds are rich in many vitamins and minerals, such as:
- Proteins: Protein is important for cockatiel because it helps their bodies grow, stay healthy, and repair body tissues. It also helps the body make blood, heal wounds, make hormones, and help the immune system work better. Since almonds are rich in protein, they provide energy for your cockatiel, promote feather growth, and repair injured tissues.
- Vitamin E: This fat-soluble vitamin supports healthy cells and the immune system as a whole. Vitamin E also helps your cockatiel deal with stress better.
- Fats: There are both healthy and unhealthy fats in these nuts. If your cockatiel eats too much fat, it might gain more weight. To prevent this, serve them as an occasional treat.
- Vitamin B2: Vitamin B2, also called riboflavin, helps the body of the cockatiel turn carbs into glucose. If cockatiels don’t get enough of this vitamin, their toes may curl up and become stiff and deformed.
- Magnesium: Magnesium improves your cockatiel’s energy levels and lowers blood pressure. It also helps your cockatiel cope with stress, particularly during molting. However, too much magnesium is not good for your cockatiel.
- Manganese: Cockatiels’ metabolism, development, reproduction, and blood clotting are all helped by the manganese present in almonds.
- Copper: Copper helps the body absorb iron, keeps bones healthy, and boosts the immune system. In addition, it strengthens your cockatiel’s skeletal supports.
- Phosphorous: The cockatiels need phosphorous to build strong bones and store energy. But, eating too much of them prevents the absorption of calcium.
Now, although almonds are highly nutritious, that doesn’t mean you can give your cockatiel as much as you want.
Almonds also have some risks for cockatiels, and we will talk about them as we go further into this article.
How Many Almonds Should You Give To Your Cockatiel?
Even though it’s safe for cockatiels to eat almonds, you should only give them in moderation. From a human’s point of view, an almond may not look like much, but it has all the nutrients your cockatiel needs.
To illustrate this better, when a cockatiel eats one grape, it is the same as a human eating more than 360 grapes. Almonds are the same way. One small-sized almond is healthy for your cockatiel
Therefore, give them 1 or 2 grams of almonds a day. Keep in mind that your cockatiel should only get 10% of its food from these nuts.
Alternatively, you can stop giving the almonds every day and offer the almonds as a treat once or twice a week.
How To Give Almonds To Your Cockatiel
The almond’s tough shell conceals the nut’s nutritional value. So, before you give your cockatiel a nut, you should crack it and throw away the hard shell. Then, examine the freshness of the nut without cleaning it.
The brown outer skin of almonds is safe for your cockatiel. However, not every cockatiel is eager to try it. If your cockatiel is a picky eater, you can peel this skin away to expose the white nut. To make the almond more appealing to your cockatiel, you may also break it into small, manageable pieces.
What if, despite your attempts, your cockatiel does not touch the almonds? Try adding crushed nuts to the seed or pellet diet of your cockatiel. Alternatively, add the nut pieces to the fruit and vegetable mix.
Are There Any Risks To Giving Almonds To Your Cockatiel?
Even though almonds are a healthy snack for your cockatiel, they do pose some risks.
For this reason, you should be aware of these hazards to avoid unplanned occurrences.
Copper is toxic for cockatiels: Almonds are rich in copper, a potentially toxic component for cockatiels. To avoid your cockatiel consuming an excessive amount of almonds, it is advisable to limit its nut intake.
Choking: Almonds appear small to humans but large to cockatiels. Therefore, you should break the nut into small pieces so that the cockatiel can eat it more easily. Cockatiels of adult age can choke on items of a large size.
Salted almonds are dangerous: You likely prefer salted and seasoned almonds since they are more flavorful. However, cockatiels cannot tolerate salt. It can throw off the balance of the bird’s electrolytes and fluids, which can lead to dehydration, kidney failure, and death. Due to these factors, unsalted almonds are the best option.
Avoid almonds that are moldy: If almonds are kept in a moist place, fungi and molds can grow on them. Moldy nuts can be toxic for cockatiels if fed to them.
Some anti-nutrients prevent the absorption of minerals: Some anti-nutrients, like phytic acid, prevent the body from absorbing some minerals because they stick to them. This limits the calcium, iron, and zinc that your cockatiel can consume. Therefore, to reduce these antinutrients, either remove the shells or dry roast the nuts.
Conclusion
Cockatiels can eat almonds. Almonds may be good for your cockatiel’s health because they are full of important nutrients like protein, calcium, and fiber.
As with any nut, though, moderation is key because almonds are high in fat. Even though they are beneficial fats, overconsumption might lead to fast weight gain.
Therefore, no more than two raw almonds per day are recommended for cockatiels. If given moderately, almonds are great, healthy snacks for your feathered friend!
