Can Cockatiels Eat Celery? How Do You Prepare It?
Vegetables are among the healthy foods required by cockatiels for healthy growth. Since celery falls under this category, you might wonder if you can add them to their diet. But will your feathered friend eat and like it?
So, can cockatiels eat celery? Yes, cockatiels can enjoy munching on these crunchy vegetables. It’s a great source of antioxidants like beta-carotene and Vitamin C, which boosts growth performance. However, 95% of celery is water, meaning it only has a few nutritional values for your bird.
Though it’s okay for cockatiels to feed on celery, they pose a health threat if not well prepared. Read on to learn how you should serve them celery and more.
Can Cockatiels Eat Celery?
Celery is among the common ingredients in soups, stews, and salads in most homes. It has a crunchy texture and a strong smell resembling that of a crushed yellow pimpernel. It can be eaten raw or cooked and enjoyed by humans and animals.
Cockatiels can eat celery and benefit from various healthy nutrients in the vegetable. It’s crunchy and easy for them to feed on if sliced into bite-sized pieces. Cockatiels can eat celery stalks, seeds, leaves, and celery juice. Serve celery along with other healthy foods for more nutritional gains.
It’s safe to serve your cockatiels celery that is organically grown. This is because of the risk of exposing them to toxins in pesticides that can harm their health. In an article by EWG, 85 % of a sample of celery contained several different chemicals. While some are easy to wash, most require thorough cleaning and rinsing.
Celery is made up almost entirely of water, which means it only has limited nutritional gain. Bird owners should feed their feathered friends this diet sparingly or occasionally. However, celery has various healthy nutrients that can boost your bird’s health.
What Are the Nutritional Advantages of Celery to Cockatiels?
Like most vegetables, including lettuce, radish, cucumber, and tomatoes, celery is high in water. Since water is the most vital nutrient in living things, vegetables are considered a healthy diet. Other than water, celery has various nutrients, as listed in the following table.
| Nutrient | Advantages |
| Vitamin C | Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, stabilizes cholesterol levels in birds and improves the animal’s health. |
| Vitamin A | Cockatiels require vitamin A for better eye health and maintenance of their mucus membrane. |
| Calcium | Calcium benefits your cockatiel in the production of strong eggshells and also for the development of strong bones. |
| Fiber | Cockatiels require dietary fibers in celery for a healthy digestive system. |
| Carbohydrates | Cockatiels require carbohydrates for energy and heat production. |
While water in celery is healthy, too much can cause diarrhea in your bird. Also, the low number of calories in the vegetable can make the bird lethargic most of the time. The diet also lacks other healthy nutrients resulting in various health problems.
If you want to raise healthy cockatiels that will exhaust their lifespan, always feed them a balanced diet. Avoid overfeeding them one diet because it will prevent them from feeding on other equally healthy options. Your cockatiels will need pellets, other fresh vegetables, clean water, and fruits for proper growth.
Do Cockatiels Like Raw or Cooked Celery?
Every cockatiel owner must learn how their birds like their vegetables served. This is because they may prefer it raw, and sometimes cooked, just like pumpkins and yams. In the case of celery, most cockatiels seem to like feeding it raw. Raw celery is more nutritious than cooked since cooking destroys most of the valuable nutrients.
However, this doesn’t rule out cooked celery as a healthy vegetable for them. Cooked celery is tender and soft, and some birds may like them this way. Despite having fewer nutritional benefits than raw celery, cooked celery has fewer pesticide health risks.
How Do You Prepare Celery for Cockatiels?
Celery is among the vegetables that require a lot of preparation compared to others. This is because of the large number of pesticides in conventionally grown celery. Celery lacks a protective skin to absorb pesticides sprayed onto them. Neonicotinoids insecticide is one of the toxic insecticides found in celery.
It’s best to buy fresh organic celery from your local food store when you want to serve your birds this diet. You can tell the organic foods by checking the numbers in their price look-up sticker. Organic fruits and vegetables have five digits code starting with the number nine.
Wash the celery thoroughly in water to wash out pesticide residue and dirt. Since celery can have more than one pesticide residue, sometimes washing with water alone is not enough to remove the residues. Use salt water or baking soda to clean any remaining residues and dirt.
Also, celery has a fibrous material in its stalks that can harm your bird. This fiber can cause crop blockage which can cause crop infections if not treated. Also, the insoluble fiber can cause constipation if ingested excessively.
Slice the celery into small pieces for the cockatiels to easily consume. This is to break down the fibrous materials and strings in the vegetable. Importantly mix celery with other healthy vegetables or foods for a balanced diet.
Related Questions
The section below covers some of the questions you might have about this diet for your bird. You’ll also learn their answers which are well-researched to clear your doubts.
Are Celery Leaves Safe for Cockatiels?
Cockatiels can eat celery stalks, seeds, and leaves which are safe for their health. However, like the stalls, wash the leaves thoroughly to clean the pesticide residues. Also, serve them sparingly to save some appetite for other healthier foods.
Should I Feed My Cockatiel Celery Juice?
The high-water content in celery makes it ideal for making juice which cockatiels can take. This juice can be made from celery only or mixed with other healthy vegetables. However, this juice should not replace water but as part of the occasional treat.
Outro
Celery is a tasty and aromatic vegetable, mostly served as soup. Luckily, it’s among the foods bird owners can share with their pet birds without harming their health. Despite the high water content, the vegetable contains some essential nutrients.
Cockatiels can eat and enjoy celery as part of their occasional diet, once or twice a week. Celery is a rich source of antioxidants, which protects the bird’s cells against free radicals. However, serve this diet moderately or along with other healthy foods to maintain a balanced diet.
