Can Cockatiels Eat Cucumbers? – The Exact Amount To Feed
Cucumber is one of the crunchy and hydrating foods which both humans and others love. You might want to allow your pet cockatiels some cucumbers as a treat.
But can cockatiels eat cucumber? Yes, cockatiels can eat cucumbers. It’s even one of their favorite snacks. Taking cucumbers in moderation ensures certain health benefits for cockatiels and other feathered pets. Make sure the cucumbers are organic and don’t contain any chemicals before serving them to your cockatiels.
In this article, we will talk about the different facts about cucumber as a diet of cockatiels. This will help you to understand the benefits of cucumber and other issues for your avian.
Can Cockatiels Eat Cucumbers? Evaluate The Nutrition Facts
Yes, cockatiels can safely eat cucumber, in fact, they love its subtle taste and crunchiness. Moreover, it could be a healthy addition to their diet as well. Though cucumber is scientifically a fruit; most people consider it a vegetable. However, it’s a hydrating food that provides a lot of water to the consumer’s body.
According to the USDA department, a standard-sized cucumber ( 8 ¼”, or 301g) contains 287 g of water. Aside from this, it contains a very small number of vitamins A, B, and C, protein, potassium, Phosphorus, etc.
Let’s check the nutrition facts of a standard-sized cucumber.
| Nutrition Facts of Cucumber (301g) | |
| Attributes | Amount |
| Water | 287g |
| Energy | 45.2kcal/ 196kJ |
| Protein | 1.96g |
| Carbohydrate | 10.9g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.5g |
| Fat | 0.331g |
| Sugar | 5.03g |
| Glucose | 2.29g |
| Fructose | 2.62g |
| Calcium | 48.2mg |
| Vitamin A | 15µg |
| Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | 8.43mg |
| Vitamin K | 49.4µg |
| Iron | 0.843 mg |
| Magnesium | 39.1mg |
| Phosphorus | 72.2mg |
| Potassium | 442mg |
So you see, cucumbers are a good source of water. Aside from this, it also contains a little protein, energy, and dietary fiber, as well as vitamins C, K, magnesium, and phosphorus. All are good for cockatiels’ health in the following ways:
- Water prevents dehydration and prevents overheating. Also, proper water prevents constipation, kidney diseases, and a lot more.
- Vitamin C boosts the immune system
- Magnesium develops feathers and keeps the heart and muscle well
- Fiber helps with proper digestion
Can Cockatiels Eat Cucumbers? Is the pH Level Suitable?
With a lot of nutrition facts in a small number and a lot of water, your captive cockatiels can eat cucumbers. Also, as we mentioned before, cucumber is one of the favorite snacks of cockatiels and other parrot-like birds.
On the other hand, cucumber contains a pH level of 5.12 – 5.78, which is slightly acidic but perfectly fine for cockatiels to be consumed. Though this is not a great concern, you should serve cucumber to your cockatiels in moderation.
Cockatiels love to eat cucumber, see the video here:
Does Cucumber Have Any Health Hazard?
Generally, nothing about cucumber poses a health risk. It’s a fantastic source of water, which is one of the essential elements for living things. Cucumber also doesn’t naturally contain any toxic substances, which are found in many foods like avocado, chocolate, etc. So giving your cockatiel the proper amount of cucumber is beneficial for their health.
But one thing to remember, overhydration will not be good for any living objects, including your pet cockatiels. Too much water can cause diarrhea and other water diseases.
Aside from this, excessive eating of cucumber may also develop the following issues for your cockatiels too.
Appetite Recession
As you know, cucumber contains 95% water in it. So, it’s a huge source of water, which is good for health. But, too much water can cause appetite recession in your cockatiels.
As a result, the stomach will be full of water, and you can’t feed your cockatiel’s necessary daily diet. So, it’s recommended to serve cucumber after the regular diet.
Allergic Problem
We are not saying it will surely happen. But, with great health benefits, cucumber also can cause allergic problems to your cockatiels. Since there is such a possibility, you should monitor your cockatiels with care.
Bloating
It is another common problem that can happen due to overtaking of cucumber by your cockatiels. It gives an uncomfortable feeling.
Can Cockatiels Eat Cucumber Seeds?
Though seeds of different fruits and vegetables are used to make cockatiels’ food, eating cucumber seeds is not recommended for a particular reason. Cucumber seeds contain amygdalin(also known as vitamin B17), which turns into cyanide when broken. It is mainly used for cancer treatment.
But, a small portion of cyanide is poisonous to the cockatiel bodies, while a big portion is poisonous to the human body too.
The cyanide can cause problems like vomiting, hyperventilation, anxiety, and even death. So, the recommendation is to keep yourself refrained from feeding your cockatiels cucumber seeds.
How Often Should You Feed Your Cockatiel Cucumber?
You shouldn’t serve cucumber to your cockatiels once a week. If your avian likes cucumber too much, you can provide a maximum of twice in this case.
By the way, don’t give more than a couple of inches of thick cucumbers. Also, cut them into slices or pieces. However, the amount of serving cucumber should be different in different seasons.
In the summer, you can serve a little more, but not that much in the winter.
The Right Process To Feeding Cucumber To Your Cockatiel
To ensure a healthy serving of cucumber for your beloved cockatiels, make sure the cucumbers are organic. Wash the clean the cucumber properly, and peel the skin.
Also, if you store cucumbers in the refrigerator, don’t do this for a longer time. Longer storage may develop Mycotoxin, which decomposes objects fast. So, serve the cucumber before it starts molding and developing fungus on it.
FAQs
Here are some more relevant questions about feeding cucumber to your cockatiels that may clarify some additional facts.
Can cockatiels eat cucumber skin?
The simple answer is “yes,”, your cockatiel can eat cucumber skin too. But, this must be organic and washed thoroughly before serving. But, in most cases, farmers use pesticides during cultivating the cucumbers.
In this case, we recommend not feeding your cockatiels the cucumber skin. But, if you can clean it properly, then no issues.
What fruits or vegetables are toxic to cockatiels?
The toxicity list for the cockatiel diet is big. There are many foods that should not be fed to your cockatiels. They include different foods like seeds of the rose family including- Apples, Cherries, Peaches. Nectarines, Plums, Apricots, etc. Aside from these, you should also avoid uncooked beans, mushrooms, garlic and onions, avocado, etc.
Final Note
So, when the question is “Can cockatiels eat cucumber?”, the answer is yes. But, there are a few facts to keep in mind and we have gone through all of them in the article here.
You shouldn’t feed your cockatiels cucumber more than twice a week, and once is mostly recommended. Also, make sure the cucumber is organic. Clean and wash the cucumber thoroughly before serving.
Resources:
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/283006#risks
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-medicine/mycotoxin
