Can Cockatiels Eat Rice? The Recommended Types of Rice to Feed

Though you are feeding pellets to your lovely cockatiel, you also may want to test some variations. There are various foods that could be considered as an occasional treat and rice could be one of them.

But the fact is, can cockatiels eat rice? The simple answer is yes. Cockatiels can eat rice, both white and brown rice. But rice shouldn’t be the primary food, it can be served as a treat. Also, most often cooked rice is preferred for easy digestion.

There are ways to serve rice to your cockatiels. Keep reading to ensure about the rice feeding facts or your cockatiels to make the right diet with rice for your cockatiels.

Can Cockatiels Eat Rice? Check Out the Nutrition Facts

Basically, there are three types of rice found in nature- white, brown, and wild rice and all can be safely consumed by your pet bird. However, brown rice is the most preferred one for its nutritional value and we will find out more on that in the table below.

According to Fatsecret, we have found the following nutrition facts on all three types of cooked rice, per 100 grams.

Attributes	White Rice	Brown Rice	Wild Rice
Calories	129	110	101
Water	68.5g	70.3g	68.5g
Total Fat	0.28g	0.89g	0.34g
Saturated Fat	0.076g	0.179g	0.049g
Sodium	365 mg	301mg	3mg
Carbohydrate	27.9g	22.78g	21.34g
Dietary Fiber	0.4g	1.8g	1.8g
Sugar	0.05g	0.35g	0.73g
Protein	2.66g	2.56g	3.99g
Calcium	10mg	10mg	3mg
Iron	1.19mg	0.42mg	0.6mg
Potassium	35mg	43mg	101mg

Aside from the nutrition elements, all types of rice hold a pH level of 6.0 to 6.7. Regarding the pH level, rice is almost non-acidic, by the way.

Can Cockatiels Eat Rice?

Yes, cockatiels can eat rice. But rice should be served in moderation. Also, give your cockatiels rice by mixing it with other ingredients like fruits and vegetables.

Experts suggest adding diced and cut-up vegetables while you serve rice to your cockatiel. On the other hand, since rice has a pH level of 6.0 to 6.7, there is no acidity in rice.

In this case, rice will not cause any acidic problem to your cockatiels. Also, you should mostly provide sticky rice which will digest easily on your cockatiels stomach. Whereas, non-sticky rice contains high-amylose which takes more time to digest.

Can Cockatiels Eat White Rice?

Yes, cocktails can eat white rice. However, do you know what? Because of its processing, white rice is devoid of any dietary fiber.

The grains’ brans or seed coating, which are the primary sources of dietary fiber, are removed from white rice during the processing step. Therefore, there are not many positive effects of white rice on cockatiels’ health.

Can Cockatiels Eat Brown And Wild Rice?

Yes, brown and wild rice are more preferable than white rice, because they contain more dietary fiber(1.6mg, or more) than white rice. Also, many cockatiels owners say their birds enjoy eating brown rice rather than white rice.

As unprocessed rice, brown and wild rice ensure more health benefits over the processed white rice.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Rice To Cockatiels?

Rice is a healthy food  for cockatiels. There are some necessary nutrients that might help to build your cocka’s health. The brown and wild rice contain more dietary fiber, which is better than white rice for your cockatiels.

But, too much rice will provide too much fat, carbohydrate, and fiber, which are not good.

How Can I Serve Rice To My Cockatiels?

You can either serve them both raw, and cooked. But the raw and cooked serve different purposes.

Raw rice is safer in many ways; they don’t contain any harmful elements which might be developed during the cooking process. But, raw rice could be hard to digest. Also, uncooked rice contains almost 80% of carbohydrates of the total weight of the rice.

On the other hand, cooked rice is more likely to be fast-digestible than raw rice. Also, cooked rice contains around 70% of water. But, you have to make sure that you don’t add any type of spices, sugar, oil, salt, or anything.

Ensure the rice is cooked plain. Because such additional ingredients will harm your cockatiels’ health. Also, don’t serve hot or warm rice. Make sure the rice gets entirely cool.

By the way, you should mix rice with diced vegetables like carrot, corn, peas, or any other recommended fruits and vegetables. This will add extra health benefits to your cockatiel’s health.

FAQs

The following frequently asked questions might be useful in terms of cockatiels food inquiry.

Final Note

So, can cockatiels eat rice? What is the ultimate verdict? You can provide any type of rice to your beloved cockatiel. But, you have to give them in moderation.

Though white rice is ok, brown and wild rice are recommended. It would be great if you serve them by mixing with diced fruits and vegetables.