What to feed your Cockatiel: Seed Mix and Sprouting

There are several seeds in the bird market, my quest for the perfect mix for the cockatiel ended up in a simple word: "variety". The ratio and amount of which depends on the current need of your birds.

Millet: Eleven percent(11%) protein. Millets abound in B vitamins, folic acid, potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium.

Sun flower seeds: Contains essential fatty acids,great source of amino acids, dietary fiber, Vitamin E which is essential in breeding, folate, Thiamine and minerals: magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, selenium, iron, calcium and zinc. For more info refer to SunFatter Seeds

Canary seeds: There is no definitive statistics on the nutrient content of the canary seed though isolated tests affirm that it may have one of the highest protein concentrations of the seed world.

Hulled Oats / Oat Groats: Hulled oats are semi-processed oats, where the shell has already been removed, oat groats, being raw and unprocessed, is said to have the most nutrients locked-in. Fortunately, the cockatiels beak can easily dehusk these seeds.

Hemp Seed: The multi-vitamins of the bird world. Said to contain the most complete of all the seeds mentioned, used to trigger breeding and well-being in the form of singing.

Sprouting
is an excellent fresh food that you can grow utilizing the seeds mentioned above. Sprouting presents an entirely new set of beneficial enzymes that is not unlocked in seed form. There are many complicated or tedious steps to sprout but it is quite easy, all that you need is a damp environment for the seed provided with proper organic antiseptic to prevent spoilage.

Step 1: Choose your seed mix.

Step 2: Wash and Rinse with water and organic vinegar(at least 20% vinegar,
apple cider can be a good choice), let the seed soak in it for at least 30
minutes.

Step 4: Place the seeds above a damp environment, preferably a foam with the same
mixture of water and vinegar. Place in a lighted place with no direct
sunlight.

Step 5: Make sure you check the moisture on the foam daily, depending on your local temperature. Expect to harvest and serve in no more than 4-5 days.

Red, White, Black and Yellow Millet

Which one to feed your bird? Which is more nutritious? Can they be mixed together? If then on what ratio. These questions lingered long on my mind as I am in the continous quest to find the best seedmix diet for my birds and here is what I uncovered: Millets contain at least 11% protein in weight, a vital ingredient in feather prodution as feathers are mostly protein in the form of keratin. Other nutrients include various types of vitamin B, folic acid and carbohydrates. Having no gluten, millets are known to have no allergic effect. Millet, aside from the canary seed should comprise at least 30% of your seedmix. You go to a super birdstore and suddenly found a variety of colors, with a price difference t almost 50%, white, also known as "pearl" being teh cheapest.
The fact is, laboratory nutrient tests on the millet is the same to all its colored varieties, thus, it oil boils down to choice. Your birds' choice.
I have honestly given them all those four types in one mix and one color stands out: The black millet. Stands out in the sense that it is the only think left in the plate, as much as possible, cockatiels or finches, they dont want to do anything with it unless starvation moves in. Given its relatively high price, my birds are giving me a great favor. The others are consumed fairly but not until the white "pearls" have pretty much ran out.
So there you have it: Winner of the royal rumble. Nutritious, cheap, readily available and very much popular to your cockatiels, the white aka "pearl" millet.