Cockatiels can eat a variety of fresh fruits along with pellets, which are the main component of their diet. But what about fruits like guavas? Can cockatiels eat guava?
Yes, cockatiels can eat guava, as it’s high in many vitamins and minerals. Cockatiels can eat all parts of the guava fruit, including the skin and seeds. As with many other fruits, guava should still only ever be fed in moderation as part of a cockatiel’s balanced diet.
It is always recommended to choose organic fruits for your cockatiel along with fresh food items to ensure optimal health.
Keep reading to find out more!
Is Guava Safe For Cockatiels?
Yes, guava is absolutely safe for cockatiels.
As mentioned, all parts of the guava are safe for cockatiels to eat, including the skin and seeds. They keep their minds active and keep themselves from getting bored by tearing into their skin.
Many cockatiels enjoy the guava fruit’s sweet and juicy flavor but dislike the skin and seeds due to their bitter taste.
Guava is packed with vitamins and minerals that are essential to a cockatiel’s diet. Not to mention, it’s a delicious fruit that your cockatiel will love!
So go ahead and give your cockatiel a slice of guava as a treat today.
Benefits Of Feeding Guava To Your Cockatiel
Traditional medicines have used extracts from the leaf, root, or stem of the guava plant to treat diarrhea, according to the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences.
Guava contains the following essential nutrients:
Vitamin B
Guava contains vitamins B3 and B6, which are good for a cockatiel’s brain and immune system.
The B3 vitamin converts fat, carbs, and protein into usable energy.
B6 vitamin metabolizes glucose and protein.
Vitamin C
Guava is one of the best sources of vitamin C, with four times the amount found in oranges. Vitamin C is essential for immune system health, ensuring it functions optimally. It also:
- Enables cockatiel’s body to absorb iron
- Maintain stable blood sugar levels
- Allows the muscles and bones to develop
- Stabilizes cholesterol levels
Vitamin C fights off infections while enabling cockatiels to heal from injuries, cuts, and abrasions.
Dietary fiber
Guava is high in dietary fiber, which helps to keep the digestive system running smoothly.
Dietary fiber helps stop diarrhea by soaking up water and making stools bulkier, which makes them easier to pass. Fiber also reduces the chances of heart disease, respiratory infections, cancer and etc.
High-fiber foods like guavas take longer to digest, making cockatiels feel full for longer and preventing weight gain.
Potassium
Potassium is essential for bone and muscle formation. It works with sodium to regulate the following:
- Muscle contractions
- Nerve signals
- Fluid balance
However, potassium also helps prevent anemia and aids the blood clotting process.
Manganese
Manganese is a trace mineral, which means cockatiels only need small amounts. Manganese is important for making strong bones and eggshells, so cockatiels that are kept as pets benefit the most from it.
Magnesium
One guava fruit contains 12.1 mg of magnesium. It’s essential for:
- Healthy nerves and muscles
- Strong bones
- Temperature regulation
Also, magnesium minimizes the risk of rickets, calcium deficiencies, and seizures.
Calcium
Guava has calcium in it, which is important for keeping the cockatiels’ bones strong.
Calcium deficiencies are a common nutritional disorder in cockatiels. Seeds, nuts, and pellets don’t contain the calcium cockatiels need, which is why fruits are essential. Calcium prevents:
- Muscle pain and construction
- Seizures
- Stress
- Heart disorders
- Soft, weak eggshells
But adding some guava slices to your cockatiel’s diet can prevent a calcium deficiency.
Iron
Iron creates hemoglobin, which is vital for carrying oxygen around the body and ensuring that it reaches all organs. Cockatiels that lack enough iron in their bodies are at risk of developing anemia.
While cockatiels need traces of iron, they don’t need too much, as iron storage disease can develop.
Antioxidants
The Sunway Academic Journal says that guava is a good source of antioxidants. Specifically, guava is a rich source of lycopene and carotene. Antioxidants have antiviral properties.
Also, many of the most important antioxidants are found in the skin, making it the healthiest part of the fruit.
How Many Guavas Should You Give To Your Cockatiel?
While guava is good and healthy for your cockatiel, only offer 1-2 small cubes no more than 2 times per week. This fruit has a lot of fructose, which is bad for your cockatiel’s health if it eats too much of it.
Always remember that serving in moderation is essential for keeping your cockatiel healthy.
Just like other birds, cockatiels need to eat a balanced diet. Even though guava has nutrients, eating them won’t be enough on its own.
Guava and other fruits should only make up 10% of what cockatiels eat every day. Food treats can also be made from seeds and other foods like peanut butter and bread slices.
Pellets should make up 60% of a cockatiel’s daily diet, so they should be the main food they eat.
Also, it would be best if guavas weren’t the only fruit you gave them. You can also give your cockatiel apples, strawberries, blueberries, and watermelons, among other things.
How To Prepare Guava For Your Cockatiel?
If you want to prepare guava for your cockatiel, you can do the following:
Choose ripe guava for your cockatiel first. Even while the unripe ones have the same nutritional value as the ripe ones, they may be difficult for our birds to consume.
The next step is to properly wash the fruit. It is essential to eradicate all germs from the fruit’s surface.
Once the fruits have been washed, cut them into little cubes. The fruit’s small size will make it easier for our cockatiels to consume.
You are now prepared to offer this delectable fruit to your cockatiel. You can either feed the same fruit by hand or combine it with other fruits.
Finally, uneaten fruits and vegetables must be removed from the cage to avoid fly and rodent infection.
See Also: Can Cockatiels Eat Bread?
Can Cockatiels Eat Guava Seeds?
Yes, cockatiels can eat guava seeds because they contain vitamin A, which keeps the eyes and immune systems healthy. Also, guava seeds have a lot of potassium, which helps keep blood pressure steady.
When ingested or chewed, guava seeds have laxative effects. This ensures healthy bowel movements, particularly if your cockatiel is constipated.
Can Cockatiels Eat Guava Skin?
The guava’s skin has more phenol and ascorbic acids than the peeled fruit, which means it has more nutrients. Similarly, the majority of the fruit’s vitamin C is located on the surface.
The skin tastes bitter. Some cockatiels may enjoy the flavor, but many don’t.
However, if you are curious, you can always give your cockatiel a little piece of guava skin to try and see how it reacts.
Can Cockatiels Drink Guava Juice?
Yes, cockatiels can drink guava juice. Guava juice provides your cockatiel with the fruit’s nutrients, and it’s also a good way to hydrate your cockatiel if it’s not drinking sufficient water. Blend some water with your guava fruit when you want to make juice from it.
Don’t buy store-bought guava juice, as it will be made with sugar, additives, and preservatives. You want everything you give your cockatiel to be 100% natural.
As long as you feed your cockatiel guava a few times a week, it will benefit from the vitamins and nutrients.
See Also: Can Cockatiels Eat Almonds?
Conclusion
Cockatiels can safely eat guava. This fruit is full of vitamins and minerals and is good for cockatiels in many ways.
Guava is a tropical fruit, so many cockatiels like the taste and enjoy the mental stimulation of tearing the fruit apart. Guava should be fed to cockatiels alongside other nutritious fruits.
To keep your cockatiel the healthiest that they can be, offer fresh guava as part of a well-balanced diet that includes pellets, vegetables, nuts, and other fruit.
