Can Cockatiels Eat Cashews? (Revealed!)

I have always gone out to the store for my groceries, but for once I thought I would try getting them delivered.

I did a big shop and it went pretty well, on time and they had most of what I needed.

However, I did order a big bag of mixed nuts for my cockatiel.

They didn’t have any when it came time to deliver, though, so they substituted a big bag of cashews.

I had never given him cashews before, so I decided to look into it first.

So, can cockatiels eat cashews?

Yes, cockatiels love cashews and they make a great nutritious snack! Cashews are packed with all sorts of healthy nutrients while also being a fun treat. They are, however, very high in fat and overall calorie content, so they will only need a few before they’ve had plenty.

So, while they certainly are great, the thing you always need to be wary of is moderation when it comes to snacks.

Cashews in particular, as we will see, are highly nutrient rich, and so too much can be a problem for them.

Let’s look further into this.

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Are cashews good for cockatiels?

Yes, in lots of ways!

Nuts are a really essential part of a cockatiel’s diet, and cashews in particular are almost pure energy.

They are a great source of protein and will keep your cockatiel happy, strong and energetic.

Beyond that, cashews are also a great source of fiber.

Fiber is essential in all areas of digestion, and will keep your cockatiel’s gut moving swiftly and smoothly.

They will aid in the movement of the rest of your cockatiel’s diet.

Cashews are also very low in sugar compared with other nuts with a similar fiber content, so this makes them a great option even over other nuts.

Cashews contain lots of healthy vitamins like B and C, which promote heart health, strengthen the immune system and keep illness at bay.

Sometimes, these vitamins are difficult to get into their diet.

Most importantly of all, however, your cockatiel will just love them!

Cockatiels love pretty much any nuts, but cashews in particular are so nutrient rich that they are irresistible to cockatiels.

All this said, however, there are still some important caveats to keep in mind when feeding your cockatiels cashews.

Are cashews bad for cockatiels?

Inherently, no, cashews are not bad for cockatiels.

That said, they are nutrient dense, as many nuts are, and compared with other nuts they do contain somewhat higher concentrations of fat.

The important thing is moderation.

Cashews should only ever represent a small part of your cockatiel’s diet.

The bird’s diet should be good and varied, and the snacks you provide should be changed out every day.

Feed them cashews maybe once or twice a week as part of a balanced diet.

Because they are so nutrient rich, your cockatiel only needs to eat a small number before it gets the benefits it needs.

Anything more and it will be overloaded, causing pain and discomfort.

Moderation is the name of the game.

But, do I need to prepare the nuts in any way?

Can cockatiels eat raw cashews?

Raw cashews is definitely the best, and indeed the easiest, way to feed cashews to your cockatiels.

The diet you provide should be the best approximation of what they would have in the wild.

This is the simplest way to keep them happy and healthy.

Obviously, raw nuts is what they would have access to in the wild.

The crunchy texture they will prefer and they will get the full breadth of nutrients that haven’t been lost to cooking.

Can you feed them cooked, though?

Can cockatiels eat cooked cashews?

While one or two cooked cashews probably wouldn’t be a problem, there’s really no reason to give them cooked cashews.

If you have some left over from a meal, it may be fine.

However, as I said, raw is always best and provides the full breadth of nutrients.

They will prefer them this way, and none of the health benefits will be lost.

Furthermore, often, cashews will have been cooked in an oil or substance otherwise harmful to cockatiels.

It’s not worth taking that chance.

If you have cashews, feed them raw, do not both cooking them.

Conclusion

So, raw cashews as an occasional treat are a great option for your cockatiel.

You should be seeking to expand and vary their diet as much as possible, meaning you shouldn’t give them too much of any one thing.

Cashews in particular are packed with nutrients, meaning you only need to feed your cockatiel a few before it has extracted most of the benefit it can.

Any more and you could harm them. Keep that in mind, and cashews make a great treat for your cockatiel.