Actually, converting to pellets isn't as big a deal as many would have you believe! The method I use is a modified version of the one on the back of the pellets which I have been buying for years. But the modified method of the one I borrowed should work for any quality, EXTRUDED pellets you decide on. I believe that there are several high-quality brands available but I don't have personal experience with all of them. It will obviously be simpler if its new pellet diet physically resembles -- in shape, size, and color -- its favorite old preferred diet (usually millet!).

  1. Beg, borrow, or steal a load-centered gram scale accurate to + or - one gram, and then weigh your bird. If you can't borrow a scale, then gently palpate (i.e., feel) the fatty layers on both sides of the breastbone and make a mental image of exactly how it feels. (The breastbone in birds is an accurate and very quick first indicator of any traumatic weight loss).
  2. Assume that a PAIR of cockatiels will eat 1/3rd of a cup of food per day. Offer that amount of your TOTAL blended proportions of its old feed and the pellets every day at the same time of day.
  3. Mix (10) 3-day custom blends wherein the proportion of pellets increases by 10% per 3-day period (e.g., 90% present diet/10% pellets for the first 3-day period; 80% present diet/20% pellets for days #4 through #6, 70% present diet/30% pellets for days #7 through #9, etc., until for the last 3-day period before full conversion, you mix 10% present diet/90% pellets.
  4. Just BEFORE offering its new daily proportion, check its weight by either of the methods I've described. Then THROW OUT what your bird hasn't eaten from its last daily portion. Clean or replace the food dish and offer the bird its next daily portion.

If, and only if, your bird suffers a remarkable weight loss of 10% or more, return it to its original diet, and start a new 30-day cycle all over again.

Four other quick but important notes: (1) remove any and all cuttlebone, mineral blocks, or treats from the cage before you start, (2) do not offer the bird ANY treats of ANY kind until the conversion process has been successfully completed, (3) if you insist on humanizing your bird by thinking it will get bored if it can't eat and/or play with a variety of foods every day, put some more toys (or, as a last resort) mirrors in the cage to assuage your guilty conscience, and (4) when on a pelletized diet, your bird will drink more water than when on a seed diet.

The modifications I've made are based on extensive trial-and-error testing on a large number of cockatiels. Essentially, they merely extend the suggested conversion period, break up the portions into smaller #-of-days increments, and more gradually increase the percentage of pellets per #-of-days increment.

There are about a half-dozen or so quality pellet producers in the USA but their nutritional formulas are almost identical. Be sure to try and find a brand which is widely available in your area so that you will always be able to purchase a fresh bag.

Folks, because I realize that some of the above is confusing and hard to follow, I thought I'd just throw-in a few follow-up questions I've received to the above pellet conversion method along with my attempted clarification:

Q: "How long does your method take and does it always work?"

A: I have successfully converted over 100 cockatiels from seeds to pellets, it's never taken me more than 30 days to convert my birds from 100% seed to 100% pellets and that, once I've measured out the portions, it's been TOTALLY hassle free!

Q: "I checked his breastbone and is does protrude some but seems to have fat on each side. Is it supposed to protrude?"

A: Only slightly on an immature and hardly at all on a mature bird. Weight is a far better measure for the novice to use (at first). A good scale is expensive ($50+) but well worth it in the long-run.

Q: "I would almost swear that he is smaller than an average tiel, though, about the size of a love bird, and looks a lot like a Lutino love bird except for his crest."

A: Just like humans, small does not necessarily mean defective, broken, or ill. "Small" is NOT the same as underweight, emaciated, or dehydrated. You won't know for sure until an EXPERT breeder or AVIAN vet palpates (i.e., feels) the breastbone AND weighs your baby!

Q: Do you mean to mix portions 1/2 and 1/2 of pellets and seed for 3 days and then decrease the amount of seeds every 3 days? Till there is nothing but pellets?

A: NO-NO-NO-NO, but close (no cigar, though!).

By VOLUME (1/6th cup per cockatiel per day):

days 1 thru 3: 90% seed mix + 10% pellets,

days 4 thru 6: 80% seed mix + 20% pellets,

days 7 thru 9: 70% seed mix + 30% pellets,

days 10 thru 12: 60% seed mix + 40% pellets,

days 13 thru 15: 50% seed mix + 50% pellets,

days 16 thru 18: 40% seed mix + 60% pellets,

days 19 thru 21: 30% seed mix + 70% pellets,

days 22 thru 24: 20% seed mix + 80% pellets,

days 25 thru 27: 10% seed mix + 90% pellets and, finally,

days 28 thru 30: 0% seed mix + 100% pellets.

The ONLY painful or complicated part of this whole process is measuring out (10) 3-day portions at the above ratios (1/2 cup per cockatiel per 3-day interval. To make this simpler, I start day #1 on the first day of any calendar month and I measure out and label (10) small coffee cans or Tupperware or Rubbermaid -type bowls, one for each 3-day interval.

You must discipline yourself to THROW OUT any seeds or pellets left over at the end of each 24-hour period and NOT TO WORRY about how much pellets your bird is consuming. It will be a little hungry each day before you change its bowl but not enough to be dangerous. If you keep tabs on its weight, there's no danger.

Q: "He does seem to pulverize the pellets but I don't know if he is eating them or just trying to get a point across to me!!!" [?]

A: He's eating them but they don't usually like the "dust" that's left-over. With most pellets there's almost no waste, but other pellets produce varying amounts of waste or "dust."