Diet
What to eat, what to eat... These days there are so many options in foods for feathered friends. Please note, we need much more than a simple seed diet. A good way to go is start with a good pellet diet. I eat Roudybush medium pellets. Then, and to it a quality seed mix. Try to steer clear of a lot of sunflower seeds, they're fattening. A few is fine, they're great to eat. In a separate bowl you can put some fruit and veggies. (Steer clear of apple seeds if you give apple, they're poisonous!) Try various fruits and veggies until you find a good mix of what your 'too likes. Apples, peas, melons, it's all good. Just try to steer clear of real acidy foods, like oranges and tomatoes. Give these as treats. Also note, I've heard rumors that tomatoes aren't so very good for cockatoos, anyway. Fresh foods can be given say, twice a day, but should be removed after an hour or so before they spoil. Keep the good stuff on a regular schedule, and we'll be waiting for it when you put it in.
There's also cooked diets out there that you can buy and cook for your bird. Follow directions and make sure that it isn't hot when you serve it. Hot foods can burn holes in a cockatoo's crop, which can be fatal. They also sell plenty of bird snacks out there. We also like the occasional people food snack, but make sure it's something safe, and try to steer clear of greasy foods. I like popcorn, pretzels with the salt rubbed off, corn, pizza crust, and occasionally Hawaiian Punch or fruit drinks. My mom reads the label carefully first, though, to be sure it's okay.
And, as always, in true cockatoo style, we very often make a mess with our food, so take appropriate measures. Mom says duster busters are God's second gift to cockatoo owners, and tile floors third.