Potty training? Input & advise please.

[reggieroo]

I would like some input from people on how they managed to get their grey potty trained & how successful you have been.

 

Can some people just get them to do it just before they take them from the cage/stand & have to put them back after 20 mins or so? Or does your grey understand that he/she shouldn't poop in certain places like your shoulder or sofa? Do they even fly back to their cage/stand & poop (ideal situation if possible)?

 

So far I have tried waiting for Murphy to poop then reward him with praise & then pick him up or sit him on me. After about 20 mins I put him back to his cage/stand where I would like him to poop & reward him with praise if he does ( but that can take ages, like watching paint dry).

 

I read that teaching them to poop on command as I did with my last parrot, an Amazon, that they can have poopy problems by not going as they are waiting for your command. This never happened with my Zon but something to think about. I also never got past that stage & he would poop wherever he wanted after the initial poop on command.

 

So how have people done it & how far have you got?

Edited April 30, 2010 by reggieroo

[Xtreme575]

Reggieroo, I keep a newspaper on the floor next to where my parrot and I hang out. As soon as I pick him up, I take him to that spot and ask him to go, if he doesn't, than I trust him to come play with me. I just have to make sure that I am paying attention, if he all of a sudden starts getting a bit nippy, or alternating his feet (like stomping) then he is letting me know it's time. I just hold him over the paper, and he will let go, I then tell him how good he is, and continue playing with him, while trying to be cognizant of the time.

 

We got there more by me getting up and getting changed when he pooped on me. I'd return him to his cage, he didn't like that, so when I held him over the paper and he went and realized that it didn't result in return home, then he started doing it all the time. Now, the only accidents are my fault, he will let me know he has to go, but if I'm not paying enough attention, then I get what I deserve. Also, I have noticed that he is a nervous pooper, so if I have something that he isn't sure of, or am introducing him to something new, then I expect to get soiled as well.

 

My bird is still clipped, so no, he can't fly back to his cage, and to be honest, I like the paper method next to where I'm sitting. Super easy to clean up, and really close for the urgent calls.

 

Other than on me, he goes where he wants... I don't even try to control that, like you I worry that it may cause him to get weird about it, which could lead to bowel issues.

[JillyBeanz]

Harvey goes in the right place 90% of the time - but if he is distracted, say when I'm here in the study and he's sitting on the top of the door, and I also forget and don't take him back to his stand, he sometimes does have an accident. He will never poop on a person though - we just have to remember to take him back to his stand every 10 minutes or so - and then give the command "go poop" and he does.

 

I used to think that people were bonkers when they said you could predict it, as they gave a little "wiggle" - but it's true. So when Murphy gives this "wiggle", whip him up and put him where you want him to go. When he does poop, you are right - praise him to the hilt. Always tell him to "go poop", or "have a pooh" or whatever you want - but don't give it a slang word (I don't need to spell them out) because he is more than likely to repeat it as he'll hear it that much!

 

Good luck - some manage, like Dave says, some don't - there was NEVER a choice that I wasn't going to succeed! I live in the cream/beige palace!!!!

[Malikah]

Kito doesn't like to poop in her cages, so every time I take her out I go right to the garbage can and tell her to hurry up and she goes. Then she gets a sunflower seed. She still poops whenever she wants the rest of the time so I have to watch her closely. If I catch the signal right away I can usually tell her to wait and interrupt her long enough to get to a garbage. Occasionally I end up with a handful of poop. That probably grosses out some people but, once you have been a mom, a little bird poop is nothing. Plus it's a lot easier to wash my hands than try to clean the carpet, or the couch, or . . . .

[she]

I have never trained my birds to go on command. I believe it can lead to worry and stress as well as maybe physical problems from holding it in. I have found that the accidents are few and far between though and they normally let you know when the need arises. My two old tiels polly and pippin would simply fly back to the cage to go the toilet. I never taught them this, it was just something they both picked up. Charlie is very good at giving the wiggle so as long as im paying attention its fine. Cracker I need to watch a bit more closely.

[Malikah]

I think the only way it would cause your fid to worry about holding it in is if you punished them somehow for having accidents. That's just my opinion, I don't have any experience to back it up. Does anyone have experience to the contrary?

[Dave007]

Well, the act of defecating is something NO bird should be punished for no matter where it does it's business. Birds shit and piss many times during a day. As a matter of fact, birds really shouldn't be punished for anything they do. Deterred? Yes! Parrots are wild animals and don't know the meaning of punishment. The owner of the bird may feel extremely annoyed and frustrated but that's not the bird's fault. There's many things a person can do to cope with a bird's droppings but punishment isn't one of those things that deserves any type of action like that AND that rule applies to the smallest to the largest species of parrots cause they're all the same. Many have luck with potty training, many don't. A bird who is on a shoulder who has a tendency to bite clothing or earlobes or jewelry can't be punished. There's a way to stop that. Don't let a bird on a shoulder. I can guarantee you that a bird who is on a shoulder and does nothing to the person doesn't know that it's being a good boy/girl and that same exact thing applies to defecating.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Dave007

[JillyBeanz]

I may moan and whinge and say "why have you gone and pooped there, naughty tinker" if Harvey does ever go somewhere he doesn't - but I would never punish him for doing so - like he cares about my carpets! He's very clever but I'm sure he can't distinguish between the fact that on his playstand and in his cage he is allowed to poop for England - but sitting on the top or the door or the arm of the chair and if he's comfortable is the same thing to him! He does hold it in mostly, until he returns to his stand - but like I said - he does miss sometimes!

[Malikah]

I guess I worded my question badly. I was trying to ask if anyone had experience of a bird who was stressed out or had physical problems from holding it in. Mostly I was wondering because Kito prefers not to poop in her sleeping cage nor her big daytime cage. I have noticed that she poops a LOT more often while she's out and about, on the t-stand, or playing on her playgym. I pray nobody would EVER punish their fid in any way other than calmly ending an interaction for a minute or two.

[Luvparrots]

My grey goes where she wants and always has. The only thing she respects is me. Ana Grey has never pooped on me. Her choice. I never did anything to prevent it. So I don't know why it doesn't happen. She just chooses not to poop on me for which I am grateful! Before I got my grey I redid all my floors. I took out all the carpets and put in hardwood laminated floors in anticipation of having a flighted companion. I was truly disappointed when the breeder clipped my young grey even though she knew I wanted her flighted. The only good thing about Ana Grey being clipped is that she always had to sit on her perches and boings. So even though she is flighted now she by habit goes to the window perches and room boings as she did for over a year while she waited to become flighted. I keep newspaper under all this places and change them daily after my fids go to bed.

[reggieroo]

Well so far I haven't really had any accidents, Murphy spends most of his time either on his stand or in or on his cage. He also hasn't pooped on me yet but I think that just good luck & timing as after 20-30 mins I put him back for a short while until he poops then bring him back for cuddles etc. As for flying round the house he hasn't yet pooped while flying, not sure if they do or not but thankfully it hasn't happened. I'm hoping with a bit of positive reinforcement & good timing he will learn not to poop on me or the furniture etc.

[Dave007]

Most won't suffer any side effects. Some birds will hold it in but if enough time passes and the bird isn't able to get to their favorite places, they will finally go where they don't usually go. Actually, many people wish they had a bird like yours that will only go to designated areas.

""I have noticed that she poops a LOT more often while she's out and about, on the t-stand, or playing on her playgym.""

They'll poop quite a bit during the day. Basically, they're urinating. The droppings are small with clearish or whitish fluid. The biggest droppings are the first one in the morning and it has a lot of color. Activity causes that. So, be happy that your bird has class. Luck is on your side.

[JillyBeanz]

Harvey doesn't poop in his cage either - he never has! He prefers to hold it in and let it rip when I come home from work!!! I had this anxiety last year when I went on holiday - he certainly wouldn't be spending the same amount of time out of his cage as he does at home, so I was all chewed up that some "damage" would be done by him holding it in. Everyone here reassured me that if he had to "go" he certainly would - and as ever, they were right! Of course he didn't hold it in - he realised that he needed one, and indeed had one!

[Malikah]

That's good to know. Kito does that too, have another bomb when I get home from work.

[judygram]

If I catch the signal right away I can usually tell her to wait and interrupt her long enough to get to a garbage. Occasionally I end up with a handful of poop. That probably grosses out some people but, once you have been a mom, a little bird poop is nothing. Plus it's a lot easier to wash my hands than try to clean the carpet, or the couch.

 

Josey does poop in her cage and that is fine with me but she hasn't pooped on me in a long time now but I have had more than one handful of poop as I have done the same thing when taking her somewhere to poop and she goes before I get there, yes it is kind of gross but it washes off with soap and water, I've had worse on my hands before. Now Sunny my conure does not mind pooping on me all the time, of course she is always on my shoulder when she is out of her cage but it all comes out in the wash.

[Malikah]

Jolly my rescue Jenday (r.i.p.) used to poop on me all the time too. She would only eat zupreem fruit flavored pellets and those stained!

Poor little thing, her cagemate severely plucked her for years.

[reggieroo]

Jolly my rescue Jenday (r.i.p.) used to poop on me all the time too. She would only eat zupreem fruit flavored pellets and those stained!

Poor little thing, her cagemate severely plucked her for years.

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Poor little birdie, that pic really tugs on the heartstrings.

[Malikah]

She was the sweetest little old pterodactyl. :*)

[JillyBeanz]

Oh what a poor, poor little baby! I don't know how anyone can stand by and watch such a devastating thing happen to something - lucky there's people like yourself in the world who rescue such needy creatures. I wish I had the strength to do something like that - but I'd just be in tears at each and every juncture! Thank you for your picture of Jolly - I'm sure the last part of her life was her happiest

 

I know what you mean about staining - once Harvey's had a "serving" of palm oil he has "palm poo" - now that's a toughie to get out!

[Malikah]

Thanks Jill, I did my best. I didn't rescue her personally, I just fell in love with those sweet eyes when she was on the rescue's website. It was a heartbreaking experience to go there and pick her up. They were so sweet to me, I felt like such a ninny for crying. I had no idea that birds would mutilate themselves. The cockatoos just broke my heart. I'm sorry I seem to have hijacked this thread. Back on the subject of poo, I should be getting my red palm oil in the mail in a day or two. Thanks for the warning!