KimKim Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 So when I first adopted Babalu a couple years ago, he cam with a letter. In the letter, she said he would hold his poop until she took him out in the mornings. So I kept doing that, telling him to go poop or go poo poo (which he says now:)) but anyway, after a while of taking him out of his cage in the mornings to unload his "bomb", he has now stopped pooping in his cage :confused: Only every full moon will there be a poop in his cage. Sometimes he wont come out in the mornings, so I go to work and come home (about 4-6 hours) and still no poo, until I can get him out. Then today, he would not come out until around 7pm, and he hadnt poo'd since 10pm the night before... Now I am worried, can this harm him? He will be spending Thanksgiving day and night by himself:(, I hate to think he is holding it... I know Dave, you said they will go when they have to and wont hold it, but I think he does... I think I made a mistake by continuing the potty training. Well he isnt even really potty trained, he just wont go in his cage. I can usually catch his poo poo signs, but if I dont, he will go on me or anywhere, but his cage! What should I do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codys Mom Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 thats why none of my birds are not potty trained , I read an article on it and they say not to potty train your birds becuase it could harm them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 (edited) Now I am more educated on it. I wish I did not continue it.. But to late now... I made him high maintenance and spoiled... Now I can only post my lessons and mistakes so hopefully others will learn... My bird and dogs are my kids (for now:)) so they get what they want. Edited November 22, 2010 by KimKim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Maybe it would be a good idea, with potty training, if it isn't trained always in/over the same place. For example..when you see he wants/needs to poop position him over a bin, use your cue word and praise him after he poops. Another time, position him on his favorite perch, in this case maybe on cage... I don't think it is good to hold the poop in :-(( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdnut Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I don't think not pooping in the cage is necessarily about training. Some birds just naturally will avoid pooping in the cage. I think it has something to do with an instinct to not give away their roosting site to predators. My Moussa will wait until I take him out of the cage in the morning before pooping, and I have never trained him or praised him for it. But he will go ahead and poop in the cage if he's in there for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I don't think not pooping in the cage is necessarily about training. Some birds just naturally will avoid pooping in the cage. I think it has something to do with an instinct to not give away their roosting site to predators. My Moussa will wait until I take him out of the cage in the morning before pooping, and I have never trained him or praised him for it. But he will go ahead and poop in the cage if he's in there for a while. I totally agree. Hell my bird does the same thing and sometimes hardly manages to go out of the cage because of how desperately he needs to poop but still, he will try to go outside and poop there. If it slips he is not happy but he wouldn't restrain himself any further. Another thing is, I think I read somewhere that their frequent pooping prolongs their life span. So, conclusion is, it is normal to restrain themselves from pooping to some extent (for any number of reasons). To hold it 4 to 6 hours is insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 All good observations and comments. Both my birds will hold until they realize they are not getting out until some future time. They will then relieve themselves in the same spot which is normally near or in a corner consistently to avoid getting poop anywhere else in their cage. It is natural for them to avoid (If they can) messing in there sleeping hole. I have read, but never observed a bird that would hold therir poop all day for 12 to 16 hours as described here. That is certainly not good for their health at all. Perhaps over time you can break him of that habit by not taking him out of his cage immediately or on any scheduled time (They know what time it is) so he can never just assume you will be letting him out for his morning poop at say 7am. They become very accustomed to schedules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Issac seems to prefer pooping outside of his cage too. I do end up seeing poop in there here and there, but definitely saves it up most of the times for out of his cage. For that first bomb, I hold him over the sink and say, "Okay boy go 'head go poo poo" and he will hunker down and let the big one go. From then on when he is out, I am all about poop patrol. He seems to have zero reservations about pooping where ever he is after that. Sometimes, he will actually fly off of my shoulder to poop on the table or something and then fly back. But not all the time. Lately, he has been doing this thing where if he poops on my back...he tries to get it off by using his beak and I have to stop him. What the heck is that about. Like he is saying...'Oops...I am sorry...I will get that for you'. I have to believe that pooping is like breathing for Issac. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 ... he will actually fly off of my shoulder to poop on the table....Table!?!! LoooooLAnd it is so sweet that he tries to get his poop off of you!.. Loool Not very hygienic, but sweet! Loool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Well, Babalu still holds it, I thought it was due to me changing the newspaper over to white cage paper, but no... He still tries to hold it. Very few times I come home and he has gone in his cage. I just started a new job, 8 hours a day 2 or more hours of commuting, and so far, Mon and Tues, he has held it until I got home. I get him out at 0650 and he poops then he goes back in until I get home which has been around 1730-1800.. As soon as he hears me though he calls me and climbs all over and does the spreading of the winds like he wants to go somewhere. My husband will try and get him out if he gets home before me, but thats a no go. One thing I am starting to do is picking him up and then holding him over the bottom of his cage grate and telling him to poop there, sometimes he will but most of the time he bites his nails or me until I get him out of the cage. Once he is out, he will poo anywhere, not just the can. So I guess maybe he just doesnt want to mess his cage? He is a clean bird. And if I put him on the floor (laminate) he will go faster than if I hung his butt over the can... That saves me time in the morning:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I have laminated floors in the bird room and cover it with newspaper on the heavy bird areas ie. under swinging perches and wall perches and around the immediate cage areas, mostly under doors. I love the floors are they are quick and easy to clean with vinegar water and paper towels during the day and quick evening mopping when I put the fids to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Well, Babalu still holds it, I thought it was due to me changing the newspaper over to white cage paper, but no... He still tries to hold it. Very few times I come home and he has gone in his cage. I just started a new job, 8 hours a day 2 or more hours of commuting, and so far, Mon and Tues, he has held it until I got home. I get him out at 0650 and he poops then he goes back in until I get home which has been around 1730-1800.. As soon as he hears me though he calls me and climbs all over and does the spreading of the winds like he wants to go somewhere. My husband will try and get him out if he gets home before me, but thats a no go. One thing I am starting to do is picking him up and then holding him over the bottom of his cage grate and telling him to poop there, sometimes he will but most of the time he bites his nails or me until I get him out of the cage. Once he is out, he will poo anywhere, not just the can. So I guess maybe he just doesnt want to mess his cage? He is a clean bird. And if I put him on the floor (laminate) he will go faster than if I hung his butt over the can... That saves me time in the morning:) No, the no pooping regime is definitely not good for the bird! Try giving him lot of fruit (oranges, grapes,fresh figgs,..no pit). After this kind of meal my Zak poops like crazy. So maybe your bird won't be able to hold it anymore. Have you tried talking to the vet? Iam interested what other memers think about keeping the bird out of the cage all the time for a couple of weeks in hope he learns to poop throughout the whole day...?-since he won't be worried about pooping in the cage. I'm affraid your bird might have some serious concequences if he doesn't start to poop soon.. Edited January 5, 2011 by Morana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikB Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Does the bottom tray or grill of the cage pull out? If so why not try pulling that out slightly and holding him over that for his poop when you take him out then maybe you can gradually work towards him doing it in the cage? Maybe also once he sees his poo in the cage he will realise it's not so bad? Just an idea Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdnut Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Issac seems to prefer pooping outside of his cage too. I do end up seeing poop in there here and there, but definitely saves it up most of the times for out of his cage. For that first bomb, I hold him over the sink and say, "Okay boy go 'head go poo poo" and he will hunker down and let the big one go. From then on when he is out, I am all about poop patrol. He seems to have zero reservations about pooping where ever he is after that. Sometimes, he will actually fly off of my shoulder to poop on the table or something and then fly back. But not all the time. Lately, he has been doing this thing where if he poops on my back...he tries to get it off by using his beak and I have to stop him. What the heck is that about. Like he is saying...'Oops...I am sorry...I will get that for you'. I have to believe that pooping is like breathing for Issac. LOL. Issac picks at his poop, too?! Moussa will do that whenever he poops on a surface where he can get to the poop, like a shoulder or a tabletop. He'll reach around and pick at it if we don't clean it up real quick. I have wondered if this was normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimKim Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Maybe also once he sees his poo in the cage he will realise it's not so bad? I thought that too, so thats when I tried to hold him in the cage to get him to go, then I left it there but didnt seem to make a differnce. He use to go in his cage, then we moved to Va, and I was home all day and had him out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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