Parrot took huge watery poop this morning

MintyMofoe

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Jan 27, 2017
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Mace (African Grey)
This morning, I woke up to my African Grey sleeping in her box (she loves boxes, but has never slept in one all night like this), she got out of the box after a while and ate and drank as usual. Then she went to the top of her cage and took the biggest poop I've ever seen her do and it was quite watery. I'm thinking it was because she slept in her box all night, and held in her poop until morning?
There has also been changes to her diet and also we just got two more birds so it could be due to changes.
If it happens again today I definitely need to see a vet with her. Has anyone else ever had their parrot do an abnormally huge morning poo?
 
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MintyMofoe

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I should add that she refuses to poop inside her box. She never does. There's no poop in there. She definitely held it in all night.
 

Scott

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Many parrots have the ability to "hold it in" for various reasons. While they prefer to eliminate every 20 to 30 minutes, it is not unusual for the first poop 'o the day to be unusually large. If this becomes frequent at other times, or if the consistency/color is unusual, a visit to the vet would be warranted.

Dietary intake can alter the appearance. Poops after eating veggies and fruits are more watery and sometimes more colorful than after eating pellets/seeds/millet.
 
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MintyMofoe

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I recently have been changing her diet to add more veggies, legumes, lentils, fruit, etc. It has been a bit more watery since I've added to her diet but this morning was huge.
I'm definitely taking her box out at night from now on. I don't think it's good to hold it in for 10 hours!
 

Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
I recently have been changing her diet to add more veggies, legumes, lentils, fruit, etc. It has been a bit more watery since I've added to her diet but this morning was huge.
I'm definitely taking her box out at night from now on. I don't think it's good to hold it in for 10 hours!

Probably not! A mention of caution; while birds often like boxes and enclosures, it can lead to aggression, particularly with females. Please watch for signs of behavior changes!
 

texsize

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My AG Bella also makes a humongous poop in the morning. It is normally rather watery.
I try to take her out of her cage within 1/2 hour of wakening up. I take her into the kitchen and set her on a chair with the trash can under her bum.
It's a good way to teach her the "go poopie" command. It helps keep her cage that much cleaner.
texsize
 

SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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DYH Amazon
Our DYH Amazon has huge morning moments! I am surprised that we are not visited by whatever Agency it is that monitors Earth Quakes! :D
 

Sunnyclover

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Black Capped Conure -North- Hatched 10/10/18
Molly, my sun conure, has a sleep cage that never has poop in it. Which means she holds it until I take to the sink to potty in the morning and her poop is HUGE! So don't worry and don't take her box away. I asked the vet and he said that's normal and actually healthy to hold it all night because that means she is actually sleeping which is great for her health!
 

EllenD

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Aug 20, 2016
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Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
I have to agree, my Senegal parrot, who is only a bit over 5 months old, does massive poops every morning, but she won't poop in her sleeping cage in by bedroom. My other 3 smaller birds (Quaker, Green Cheek, Cockatiel) don't poop in their sleeping cages either, but they immediately fly downstairs and go in their regular cages. My Senegal waits for me to go downstairs, he holds it even longer and then he'll go downstairs and go in a little garbage can with a bag in it I have next to his cage. He has never gone in either cage, just doesn't like to I guess, and at first he would go on the floor of my bedroom. So I had to take him downstairs and put him on top of the garbage can and say "Go Poop!", and when he went in the garbage can I gave him a pine nut. Well then he went right to the garbage can whenever he had to go. So he trained himself basically.

The morning poop is definitely massive, and all of my bird's is larger than usual. My avian vet said the same thing, that it's a good thing because it means they are getting deep, restful sleep.

I'd just watch the watery poop. Right now it's probably due to the diet change, but if it stays really watery for more than a week or two I'd take him to his avian vet for a fecal smear, just to be safe. But the size is normal.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
 

RavensGryf

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Jan 19, 2014
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I don't know if it's a species thing, but some of mine hold it all night and do the huge morning poo, and the others continue to poop all during the night.

My 2 different species of Poicephalus have the giant morning poop. The Pionus and my budgies have a pile of normal size poop under them in the morning. I've had several other species in the past and another Pionus, but I don't recall how it was with those birds. Maybe some do and some don't?
 

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