Potty Training

[PickleMeDickles]

So, of my 3 conures, 2 are good 95% of the time, my F Sun is a lost cause. Have other conure parents found that these birds potty train pretty easily? My two that are trained did it themselves and then trained me!

When I have them out I usually take them every 20 minutes or so to their potty place (a table top tree stand) and say "go potty". They are so good about it! They will also get restless when they have to go, so I take them then as well.

Like I said, 2 of my 3 conures self trained. I am just really curious to see if, in general, other conures HATE to poop on their parents?

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

When I got Skittles, he was already pretty much potty-trained. So I didn't really have to do anything. I actually didn't even know he was until I observed him. He would only poop in certain places and would deliberately 'hold it' when he was in other places. Sometimes I'd catch him fly away from me to the top of his cage, poop, and then come back.

Once I figured that out, I called the pet store. One of the clerks was very attached to Skittles - that's how he picked up the potty-training and the 'kissy noises'.

 

[TacoNTiki]

Tiki doesn't like to poop in his cage and have only done it less than 5 times ever. But when he's out, it's a free for all. I try to put him on his playstand or on the rim of the garbage can every 20 mins or so, but he has no inclination to get off me to poop (for the most part).

 

[Kalel]

My sun conure was a breeze to train. I don't think he has had a accident in over 4 months.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I hear suns are especially easy to potty train. Skittles is very hygienic and I love that he will NOT poop on me.

He is free-flighted which makes having him potty trained so much easier. I don't have to worry about picking up little droppings all over the place. Only in a few areas that have been designated as 'crap palaces', as I call them.

 

[Gillis]

Pea was supposedly potty trained to nibble on the ear when he had to go, but if he was at one point, he was not when I acquired him! He does not like to poop on me, usually. He has certain days where it seems to be a free-for-all and other days when he is good about it. I have been saying "poop!" every time he goes to associate the action with the word. Sometimes he goes so fast all I can do is groan in frustration and run to grab a paper towel LOL. He is starting to go potty now when I hold him over something and say "poop!" Now when he does happen to nibble on my ear I am taking him off my shoulder, holding him over something, and saying "poop!" To try and re-teach him that nibbling on my ear mean going potty. But he is a GCC so I can't really say for suns, but I would imagine they -should- be fairly easy to train, if not a little stubborn about it.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Yeah, I can't say Skittles hasn't done that either. Sometimes he will just go wherever he feels like it, but it's a rarity.

 

[BoomBoom]

I'd say my sun conure, Boomer was very easy to potty train. It was the first 'trick' he ever learned. Basically I said POOP POOP when he went potty, making sure I take him to his poop perch every time. Pretty soon, he associated the word to the action.

The crowning moment of the poop training was when I accidentally left his cage door open when I went to work. This happened twice the past 2 months (before that, just 1 other time). He pretty much had the whole run of the apartment. I got home and the first thing I checked for was hardened poop on the carpet. He flew back to his poop perch the entire and did potty there. Even without supervision!

It's not 100% all the time though. He will have days when he'd poop on my computer chair (luckily it's all wood so clean up is no biggie). He rarely poops on the carpet now, he knows I don't like it.

 

[Thistle]

Any good links on articles for proven potty training methods. I'm still building a bond with my pair since their so new to me. But for birds that were said to be untamed they are taking to my fiance and I very quickly.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I wish I could help but I don't know of any links. But my suggestion is to use target training and monitor your bird. When he/she is about to poop pick up the bird before they poop and put them where you want them to poop.

I was very fortunate. Skittles was adored by one of the pet store clerks who taught him to make 'kissy noises' and potty trained him.

 

[OneHorseRanch]

If we';ve had Sheldon out for a while he'll get nippy so I'll put him on his play tree and about 2 seconds later he'll poop. He would not go on his stand if he didnt want to, so I think he's trying to tell us that he really doesnt want to poop on the floor or on us. I guess it's just learning to read your bird

 

[rosembers]

My Green Cheek (Babybird) has a "warning" stretch when she has to potty. She raises her wings up a little and looks around so I pretty much just keep napkin piles in our common areas of the house and grab one and hold her over it when she does that (or my hand then I go wash). We had her potty trained at first, but she wouldn't potty in her cage when we were gone during the day at work and we asked our vet about it because we were a little concerned for her to hold it. Vet recommended we discontinue the potty training so we did. Funny thing is, Babybird likes to fly over to my husband just to take a poo, then fly back to me LOL! She'll go from a deep sleep snuggling on my lap, get up, climb on my hand, fly to my husband, poo, then fly immediately back to snuggle with me. I think it's because he worked with her more on the potty training. I just laugh my bum off every time she does it! (Hubby doesn't quite see the humor in it like I do LOL)

 

[Kyoto]

I always have to remember to take Kyo to her poopy spot every 12 minutes, otherwise she has accidents.

She is trained to go when I place her on a play stand and say "go poop". Well, just a moment ago I missed her 12 minute mark, so she flew over to me, said "go poop" in a demanding kind of way, and let it go right on the floor in front of me. How dare i forget about her pooping needs.

Saucy bird doesn't let me catch a break that's for sure. Then sometimes she will go IN her cage on her own to poop! But only if I'm watching her. Otherwise she will go wherever she wants, always announcing to me that she "go poop". She also often praises herself for me when she poops now too, which can be pretty hysterical.