My Conure Only Poops in the Cage

[Amna]

Hello,
I’m going through something that I’m not sure is actually a problem, but I’d like some advice.

Melon has just turned two months old and has learned how to fly quite well, so I moved him to a larger cage.

The issue is that I’ve noticed he only poops inside the cage. When he’s outside, even if hours pass, he doesn’t poop at all. I’m worried this might harm him or make him sick because of this habit.

As far as I know, this behavior is common in conures, but I’m not sure what the correct way to deal with it.

I would really appreciate your help on this matter, thank you.

 

[HarleY 064]

if you refer to an earlier post in the macaw forum, you will be assured some birds are born with the trait, learned from parent raised, or learned from the older bird/s when and where to "deposit". My birds who overnight with me in the house, and spend most of the day in outside aviary ; have learnt where to do it, sometimes not but usually yes .
you have nothing to deal with- your bird is doing the dealing. Be thankful that you only have one place to clean the deposits.

 

[Amna]

if you refer to an earlier post in the macaw forum, you will be assured some birds are born with the trait, learned from parent raised, or learned from the older bird/s when and where to "deposit". My birds who overnight with me in the house, and spend most of the day in outside aviary ; have learnt where to do it, sometimes not but usually yes .
you have nothing to deal with- your bird is doing the dealing. Be thankful that you only have one place to clean the deposits.

Thank you! that’s good to hear. I’ve been raising him since he was 28 days old, and now he’s two months old. When he was in the brooder, he used to poop everywhere, both inside and outside.

This only started after I moved him to his cage, which felt strange to me because my other bird is very different. Also, I thought birds need to poop every 15 minutes and that potty training can be harmful, so I was worried this habit might hurt him.

 

[clark_conure]

What's the problem? Mine don't poop in the cage a night but poop over the trash first poop in the morning, then it's open season. If they need to poop they will poop. I wouldn't worry at all.

 

[goudafinch]

Actually, I'm jealous. Mine drop fresh, juicy, and warm ones on me and everything

 

[HarleY 064]

Again believe it or not - they seem to grow out of it. The younger ones haven't learnt how to control their vents. It takes time and when it happens you won't notice.
Incidently pooping on a Human is a sign of bonding. I had 3 years of it before I saw improvements. Also The female B&G (Tokey by name) has advanced to the stage of now I know when she wants to poop . . . and a verificious "good poo, and a half,Tokey" when she is on the lead in our daily walk; and generally I would say, from my observations, that sooner or later they find a preference of where to poo. - mind you with a flock ranging from 7years old to 1 and a half, controlling of "pooping" is a learned thing. Everytime I enter their domain, wherever they are. to offer comfort or bribe; the older ones deposit before entering my space- the younger ones are more interested in the bribe, or whats what, to worry about being deposit free on arrival

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Last year, when my female budgie Joey was sitting on a clutch of infertile eggs on the floor of her cage, she treated her whole cage as a no-poop zone, like budgies do with nestboxes. She would hold her poops for hours while sitting on her eggs and when she needed to deposit one she would fly out of her cage and land on me to drop a poop so massive it made a gross squirting sound coming out! I started carrying a piece of paper towel to catch the giant poop as it came out of her before it hit my skin or clothes.