Not being successful in training the Birds to Not Poop

[Gxg]

Had an incident today when one of my birds kept flying to me and yet she chooses to poop on me. I was at the point of having enough of it - and so when she's out of the cage, if she does that immediately, I place her right back in the cage again until she learns. Generally, I'd wipe it off and keep going - but it is seeming the behavior is intentional/a bit of rebelliousness.

So I am looking on practical ways to train them to poop only in their cage and not on people, especially when they poop in their cage already and they have no need to do so. It is a bit frustrating and I'm seeking to be patient.

 

[GaleriaGila]

May I kick things off with a total fail?

This is the sad story of how the Rickeybird was toilet-trained for about an hour, back around 1990. I think he was maybe 6. I was reading Bird Talk, by then, and decided that I would try out some of the techniques. So I began taking the Rbird over a paper every 10 minutes or so and holding him there until he pooped, at which time I said "Boo-boo!" in a happy voice. Soon, I could take him to the paper say Boo-boo and he'd poop. As hoped for, as the day wore on, HE began to say Boo-boo and then poop when I held him over the target. He and I were both delighted, and we practiced and practiced. Sadly, it wasn't even an hour before he began saying Boo-boo every 30 seconds and then flying away when I headed for the paper. I accepted defeat graciously. To this day, he will sometimes yell Boo-boo ten or fifteen times within a minute or so, usually pooping wherever he happens to be. *sigh*

I wish you better luck!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

When I first read the title of this thread, I was like "Um, not sure thats even possible". lol

 

[Flboy]

My Jojo is potty trained, but was not my doing he trained himself! Quite awesome! But I must say you really need to learn to read their body language as best you can, because quite often JoJo will be trying to tell me he has to go and I just do not catch on! Wife can hold her Bongo over a garbage pail and tell him to go poop, and he does! The key is when he poops in the right place it's happy dance for you, excitement, and just all sorts of great praise! I would really avoid any type of negative reinforcement for what you are trying to teach!

 

[texsize]

My thoughts on this are "it should be possible".
I have read on this forum that it is bad for a bird not to relieve itself when it needs to.
I KNOW that parrots are capable of holding it when they want to.
So where do you go from here? I wish I had an answer.

Both my amazons are potty trained, they don't poop on me.
I am working on my CAG Bella. She poops every 5 minuets when she is with me.
I watch body language and when she is preparing to go poop (on me) I shoo her away.
She has gradually learned to move off of me to make her poop. It's not 100% but it's getting there.
I have not attempted this with my cockatiels.
texsize

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

The Rickeybird, I am convinced, uses pooping as expression, revenge, exploration, amusement, and sometimes just as a result of his natural Rickeybirdness, whatever that is. I have found peace in just accepting it. Kudos and homage to those of you who have asserted more control.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I have this feeling (I could be wrong) that it is easier to potty train when a birdy still has it's wings clipped. I has Molly trained in about 2 days and accidents are very rare and almost never happen to me. I can tell she needs to go when she cranes her head up and starts looking around a lot and sometimes in an emergency situation (like she has to go more then usually because maybe she had lots of water or fruit) she will even fly off me so I will know to take her.

 

[DerTier]

rickybird *might* be expressing himself that way but it is possible he just doesnt fully understand what you want. Did you teach him with a clicker originally? Either way, I'd suggest a clicker as the unique sound helps tighten up hard training, and starting at the beginning. Break down what you want him to do in steps, and make sure he gets each step before moving on.

Its very easy to push too far too fast with how smart animals are, and also very easy to push our human hangups onto them by thinking its vindictive when typically its just a miscommunication or misunderstanding

 

[Dinosrawr]

Here's a basic how-to for potty training:

1) Learn your bird's body language! Avery will walk backwards and start leaning forwards when she has to poop. Shiko will lower his tail, turn his head and look at his bum before he poops (don't ask why). When they first came home, I looked out for "pooping" body language and whenever they showed even an inkling of such behaviour I immediately moved them to where it was okay to poop.

2) Learn their schedule! Avery poops every 15 minutes. Shiko is about every 20 - 30 minutes. If they haven't pooped in that time, they get moved to a safe spot and told "Go potty!", to which they oblige and come back to where they were. Using a verbal cue is important, and make sure it's consistent. Eventually they make the connection, and when you move them during their schedule and say the cue they tend to go because they understand why you've moved them.

3) If they look like they have to poop, move them ASAP to where it's okay! And make it somewhere easily accessible. Teaching them to poop into a garbage can really isn't the greatest because they can't exactly hover and poop into it, for example. My birds know towels, their stands, cages, and boings are safe places to go. So that's where they move.

This is how I did it, and both birds are potty trained. Both are flighted and will fly away to poop, or walk off to somewhere that they know is okay. I don't get pooped on often unless it's a true accident. Word of advice: Never place boings/perches far above where you can stand, because one day you will walk under it, and you will be pooped on. And try to avoid using food rewards for potty training. It can cause a bird to hold their poop in hopes of a treat for going.

 

[Anansi]

Here's a basic how-to for potty training:

1) Learn your bird's body language! Avery will walk backwards and start leaning forwards when she has to poop. Shiko will lower his tail, turn his head and look at his bum before he poops (don't ask why). When they first came home, I looked out for "pooping" body language and whenever they showed even an inkling of such behaviour I immediately moved them to where it was okay to poop.

2) Learn their schedule! Avery poops every 15 minutes. Shiko is about every 20 - 30 minutes. If they haven't pooped in that time, they get moved to a safe spot and told "Go potty!", to which they oblige and come back to where they were. Using a verbal cue is important, and make sure it's consistent. Eventually they make the connection, and when you move them during their schedule and say the cue they tend to go because they understand why you've moved them.

3) If they look like they have to poop, move them ASAP to where it's okay! And make it somewhere easily accessible. Teaching them to poop into a garbage can really isn't the greatest because they can't exactly hover and poop into it, for example. My birds know towels, their stands, cages, and boings are safe places to go. So that's where they move.

This is how I did it, and both birds are potty trained. Both are flighted and will fly away to poop, or walk off to somewhere that they know is okay. I don't get pooped on often unless it's a true accident. Word of advice: Never place boings/perches far above where you can stand, because one day you will walk under it, and you will be pooped on. And try to avoid using food rewards for potty training. It can cause a bird to hold their poop in hopes of a treat for going.

Textbook! Excellent breakdown, Chantal! I cosign on this wholeheartedly! Reading their body language is key... as is anticipation. If you know, for instance, that your bird will always go when you first open up the cage for him in the morning, then wait for it to happen and then use whatever expression you've chosen for poop, so as to identify the action. And then praise him for going in the right place.

As your birds are conures, chances are their schedule will more resemble Chantal's Avery (Every 15 minutes) than my ekkies who might go anywhere from 30 minutes to a full hour before going. (Smaller birds tend to go more frequently.) So even as you watch body language, also pay attention to the time.

Patience and consistency with these methods definitely works. Jolly is pretty much at 100% at this point, and Maya is around 85%. And Jolly being flighted made for an easier potty training process. He flies off me to his stand, does his business, and comes right back. But with Maya, on the other hand, I need to be more watchful. She is still apprehensive to fly, so if I miss her cues she'll just hit me with it. So the 15% accident rate would fall more on me than her. Like anytime I'm holding her during a particularly riveting episode of Game of Thrones or Walking Dead, for instance. 30 minutes passes by in a flash when you get too pulled in. So you forget to pay attention and then... BAM!!! You're off to change your shirt! Hahaha!

 

[snowflake311]

My Senegal just pooped. My little conure is so polite he always sticks his butt way out to avoid pooping on me. It does not always work. He knows to poop when he comes out of the cage. I say poop he poops and I pick him up and we play. Give the poop command and reward it. yes you must time them to do it right.

 

[Gxg]

My Senegal just pooped. My little conure is so polite he always sticks his butt way out to avoid pooping on me. It does not always work. He knows to poop when he comes out of the cage. I say poop he poops and I pick him up and we play. Give the poop command and reward it. yes you must time them to do it right.

Yep. That makes sense and I am glad for the insight

 

[itzjbean]

I had a Jenday conure many years ago that I potty trained. It worked great -- I would hold him on my finger over the garbage or his cage when he needed to go and he learned in days. However, it got to the point that he would only go when I had him on my finger and over the cage/garbage, and he would no longer go in his cage. So we abandoned that pretty quickly.

 

[LeaKP]

Nigel is pretty good but I promise he uses poo as a punishment. Today he did a three point landing as he fluttered from his cage and deposited a gift in each spot. The he looks at me as if to say, "You asked for it."

 

[lplummer52]

I guess all birds are different. My Sun Conure has to go approx every two hours....like a puppy. If I could get her to a pooping place every 2 hours throughput the day, she would be potty trained. We did this activity for about 2 days, but realized this was never going to happen. She refuses to go in her cage, so she steps up to come out and She immediately flies to the kitchen sink where she unloads in the morning. She never poops on us though, so when she leaves, I know she's going somewhere....usually in the bathroom or kitchen sinks or from the kitchen bar stools. We have tile flooring throughout the house, so picking up after her a few times a day is easier than scraping and washing a bird cage for me.

 

[PickleMeDickles]

My 2 females are potty trained, my male is hopeless (at least at my skill level of training). I think having play stations close to you played a huge role in getting them on a "schedule". My GCC will start nibbling your ear, I place her on her play stand branch and say "go potty". 95% of the time she immediately potties, I act like she just spit out gold from the backside and off we go.

My female Sun will fly away to an appropriate place. I always holler out a "you go girl" in celebration and then she comes right back to me.

My male Sun could care less. In fact, I think he actually likes pooping on people. I don't even fight it anymore, I just cover up and take the necessary precautions with Winston.

If my girls had to go inside a cage to relieve themselves, I think they would be less than thrilled.

 

[promethuschow]

I graciously bow out myself after a while trying to potty train my CAG... so don't feel bad about it...on the lighter side every time he poops on you, both of you can take shower together just saying as I do most of the time with my CAG.

 

[jaxyk]

Somehow we've managed to train our two GCCs to do the BIG poop first thing in the morning in their cage. As soon as we take the cover off and say hello, Bean immediately goes. Kermit does now as well, but for a while he would fake it (!!!) with much pretend crouching and banging his beak. And then sitting up expectantly. When I would call his fake, he would turn his back to me. He now does it almost as quickly as Bean - and please don't think that I was pressuring him into going because after the fake, I would open up the cage, the first thing he would do was the big splotch. They tend to now have a few spots where they go, which are covered, and if they are riding on us, as Snowflake311 said, they politely stick their bums out.

 

[Gxg]

Somehow we've managed to train our two GCCs to do the BIG poop first thing in the morning in their cage. As soon as we take the cover off and say hello, Bean immediately goes. Kermit does now as well, but for a while he would fake it (!!!) with much pretend crouching and banging his beak. And then sitting up expectantly. When I would call his fake, he would turn his back to me. He now does it almost as quickly as Bean - and please don't think that I was pressuring him into going because after the fake, I would open up the cage, the first thing he would do was the big splotch. They tend to now have a few spots where they go, which are covered, and if they are riding on us, as Snowflake311 said, they politely stick their bums out.

I was thankful for them doing a lot better - especially after finding out on the benefit of having specific poop stations. QuiQui has also learned to poop in the sink and I CHEERED her on

Potty Training a Conure | Basic Intro to Potty Training a Parrot ( [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZT3m7Mr4QE"]Conure Parrot Potty Training - YouTube[/ame] )

 

[April]

Oh I love this vid great ideas here on training , the turning around seems to me like I fantastic choice on installing the idea thanks for the video and thread , I’m with ya