potty training....

[malcomb88]

baby huey goes everywhere! how do i stop this..... my carpets are looking horrible. help! i know nothing about potty training.

[thejoie]

I have a Hahns macaw and she's not potty trained per say but she knows the word poop. When I first got her whenever she'd poop I'd say "poop!!!" (in a happy excited tone) and after doing that for a few weeks she finally started getting it. Her third word was "poop" (hello, hi, and then poop!) lol... she likes words that have a meaning. So now. Before she goes, she's say poop. Or if we're playing on my bed and I want to keep it clean every 10-15 minutes I'll hold her over a towel and say poop and if she needs to go she will. It's not 100% fool proof. Sometimes I forget and I'll get pooped on. But for the most part, she's really good with it. She never gives warning unless she's on me... so poops at her own will on her play stand and in her cage. But I do appreciate her being considerate with me :)

[Tom Lawless]

My experience is similar to that of thejoie. When I have Davey and Bing out I hold them over a newspaper every 15 to 20 minutes (Dave seems to go more often than Bing) and tell them to toilet. Daves got it down pretty well and Bing is starting to get it too. Like the above post, it is not fool proof. Sometimes they go before I make the offer and I haven't figured out how to get them to move toward the paper on their own. I will say that by being vigilant our nighttime t.v. watching time is generally poop free. I realize bird crap is a part of bird ownership but it would be nice someday not to have to continually follow them with the 'Poop Off' bottle and paper towels but if it never gets better than where we are at I can handle that too.

[malcomb88]

well i have been saying you go potty? when he goes.i think he gets what it means he just cant figure out how to go on comand yet.

[Tom Lawless]

It seems like the bigger birds can hold it longer (for lack of a gentler way of putting it). I think once he is a little older and gets the control issue down you will be in pretty good shape and good thing too. Those big guys can make a big mess.

One piece of advice, stay away from the fruit flavored pellets at least until he is trained if you value your carpets at all.

[kellywess]

My Hahns and my Severe... uses the word "poopie" and my Miligold the word "whoopsie." They know they can not get picked up once let out of their cages until they do. So, once they do they say the word and immediately say "step-up" or "come and get me" when they do the deal. Advice: everytime you see him do the "deal" say the word ... get really excited and praise him.

[Petie and Me]

This will crack you up but I saw bird undies on a website Bird Diapers, Helping with Life's little messes!!

[kellywess]

I think that would be worse LOL. Anything to make a buck.

[KimM]

Since he's young, now is the time to potty train. Newt goes nowhere except his cage or playgym and can hold himself for a pretty long time.

I use the command, Go potties. Birds go potties about every 15 minutes normally. When you get him out, time it , and take him back in his house after about 10 minutes. Then tell him to "Go potties". He won't have a clue what you're talking about at first, but leave him in for a few minutes until he goes potty and then reward him, "Good Boy"! Once he goes potty, then take him back out and just repeat this. He'll catch on.

Elliot is finally starting to get the hang of it and Newt is teaching him too. When I first brought him home, he was a little poop machine! LOL. Now he's getting the hang of it.

[LoveMyBeak]

I just tore up all my carpets before I got my large fids, actually I really like having tile floors, the mess is a lot easier to clean up, I bet it won't be long before you resort to tearing up your carpets................. LMB

PS: one thing that I found that is extremely helpful around birds that are not poop trained is unscented baby wipes, they are readily available when my fids are out and inexpensive, your furniture will thank you for it