Time for potty training!

[Inheavenlygrass]

My 4 1/2 month old GCC Kiwi is going to start potty training soon and I'm looking for advice as to how to go about it. I can get her to do her morning poop over the trash can, it's the smaller during the day ones that I'd like her to start doing over the trash too. Where should I start? She gives very clear signs with her morning business but by the time I notice she's about to go she's already gone. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Mizzely]

Well, is that trash can going to be present for her at all times? Because a problem you could be facing is that she won't poop at all while she is in her cage, which can lead to prolapse and other serious problems.

Hopefully someone with training advice comes by; I personally think the possible dangers are too much for me to risk trying on my own birds

 

[Anne & Gang]

I am against it because she should be able to be a bird, and go wherever...if not, sometimes they are so trained they will not go anywhere else and in an emergency situation, it could be a problem.

 

[April]

I admit that I potty trained Nala before I knew it was bad for her. But I also read the signs,I know that Green cheeks and similar sized birds tend to go about every 10-15 mins. So using that knowledge I just time it so right about that time I place her on one of her stands or cage. The Sun Conure,I used to have actually taught himself to fly to his cage or the stand and poo and then fly back to me. Thankfully Nala will go in her cage weither I'm here or not, but I could have unknowingly give her an issue that could hurt her later one.

 

[Mythreeiggys]

I wouldn't potty train any of my birds. The risk far out weight being pooped on I had a breeder tell me once that she had a baby go home to a couple that insisted on potty training him. The bird successfully potty trained to his play stand. They went on vacation, it wouldn't go in its cage and he passed away

With my guys, I take them over to their play stand every 1/2 hour to let them go or if I see they are getting ready to go, I take them over.

 

[Inheavenlygrass]

Oh geez! I didn't know that could happen :S Okay, so no to the potty training. I really just wanted her not to poop on my laptop, everything else is washable.

 

[lpolliard]

Chico just seems to know not to poop in certain areas, like my bed, as long as he is not left for long periods of time without access to his perches/drop zones. When on the couch with me he will give me clear indication he wants to return to his table perch to do his business. It has also been a while since he has left me a present on my shoulder. He will try to hold out but if I don't provide him a safe poop zone in a reasonable amount of time (10 mins) then it is all on me, literaly

 

[Saemma]

http://forums.avianavenue.com/safety-avenue/20749-potty-training-dangerous.html

 

[Silvra]

I trained my senegal (using timing and praise) to fly to any parrot related place eg in/on a cage or on a play stand to poo. He's not stupid enough to take that as meaning that he can't poo anywhere else if he's taken short. I think that problems only arise when the parrot is taught to poo on command or only given one place that it is allowed to poo. Sadly I don't think that there are any scientific studies on the subject.

 

[Feather]

Oh geez! I didn't know that could happen :S Okay, so no to the potty training. I really just wanted her not to poop on my laptop, everything else is washable.

My tiel boy insists on sitting on my laptop whenever I'm using it. I trained him to turn around on command instead, both to get his long tail out of the way of the screen and to keep my keyboard clean. Wiping poop off the back of the laptop lid is no issue, and at this point he usually turns around without me even having to ask.

 

[waterfaller1]

I am teaching Pico to fly to the playstand to poop when he is out. So far so good with 75% success!