# Potty Training



## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

I would like Rocko to poop only when on perches or outside and not on my shoulder any ideas on how I should start.

Also what does it mean if a bird keeps opening his mouth like a yawn and keeps doing it and reaching his head up Rocko has been doing this alot lately.im also changing Rockos food bowls to stainless steel bowls they would look alot nicer in his cage and easier to clean.


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## eduardo (Jan 27, 2012)

I am not sure you can actually potty train such small birds. Usually people do it with bigger birds such as cockatoos or macaws. 
As far as neck stretching and yawning, it sounds like he is adjusting his crop, which is completely normal for birds to do.


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

eduardo said:


> I am not sure you can actually potty train such small birds. Usually people do it with bigger birds such as cockatoos or macaws.
> As far as neck stretching and yawning, it sounds like he is adjusting his crop, which is completely normal for birds to do.


About the neck thing I thought he was trying to regurgitate his food or something and small birds can be potty trained many people have done it with small birds.also just now Rocko flew to the side of his cage and displayed his tail feathers he was outside of the cage and flew to the side of the cage I heard this was female nesting behavior?


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Ya, you _can_ train tiels to poop only in designated areas, but personally I don't agree much with it. They poop somewhere are every 15-25 minutes (I can't remember), but the main reason I don't care for it is because when people ask me to potty train their birds, I normally decline that one (only once have I done it) because I have heard a few times that their birds will hold their poop in until their owner tells them to go, and if they wait too long for that cue, it can make them sick. I don't like that risk, so I just avoid it altogether. 

Dealing with bird poop is all just part of it. Luckily it's small, so it is very easy to clean


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## Brandon2k14 (Nov 26, 2014)

CaliTiels said:


> Ya, you _can_ train tiels to poop only in designated areas, but personally I don't agree much with it. They poop somewhere are every 15-25 minutes (I can't remember), but the main reason I don't care for it is because when people ask me to potty train their birds, I normally decline that one (only once have I done it) because I have heard a few times that their birds will hold their poop in until their owner tells them to go, and if they wait too long for that cue, it can make them sick. I don't like that risk, so I just avoid it altogether.
> 
> Dealing with bird poop is all just part of it. Luckily it's small, so it is very easy to clean


Yes I know that it can hurt them in some way because sometimes they will hold it all night but what I want to do is to teach him to poop on a perch which he will most likely be perched all the time but I thought of a better way to try get him to tell me when hes gonna poop like nibble on my ear or make a noise or something is this possible also we have a flightsuit for my african grey but she wouldnt be using it for a long time so I asked the people the make the flightsuits could they let me exchange it for a smaller size for Rocko and they said they would so I just need my mams permission since her bird owns it and she paid for it I would only put it on Rocko when hes on my shoulder I dont mind him pooping anywhere else because its easy to clean up but its very hard to get it off jumpers because it sticks.


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## phronima (Jan 12, 2015)

I dont know if tiel's are capable of associating an intention (wanting to poop) with an action (get off your shoulder or tell you about it).

I've been trying to get mind not to poop on me for a while with mixed results. Sometimes i think i'm just lucky they happen to have hopped off when they had to go


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