# Change in stool colour



## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

My female lutino cockatiel Maddy is eating a lot and pooping frequently but the size of poop is normal. the main problem is since 5 days the colour of the poop has changed from normal good green to dark dark green and more dry. The urates are normal white in color . She is showing too much mating behavior and leaving us. So are these changes in stool normal during hormonal periods? She is one and half year old and very very active and vocal and loving. There is no change in food. Is the change in stool color and dryness related to hormonal change in body or mating behavior? Pleaze kindly help as I have searched the internet for answers and did not find anything useful. 

She looks healthy and very active and vocal and jumps and dances . She has started to eat a lot from everywhere frequently throughout the day and as a result she has started to poop frequently too. but the size of stool is normal with coil and normal white colour urates . but there is change in color of feces part to dark dark green and more dry. at first i thought it was black and was worried that it was blood. but then i take the stool sample and put it up in bright clear sunllight or bulb and see that it is dark dark green . so is this because of hormonal change or mating behaviour? please help.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Is this a male or a female bird? This is crucial if you suspect that the changes in droppings are related to hormonal behavior. Posting pictures of the droppings would also be helpful.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

also, for future reference, can you refrain from posting with all capital letters? it makes it very hard to read and many members will "read" that you are "yelling" at us. Just makes communication easier 

i have to ask, but are these fresh droppings you are looking at? have you changed the diet at all recently? how are his/her eating habits? What is the diet?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

the poll is closed, based on the fact that we 1) need more information on your bird in order to help you and 2) it varies for each individual bird, so no one can really answer fairly on the poll

sorry for any inconvenience :blush:


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

sorry guys for the CAPITAL LETTERS. well my lutino cockatiel MADDY is a female. one and a half year old. it is in mating mode and exhibiting mating beahaviour vigorously and not leaving us . since 5 days the color of stool {only feaces part } is darker green , the urates are normal white . IT is eating a lot lot of everything frequently and pooping frequently . but the size of poop is normal. it is almost always eating. but weight is normal . I want to know if this because of the hormonal changes during mating period.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

well can you post photos? because poop change can also be related to illness as well. 


generally hens who are going to lay eggs will have MUCH bigger poops than normal.












as to what she is eating, is she eating seeds, veggies, pellets, what exactly does she eat? this is important to know as foods can change dropping colour.


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

the droppings i am talking about are fresh ones. the consistency is normal coil , the urates are white , but the feaces is a bit darker than usual. i am most worried about is that it is eating a lot lot more than usual , and pooping more frequently. is this mating/ hormonal change and is it temporary. ? i will upload pictures soon . thank you


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

asking the same question three times isnt going to get a different answer. you have not answered my question twice 

we need more information that you are not giving.


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

ohh i am really sorry for repeating the questions ,
i am just over excited and a lil worried for my dear maddy . just eager to get positive replies. i will take snaps and post them as soon as i can.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

does she eat seed, pellets, veggies? if so what kind?


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

she is on a regualr normal diet of sunflower seeds , millet , pellet , buddy's mixture of seeds and vitamins , the occasional spinach , corn cobb , beans . NO drastic change in diet . It has only started to eat more of late. is it that hungry . ? should i take out the food dishes. as long as it is in the cage it eats and eats and poops , but as i take it out of the cage it is really happy , and playfull. one week back we introduced an adult male pied cockatiel into the cage. the new one is not eating for 5 days and only has been drinking some water. since 2 days it has started eating somewhat better. the bird man told us that the new one was an adult and it had a female in its old home , so since it has been seperated from its mate it is sad and needs time to become normal and eat and drink. my lutino maddy has been very freindly to this new pied cockatiel. but since 2/3 days MADDY has been eating and eating and pooping.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

quarantine is essential to prevent disease in birds.... if your new bird has a disease it is not showing, it could have caused your older bird to catch it... i would be very very cautious that now you are seeing changes in the droppings.

remove the vitamins. a bird with pellets in the diet does not need extra vitamins, these can cause excess build up and can poison the bird over time. 

also, a thought comes to mind... internal parasites. if the new bird had something and you are seeing changes now and the old bird is eating and eating and eating, i would be cautious and would consider a vet visit to rule out illness.


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

can the above mentioned changes in my old cockatiel be attributed to its behavioral / mating / hormonal changes.


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

here are some snaps that i have taken some time back. i am sorry for the poor quality of the snaps. my cannon cam is not zooming in clearly. will try for better ones later on.


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## maddy (Jul 5, 2012)

do cockatiel generally over eat when they are high in the mating mode. it is lifting its tail and always poiting towards me . and doesnot want to leave my shoulder. when i gently pat on its back it squeaks. 99% of te time i let it out either on top of the cage or on the bed or onto me , it is in this position of ready to mate. so can all these events attribute to its over eating. when it is out of the caeg it does not show that much interest in the food bowls. it generall wants to play all the time or sit on my shoulder or lap or legs and hop and jump around while not in the cage. this over eating is seen only when it is in the cage.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I just wanted to share a link to the forum rules because it appears that you have not read them:

http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=1

Also there is a helpful link for new members in my signature, please click it and read through.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

those are not hormonal poops.

you need to reduce your birds hormones. cover her cage at night for 12-14 hours so she thinks its winter and its a bad time to lay eggs and have a family.

i would keep an eye out on her, darker droppings often indicate starvation, which because shes eating so much, i am concerned she may have picked up internal parasites, which she needs a vet to treat...


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

maddy said:


> when i gently pat on its back it squeaks.


 Do _not _touch a hormonal bird on the back, tail or anywhere but the head this encourages hormonal behavior.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I would get a vet visit ASAP for both birds. Dark droppings typically indicate some kind of a GI problem. Could be internal parasites, like Casey suggested, or it could be an infection of some kind. This is not a normal hormonal change.


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