# Large poop



## Daharkaz Angel

What does large poop mean? Tila is pooping bigger every day!! Still just as frequent (as in normal) same colour no smell etc just BIG....(also he was pooping rather large BEFORE yesterdays ordeal....) Been about 2 weeks since he has pooped small. Weird Question i know but should i be worried??


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## WereAllMadHere

I'm not sure of the answer but earlier I was reading a sticky by solace on abnormal bird droppings, you might want to check it out. 

Also it's not a weird question, it shows you care about your tiels. I'd be worried and asking the same thing if Cindy's changed.


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## Daharkaz Angel

That didnt help at all. Everything is NORMAL but the size.


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## WereAllMadHere

Sorry, I'm sure someone on here will be able to help you. Good luck!


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## lperry82

I know they have big poop when they lay eggs or they save it all night and do a big one in the morning


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## srtiels

A good clear pix of what you are talking about would help.


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## Daharkaz Angel

Ill try and get one.


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## dietrite

I didn't start this thread, but I'm having a similar issue with my cockatiel and have a picture to share. He's 17, and he has a big poop every night after I come home from work. (I work until 11pm.) It's of varying sizes, but the picture below shows it compared to my index finger.










Other information: It only started after he moved into my apartment with me a few months ago. He really likes me, and I take him out every morning. He doesn't come out of his cage for other people. He eats mostly regular cockatiel mix bird seed, and he'll have some breakfast cereal with me in the morning. He is very picky and rarely eats fruit or veggies, no matter how much I try to get him to. His diet hasn't changed in years, but the problem only started recently. Thanks in advance.


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## tielfan

Is he pooping inside the cage or somewhere else? There are some birds who don't like to poop in the cage, and if yours has gotten into this habit then he may be holding it in until you come home and take him out.

Or maybe the new apartment makes him nervous and he only feels comfortable enough to "go" when you're there. In any case it sounds like he's holding it in until you get home.


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## dietrite

He doesn't have trouble going inside his cage during the daytime when I'm home. 

It certainly seems like he's holding it while I'm out, but I don't know why. Any ideas on how I could make him more comfortable?

I set up a webcam to take a peek at him while I'm at work and he seemed normal - sleeping, preening, eating. I only did it a few days though. (I was worried he would scream during the day and annoying the other people in my apartment building.)


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## srtiels

Are the lights off while you are gone? He may be holding it in when it is dark and releasing it when you turn on the lights when you are home.

The color and consistency is great. the darker poop towards the back is the portion that was in the upper GI tract longest, and more nutrients were extracted from it, because it was not moving in the upper GI tact.


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## tielfan

> He may be holding it in when it is dark and releasing it when you turn on the lights when you are home.


This may be the answer. Birds tend to hold it while they're sleeping and release it when they wake up. Did your work schedule change when you moved to the new apartment?


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## dietrite

srtiels said:


> Are the lights off while you are gone? He may be holding it in when it is dark and releasing it when you turn on the lights when you are home.


I bet that's it. I leave at 2pm, and it gets dark by 4 or 5pm. I'll try leaving the hallway light on when I leave and see if that makes a difference. I had a night light for him, but the bulb broke and I haven't replaced it yet.

I'm glad it looks healthy - He doesn't show other signs of being sick, just large poops.



tielfan said:


> This may be the answer. Birds tend to hold it while they're sleeping and release it when they wake up. Did your work schedule change when you moved to the new apartment?


It did - I moved to start a new job. He lived at my parents' house before, and they have regular 9-5 schedules. Mine is 2-11, so it's probably very different for him.

Thanks for the quick responses.


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## tielfan

A little more light will probably make a difference. If he can see better he'll be more inclined to "let go" when he rouses during the night.

If you put a clean sheet of paper in the cage bottom just before you leave for work and check it as soon as you get home, you'll be able to see what happened while you were gone. If there are several poops there, that's good - it indicates that he wasn't holding it during daylight hours at least. 

Birds tend to eat a lot late in the day as the sun is going down so they'll have food to help them get through the night. If they then proceed to hold it in for several hours that would certainly contribute to big poops.


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## Belinda

I always wait until Arnie does her morning poop before I let out of her cage otherwise she lets a huge bomb drop on me.
Arnie does poops every 20 minutes it feels like, and they're usually fairly small. She's a poop machine gun. Perhaps Tila just holds on a little bit longer.


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## roxy culver

We had to do the same thing with Cinnamon when she was laying otherwise she'd come out of the nest box and poop on us! Hopefully that's all it is and he will get adjusted soon.


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