Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    My Mollucan will go to the bathroom when I tell him to, the problem
    is he also will go sometimes when he feels like it.  Still working
    on that.
    
    Mark
    

    HowDy Gang!
    
    Potty training is a very boaring thing to try to teach your bird.
    
    Here is what we do:
    
    When TB potties on the couch or my shoulder etc., he immediately
    gets picked up by his body and placed in his cage.  I don't try
    to make him get on my finger and then into his cage.  First he will
    forget and second he will associate getting on my finger with having
    to always get shoved in his cage.  I just put both my hands around
    him and in his cage he goes.  I try not to say "Bad bird" or anything
    to him because then he starts saying it also.  We used to say "WHAT
    A TURD BIRD" every time he dumped one but then he started saying
    it.  It was kinda cute but....
    
    Then the wait....  I will sit there and wait for him to potty in
    his cage.  When he does, I immediately open the door, give him a
    few good boys and lots of pets, sometimes a peanut or whatever he
    likes the most and take him back out of his cage.  It really doesn't
    take all that long to train them considering how often they go to
    the bathroom.  
    
    Now what we do is about every 30 minutes to an hour we will place
    him in his cage nicely, with the door open.  He immediately goes
    potty.  I praise him then back out he comes to play.  He isn't fully
    trained yet, either I forget to put him in his cage in a resonable
    amount of time to potty or he forgets what happens when he pottys 
    outside of his cage but he is getting really good about going when 
    you put him in his cage.
    
    The important thing is to be quick about the punishment or reward.
    The minute he pottys in his cage, take him right out and give him
    his reward.  The minute he pottys outside of his cage, immediately
    swoop him up and place him in the cage.  The longer you wait the
    less association they will have with what they are getting punished
    or rewarded for.
    
    Birds go to the bathroom alot, but when they are sleeping they don't.
    You have probably noticed that in the morning when you take your
    bird out of his cage, he dumps a VERY large load or there is a VERY
    large fresh load in the bottom of the cage.  They save it up all
    night and then let it go when they wake up.  Don't feel like your
    making your bird hold it, they can handle it.
    
    We also have a few play pens for the birds.  When they potty on
    the play pens nothing happens.  They know its okay to potty there.
    
    It's really a boaring experience for you and your bird but it 
    pays off!
    
    Bye!

    I've found something that has worked with all 4 of my birds.  We have
    our "boys" out on top of their cages most of the time but they all get
    private time with us away from their cages and these are some big boys. 
    I would monitor the time that they had been away from their cage and I
    would have them get onto my arm and gently hold his tail down until I
    reached the cage.  At that point I let go of the pressure on the tail
    and said "pooky bird".  Most every time they would potty just because
    the timing was right but if not they had to stay until they did.  After
    a while the tail holding is not necessary and all I have to say is
    "pooky bird" and they know just what it means. Of course I still have
    to monitor them some but I do have one Macaw that goes home to "pooky". 
    This is great for when you travel and visit because it could be real
    messy having Macaws and Amazons going potty everywhere.
    
    ALABAMA