Hello all, I was wondering if anybody has their Budgie potty trained? I have read that some birds can be potty trained so was wondering if these little guys can be? I think it is pretty hard to tell when these guys are gona go so how hard is to train them?

Thanks :hap:

You cant teach them to poop only when you want them too, but you can teach them to poop on command which can be handy before and after short periods of handling.

 

Their fast metabolism makes them poop every 20 minutes or so. If you make them poop before handling them, you should have 20 mins of poop free time.

 

Training would be done with clicking (from a clicker) and rewards (food or a pat).

Every time the budgie does a poop, click instantly and give the bird a reward.

Do this as much as you can and eventually the budgie will associate clicking with pooping. When this happens you will be able to click and the bird should instantly poop

 

I heven't done this myself, but clicker training is very effective in budgies. good luck

Well, I wasn't thinking on command. I was thinking more like a place. So they would go to a place or something like on top of a newspaper. Is that possible?

 

Example: They are flying around the room and want to go. They go to the newspaper or back to their cage, and then go back to what they were doing.

 

I wouldn't want to forget to tell him to go poop and what happens when your not home?

Well, I wasn't thinking on command. I was thinking more like a place. So they would go to a place or something like on top of a newspaper. Is that possible?

 

Example: They are flying around the room and want to go. They go to the newspaper or back to their cage, and then go back to what they were doing.

 

I wouldn't want to forget to tell him to go poop and what happens when your not home?

 

hehe he will still poop on you when you don't tell him to poop. the idea is that he will do a poop when you tell him, thus, giving maximum time to play before he will poop on you (of his own accord )

 

I really dont know if budgies can be trained to poop in one location... i guess anything is possible with dedicated training

Edited May 11, 200916 yr by **Liv**

I would try it and see if you can use the same training system as they recommend for other types of birds, it may take longer but you won't know unless you try some budgies I am sure are more willing then others. If rabbits can be potty trained and they seem to poop with every hop lol (at least mine did) I can't see why you can't try and see if a budgie can. The key is for them to understand when they have to go and when they feel that need to get them where you want them. You will really have to observe their behavior and watch when you see him going the most.

I think it's entirely possible - although you will need some dedication! I got my Squee to put a ball in a cup, and I've seen budgies trained to fetch and ride skateboards, so why not? It definitely has been done in other birds. I agree training them to go in an area is a good idea, my lecturer said that some birds trained to go on command can get kidney damage by holding on until the owner let them go!

 

This is my clicker training thread: http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=23963

 

Interestingly, my conure Oz naturally goes down to the edge of the table to go. A nuisance to get it off the carpet (much more wet than budgie poo), but at least he has never gone on me!

Yea- I guess almost anything is possible with some dedication. I will have to give it a try. I was reading some other birds being potty trained and I guess I have to keep a eye out when Jokey goes.

 

I don't care if he poops on me or around the house. I just thought it would be nice if he did have his loo...

 

On command I think I wouldn't try. I wouldn't want him to get sick or anything.

 

Chrysocome - That is cool - I want to teach Jokey how to do a few things- fetch and put a ball or paperball into a cup would be awesome. That might be easier than teaching him not to poop on people Maybe I'll tell people that is one of his tricks LOL "Look at Jokeys trick, he will poop on you!"

lots of dedication needed!