Young Bird Pooing Heaps

[MiltonandRosie]

Hey guys

I got a new Green Cheek to join my 8yr old Green Cheek about 3 months ago now. She has settled in really well and quickly rules the roost in the cage haha.

The new girl is about 7 months and poos A LOT... I'm struggling to remember any of my other birds pooing so much when they were young (I've had several different varieties including Green Cheek Conures since I was a kid), so I'm trying to work out if it's just something because she is quite young still or if it is just her.

When I mean poos a lot, if I take both her and the 8yr old out at the same time, for about 30mins, the 8yr old will poo on average maybe once, where she will easily exceed 6 - 10 poos in that time. Also, her poos during that time are generally quite small, so it's almost as if she has just got into the habit of pooing all the time instead of waiting and doing a normal sized poo like the other bird.

Owning birds, you expect that poos come as part of the deal, but I'm just a bit worried (and it's really annoying) because she does so many.

 

[YUMgrinder]

typically a bird learns when its appropriate to poop when is handled a lot, everyday, but will still have accidents considering birds poop a lot. My cockatiel will hold his for an hour on my shoulder if he's being nice but can go as much as once every ten minutes or so. Basically, birds poop a lot. If they are always watery or don't look like typical poos, then you need to have him checked out by a vet.

 

[itzjbean]

Just like with puppies and kittens who go often, baby birds are the same! Is she a good eater, and what do you feed your bids?

You should be monitoring her weight with a gram scale daily and how much she is eating. Also important for any new bird is a wellness check with a Certified Avian Vet, which will be able to determine if her excessive pooping is a sign of an underlying health issue or is normal. You can also ask your CAV for the recommended ideal weight for your new conure, and try to stay away from feeding too many seeds or unhealthy human foods.

 

[MiltonandRosie]

Thank you for both your replies.

She is handled a lot, so just sounds like it will take a bit more time for her to learn to control her pooing a little more and I might start some training. All her poos look normal so I knew that wasn't an issue.

She is a really good eater and they are both fed a diet of South American pellets, fruit and vegies and occasionally a treat of some seeds.

 

[EllenD]

I too advise a Wellness-Exam with your Certified Avian Vet (should do that anyway whenever you bring home a new bird, within the first week or two after bringing them home)...And I'd request that your CAV specifically do a Fecal-Culture if they don't suggest it to you, just to be sure that she doesn't have a bacterial or fungal infection in either her Gastrointestinal Tract/Renal System...

The reason I would be concerned about this as not being simply a baby-bird going a lot kind of thing is because a major symptom of an infection in both the GI and Renal systems is frequent and excessive excretion...So it's definitely not something you want to let go...