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I have been reading about "potty training" caiques. The information that I have read has stated that it is fairly easy to train a caique because of the little wiggle that they do before they poop. I was wondering if any of you have tried to potty train your caique and if you were successful.

I was also wondering if any of you have used a flight suit. DJ Aviaries put one on Yankee a couple of times and said that he would tolerate it but I haven't tried because I don't want him to dislike me. The flight suit would really work out well along with the tether when I start taking him to school with me.

Well, if you want him to be flight suit trained, I would recommend at least keeping one within his view. Once he is adjusted completely, you might feel more comfortable putting it on him. Training is easier while birds are still young. You don't want to have to retrain him when he is older.

From all of your posts that I've seen, it sounds like the little guy is doing well and that he has a great home and wonderful mom.

Ah yes potty training!! I have trained my BHC. I got her when she was 3 months old...so I started right away. I have a portable perch and use the tray from my small travel cage as the catcher.
I started by putting her on the poopy perch and telling her "Do your poopy" and kept telling her until she eventually went, after she pooped, I took her off the perch and she got LOTS of praises and I made it a big deal. Every 10 min. I do that... sometimes she'll go longer like 15-20 min between pooping. She's pretty good with it... she even says "Do your poopy" or she'll finish my sentence as I put her on the perch, I'll say "Lola, do your..." and she'll say "poopie!"

It's quite amusing when we're eating dinner and shes in her cage and she starts screaming "POOOOOOOPY!" We've had to explain to dinner guests! LOL

Or if she's on her playgym and she poops she'll say before or after "POOPIE!" as it hits the newspaper! Quite funny.

That is what I was hoping to hear from someone. I think that I'll choose a different word because I want to take Yankee to school after Christmas and I know that my kids would lose it everytime they heard the word "poopy." Bird poop sometimes looks like a doodle, so that is the word that I am going to use.

You have really spent a lot of time in training Lola. What a great birdie mom you are. I always enjoy your posts, thank you. Cathy

Cathy wrote:I have been reading about "potty training" caiques. The information that I have read has stated that it is fairly easy to train a caique because of the little wiggle that they do before they poop. I was wondering if any of you have tried to potty train your caique and if you were successful.

I was also wondering if any of you have used a flight suit. DJ Aviaries put one on Yankee a couple of times and said that he would tolerate it but I haven't tried because I don't want him to dislike me. The flight suit would really work out well along with the tether when I start taking him to school with me.

Hi Cathy,

I potty trained my Senegal but interestingly enough, Jamie potty-trained herself! She never poops on me. She can hold it for up to 20 minutes when she is active and up to about 30 minutes when she is just on me getting cuddles.

I personally think that potty training is a great idea but you have to keep a few things in mind: Remember that you have to be the one who must remember it's time to put Yankee back on his gym because you don't want him to hold it too long. Also be careful - potty training can lead to medical problems. Some people potty-train the birds by teaching them to poop in the cage before taking them out. The birds sometimes think that if they poop. they will get to come out. So they would keep pushing to poop, even when they don't need to. This can lead to them having a prolapsed cloaca.

I would not recommend Yankee wearing a flight suit on all day when you take him to work. Don't forget that the flight suit holds the poop, so the dropping will rub against Yankee's skin and feathers. This can lead to skin/feather problems. A regular harness is a much better solution.


Kate

I agree with Kate here Cathy. Caiques are pretty routine and you can just about always count on them going every 15-20 minutes. When I want to play with Beaker for awhile, I'll fuss around until I see he's pooped, then I take him off his playstand and I know I'm good for about 20 minutes with him. If a bird has to poop they usually will, but you don't want a bird to think they have to hold their poop for any reason.
I don't personally care for flightsuits but if you're going to use one, you need to get him started with it as soon as possible.

Cathy wrote:That is what I was hoping to hear from someone. I think that I'll choose a different word because I want to take Yankee to school after Christmas and I know that my kids would lose it everytime they heard the word "poopy." Bird poop sometimes looks like a doodle, so that is the word that I am going to use.

You have really spent a lot of time in training Lola. What a great birdie mom you are. I always enjoy your posts, thank you. Cathy

ha ha yeah kids would def. think it's tooooo funny if Yankee starts screaming poopy! lol

and thanks for the compliment!!

The breader at DJ Aviaries started Yankee on the flight suit but I haven't put it on him yet. I don't want him to have any negative feelings about me, silly, I know. Anyway, I was just going to use the flight suit and tether to take him back and forth to school.

I had a real break through with Yankee today. I came home from school a couple of hours early, because I wasn't feeling well and Yankee couldn't wait to get out of his cage to see me. He wanted to play for the first time and then he leaned his head in for scritches. I know that it has only been 16 days, but I was really getting anxious. I was afraid that he didn't like me.

I also went to a bird fair this weekend and bought him a new cage. It is a dome top-4 1/2 feet to the top by 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep. It has all horizontal bars which he really seems to like. He seems to be getting comfortable in it. I had put him in my lovebirds cage which is 30 x 18 x 42 high. I was waiting for the bird fair. I also bought way too many toys and a new small cage for my p'let 18 x 18 x by 30. They both have seed skirts! She seems very happy.




Yankee hasn't been too wild for fresh vegies so I bought some wonderful dried vegetables and he really seems to like them.

Cathy wrote:That is what I was hoping to hear from someone. I think that I'll choose a different word because I want to take Yankee to school after Christmas and I know that my kids would lose it everytime they heard the word "poopy." Bird poop sometimes looks like a doodle, so that is the word that I am going to use.

You have really spent a lot of time in training Lola. What a great birdie mom you are. I always enjoy your posts, thank you. Cathy

DOODLE!! YANKEE DOODLE!! ha ha You gotta teach him to whistle that!!

Believe it or not, I am singing it to him. I don't whistle very well. If he hears me whistle, he may never try it.

I have been working with him on "hello, Momma" and he's got the number of sylables down right. I couldn't believe it. I think that he may learn to say a few words. His voice was so high that I raised the pitch of my voice. Yankee did it several times in a row.

Cathy wrote:Believe it or not, I am singing it to him. I don't whistle very well. If he hears me whistle, he may never try it.

I have been working with him on "hello, Momma" and he's got the number of sylables down right. I couldn't believe it. I think that he may learn to say a few words. His voice was so high that I raised the pitch of my voice. Yankee did it several times in a row.

Oh yeah Lola picked up the wolf whistle about 3 weeks after I brought her home!! the same with twinkle twinkle little star... every morning i'd whistle the 1st part of the song to her and now she'll do it! It didnt take very long.

As far as talking, I dont remember how long it took for her to start... there are a few things she says over and over that no one can make out.. quite funny. God only knows what she's saying!
And it's funny b/c I've always heard that caiques are not good talkers but a good amount of people on here and a girl I know who has 2 caiques... talk!! lol So pish-posh that caiques dont make for good talkers! We'll show 'em!! lol

Daisy is doing good with the potty training. I have a large speaker (not being used) next to her cage. I put oblong plastic lid on top, then a folded newspaper, then a T-bar. Every time I take her out of her cage she "poops". I praise her like mad and she seems to know what that Tbar is for. If she's been out awhile, I will take her back to it and ask her to "poop" and do the praise all over again. For now, we have towels on the back of the couch I sit on when I play with her. My understanding is I am training her to go on command, and she is training me to take her to the Tbar at the right time. lol

Donna

oh... and speaking of caique poop. lol Today, Daisy was on her playground so she could with me by the computer....... and my Bichon Friese, a very whit little doggie, walked under her looking for dropped food. And Daisy let loose with one big bomb. Talk about a mess on the top of Casper's head! ugh!

LOL

haha Donna, that must have been too funny!
I have a bichon, and I can only imagine seeing him with bird poop in his fur.
Did yours notice?

I'm not sure if he noticed....... he DID look up at me right away and I whisked him out to the garage..... I smeared it around and finally got it cleaned. How does your Bichon do with your bird? Casper is fine... he's more relaxed around Daisy than he is my Senegal. I guess he's smarter than he acts sometimes! lol