Pooping in Water, Scratching / Wiping Carpet

External Since: Aug 28, 2006 Posts: 3

I googled a few of these questions and retrieved this information from
a few websites.

In addition, I have added some of my own observed insights as I have
personally found these 'web' answers to be true and I can also add that
scratching its feet in a cage sometimes just means that the PARROT
WANTS OUT.

As has been already suggested by at least one other group menber,
African Greys do not like to soil their own living areas ... it is
unnatural to them. Many species of birds actually do stick their
behinds out of their 'nesting' area to poop; and as far as scratching
.... they are foragers but generally keep off the 'jungle' floor. More
so, they drop pieces of their food for the forest 'floor' dwellers.
This is part of the natural jungle ecosystem.

African Greys are particularly acute and are frighteningly attentive to
levels of noises coming from below them. This is a natural instinct
that comes from the predator snakes in their natural jungle
environment. They still retain these learned and naturally developed
survival instincts!

You need to avoid two distinctive behaviors if you DO NOT want to
frighten an African Grey:
1. Chasing them with a broom ... an imprinted instinct they detest from
how they were once captured in the jungles of Africa.
2. Sudden noises or movements from below them. (i.e. snakes, predators)

>From the 'web': Scratching on the cage bottom:

Birds from those species who normally forage on the ground for food,
like the African Grey, may scratch on the floor of the cage, much like
a chicken.

Wiping: It is common to see a bird wiping her beak after eating.
Often, the bird will wipe her beak on a perch, the cage floor, or the
cage sides to get it clean. Some birds use beak wiping as a way to
mark their territory. This behavior may be seen in birds when
introduced to others or kept in areas in which other birds are near.

Why do pet parrots sometimes poop in their food or water?
Answer:
Often, the cause of this problem is lack of space in the cage to select
a better spot to poop or it could be perch placement. If the perches
are only over water or food, they bird may have few options when it is
inside its cage (which should be as little as possible since a healthy,
happy companion parrot is out of the cage interacting with its humans
as much as possible)
Pet parrots will tend to avoid pooping where they sleep and where they
eat if they are provided with sufficient space to be able to easily
avoid having to do so.
In fact, a parrot can be potty trained to go in a specific place or
even to go on command.

(Added note about 'potty-trained': Mine is.)

External Since: Aug 12, 2006 Posts: 510

I was told that scratching in the cage at a young age was norma
"acg" stuff
and will go away. It did after a few weeks. They usually find a corne
of
the cage and stick their beak there and scratch away with the feet

ACGs hate to poop in their cage. It is best to have a flat top cag
that has
a metal drawer on top that can be removed for cleaning and therefor
the
poop does not drop into cage. He can also use this as his outside pla
area.
My acg has a morning routine
He wakes me up with a short screec
I open cage and he climbs to top and always goes to the same spot fo
his
"big" poo
We play for and about every 20 minutes he says "Lamon
poop"
I take him to another poop area for his smaller poops and all is fine

All birds wipe beak

Do not worry about "natural instinct" and scaring birds ..
the more they
trust you and socialize with others the less they will worry about
"PREDATORS". The key is that they will trust you for tota
protection

Discipline the bird when needed with a newspaper .. it also works o
dogs
and kids. They are not stupid and know when it is their fault. The
get the
message quick enough that all you have to do is mentio
"newspaper" ... so
much for Dr. Spock
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