ive never seen him do this before except for the past few weeks. i know small animals can sometimes eat their own poop to get nutrients from it again, but ive never heard of a bird doing it.
tis so gross
poop
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poop
Does anyone have any idea's why my bird is eating his own poop ive never seen him do this before except for the past few weeks. i know small animals can sometimes eat their own poop to get nutrients from it again, but ive never heard of a bird doing it.
tis so gross
ive never seen him do this before except for the past few weeks. i know small animals can sometimes eat their own poop to get nutrients from it again, but ive never heard of a bird doing it.
tis so gross
This is called coprophagia and there are a few different reasons your bird might be doing it. It could be caused by a nutritional deficiency of some sort or it may be a reaction to some sort of stress or even something he does out of boredom.
I've read of a couple instances where the suspected deficiency was Vitamin D and the bird stopped doing it when it was given exposure to unfiltered sunlight for a little while every day. It wouldn't hurt anything to take his cage outside for 15 minutes a day and see if that helps.
If you're satisfied that your bird is eating a nutritionally balanced and complete diet and don't think he's overly stressed or bored then you might want to ask your vet and see if they have some other suggestions.
Jim
I've read of a couple instances where the suspected deficiency was Vitamin D and the bird stopped doing it when it was given exposure to unfiltered sunlight for a little while every day. It wouldn't hurt anything to take his cage outside for 15 minutes a day and see if that helps.
If you're satisfied that your bird is eating a nutritionally balanced and complete diet and don't think he's overly stressed or bored then you might want to ask your vet and see if they have some other suggestions.
Jim
October is National Tagline Awareness Month
thanks for replying. i bought some water-soluble vitamins the other day because i dont think his diet is that good atm and we have no money to buy anything else for him to eat.
ive been trying to take his cage outside in the sun but the weathers been funny lately and weve had more storms and rain than sun lately.
ill see if his vitamin supplement helps this out and ill try get him some more sun and see if it helps things.
thanks again
ive been trying to take his cage outside in the sun but the weathers been funny lately and weve had more storms and rain than sun lately.
ill see if his vitamin supplement helps this out and ill try get him some more sun and see if it helps things.
thanks again
No problem. Are you up near Newcastle? Probably hard to find a sunny day no matter the time of the year...
As an alternative to the liquid vitamins, you can offer him some fresh vegetables if you're not doing that already. Broccoli, bell peppers and pumpkin are favorites with my birds but just about any vegetable aside from avacado will be good for him and it will give him something to do with his beak aside from eating his droppings.
The fact that he's eating his droppings is probably not a huge health risk to him in and of itself even though I'm sure as his owner you find it unpleasant. Just make sure you cover the bases on some of the possible underlying causes.
Jim
As an alternative to the liquid vitamins, you can offer him some fresh vegetables if you're not doing that already. Broccoli, bell peppers and pumpkin are favorites with my birds but just about any vegetable aside from avacado will be good for him and it will give him something to do with his beak aside from eating his droppings.
The fact that he's eating his droppings is probably not a huge health risk to him in and of itself even though I'm sure as his owner you find it unpleasant. Just make sure you cover the bases on some of the possible underlying causes.
Jim
October is National Tagline Awareness Month
yeah im an hour away from newcastle lol. atm i cant afford fruit and veg for my fid so i thought the supplement was the next best thing. normally he's spoilt rotten but finances lately mean nobody can have a treat.
it sucks big time.
im trying to keep his beak occupied. ive put in an old tea bag box that i was using as a mini storage box (it has no tea left in it, has been a while since it did) and hes shredded bits of the lid. found his cat toys with bells in aswell but hes getting a bit snappy and i cant touch them to play with him. i think this little fella has more mood swings than i do
i didnt see him eat poop yesterday hehe (victory!). i know where hes been going to find it (un-used over turned bowls on the bottom of his cage.. sounds like his dirty secret stash lmao) so ive been cleanin them twice a day or so.
it sucks big time.
im trying to keep his beak occupied. ive put in an old tea bag box that i was using as a mini storage box (it has no tea left in it, has been a while since it did) and hes shredded bits of the lid. found his cat toys with bells in aswell but hes getting a bit snappy and i cant touch them to play with him. i think this little fella has more mood swings than i do
i didnt see him eat poop yesterday hehe (victory!). i know where hes been going to find it (un-used over turned bowls on the bottom of his cage.. sounds like his dirty secret stash lmao) so ive been cleanin them twice a day or so.
I am so glad I read this as Lola has eaten her poop a few times, only when its dried up though. I just thought she might of thought it was food, didnt think of a deficiency! Hasnt done it in a while though. Its winter here, when the sun comes out I usually let them sit in the cage outside to soak up some rays, usually in the spring and summer months. Tell us how the sun goes on your little one. 
"Jibby aka Gilbert" Indian Ringneck 13 years "Charlie" Rex Rabbit 1 year
some times we did think he was mistaking it for food but he started purposely climbing on top of the unused bowls at the bottom of his cage and scraping it off. even dried bits that i cudnt get off his wooden toys when i washed them he tries to scrape it off
its hard to find sunshine lately but any tiny break in the clouds im draggin his cage to the back doors and opening them lol. im thinking itll take a few weeks but ill let you know how it goes
its hard to find sunshine lately but any tiny break in the clouds im draggin his cage to the back doors and opening them lol. im thinking itll take a few weeks but ill let you know how it goes
Just to reiterate...a nutrition issue is just one possible cause and getting them into some natural sunlight to stimulate Vitamin D production is just one possible remedy.
Heck, it's entirely possible that they eat their droppings simply because they - and I'm getting nauseous just typing this - like the way they taste.
Jim
Heck, it's entirely possible that they eat their droppings simply because they - and I'm getting nauseous just typing this - like the way they taste.
Jim
October is National Tagline Awareness Month
hahaha well im assuming its a deficiency because hes never as far as i know, eaten his own mess before lol. he hasnt been doing it so much lately. think the sunshine might have helped (the little that weve had). raided my savings account today so i might get some brocoli tomorrow and other veggies.
ummmmm hes sat on my head atm (never ever comes near me normally) he seems rather needy. think its his moult. ill let u know if the sun stops it completely or if i find him still doing it
ummmmm hes sat on my head atm (never ever comes near me normally)
he seems rather needy. think its his moult. ill let u know if the sun stops it completely or if i find him still doing it-
dreamspirit
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- Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:16 pm
- Location: Michigan
umm im starting to think its because he likes it. the past two weeks hes had oranges, peas, sweetcorn on the cob, nectarines, beetroot, berries, tonnes of stuff and ive seen him still eat his poop. it hasnt been as bad and hes trying to be sneaky about it. hell eat it off his rope perch where its not as visible because we tell him not to if he goes down to the unused bowls at the bottom of the cage 
.
hes been going crazy though. has been loud the past few days and just generally going nuts. flies around like a crazy man if i let him out (i dont mind lol) or he runs around all over the tables and the floor. hes also worked out how to remove his food bowls from the side of the cage and shots them to the floor then runs around with him in his mouth after .
hes never in the year weve had him done the eating of poop thing though. i dont understand him at all lately haha. i thought the problem was gone but it hasnt
.
hes been going crazy though. has been loud the past few days and just generally going nuts. flies around like a crazy man if i let him out (i dont mind lol) or he runs around all over the tables and the floor. hes also worked out how to remove his food bowls from the side of the cage and shots them to the floor then runs around with him in his mouth after
.
hes never in the year weve had him done the eating of poop thing though. i dont understand him at all lately haha. i thought the problem was gone but it hasnt