OK...lets talk 'poop'

[dawng]

I feel like a real twit asking this newbie question but here goes...

When you have your lovie out of the cage with you, but not on a play gym, do you just let them poop all over the place or do you put a towel or something on your shoulder or wherever?

It seems like a silly question, but I do really want to know. (how can you tell I haven't got my first little fly baby home yet!). :)

Dawn

[kimsbirds]

Well, I have a bird or two out with me most of the day, and honestly, if I see them poop, I pick it up...if I don't see them do it, but find it later, it's usually dried up and I just flick it and vaccum it:rofl:
I know it sounds gross, but you really do get used to it!!
My son, however, "forgets" to check if Abbey has "dropped a bomb" when he has her out of her cage...so we'll find those ones smeared into couch cushions etc. I just hand him the container of Lysol Wipes...he gets the message LOL

[butterfly1061]

I do the same as Kim. The dried ones are easier to deal with - no smudges :D I also use "Poop-Off" wipes to clean any smudges on my carpet or furniture. It's great stuff! :clap

[Kirby]

Lovebirds are all born with the knowledge that "towels on objects are to hide under, NOT to poop on"

I don't care if my birds poop on me... I just look at the owners *cough*dani*cough* who have macaws or electus parrots and the size of their birds' poops. :rotfl: and that makes me appreciate the miniscule sizes of poopies we get around the house.

My two stay upstairs most of the time while playing and the poops either end up on my computer desk, chair, play gym or carpet lol. And then vacuum every other day or so.

[Estee]

We pick up fresh poops off our shoulders with a baby wipe. Our birdie doesn't stay on one shoulder (or even on the shoulder-- the likes to climb down my kids' collars and then poke his face out).

Be careful to lift, not smear! :) If you're careful that way, it usually comes right off, even on my sons' white uniform school shirts.

[beckyg]

Be careful to lift, not smear! :) If you're careful that way, it usually comes right off, even on my sons' white uniform school shirts.

This is very true, and if it smears it might stain :(. Needless to say I have a handful of old teeshirts I wear when I have Luna out.

[butterfly1061]

This is very true, and if it smears it might stain.That's where the "Poop-Off" wipes come in handy. http://www.busybeaks.com/62001-5_poop_off.htm

[beckyg]

That's where the "Poop-Off" wipes come in handy. http://www.busybeaks.com/62001-5_poop_off.htm

OH!! :clap That is great! I have to get me some of those!! I have a couple of shirts that have black stains on the colars because I washed them.

[michael]

Lets see :roll: ...About 4 poops per hour times 24.......minus 10 hours for sleep (of course they could poop while they sleep but we won't count those) so, times 14 equals 42 poops a day. Now 42 poops a day times 365 day a year (that includes holidays because when you gotta go, you GOTTA GO!)... that equals 15,330........ OK, so now Goof is about two and a half years old ......:roll: ......So, if you multiply 15,330 times two and a half, that equals 38,325!.....HOLY COW! :omg: ......If someone had told me I probably will clean up that many poops in two and a half years, I would have never believed them!...........Uh Oh....There he goes again! :) ..............Michael and Poopy

And you can bet I cleaned up every one of them too!

[Pips mom]

Pip is out of cage all the time-----he is only truly happy when out! You will start to see the paterns of where they like to hang out and what I do is put newspaper on the floor in those places. I do have to clean the window sills regularly as pip loves to sit on the curtain rods----the poop always goes on the window sills though, never the curtain! When I see poops around randomly, I just clean them up when I notice them, which is pretty rare----plus lovies poop is pretty small, and they also poop less often than my tiels, so it's not really that bad----you learn and adjust and it just all works out-----thank god for poop-off! it is a wonderful product! I buy the big bottles of it to clean cage grates with and I use it on a paper towel with a little water to clean the poop off the floor or wherever I find it----stuff works great!

[Janie]

All three of mine are out during the day but 2 are confined to their bird room. I have boings hanging from the ceiling but keep either newspaper or an expensive small rug (that can be washed) below the boings. Needless to say, there is plenty of poop in that room and I usually vacuum every day or every other day. As others have said, dried poop is much easier to deal with.

I do let the birds come from their room to the kitchen daily and like Kim said, if I see the poop, I clean it up when I see it, but if I don't, I get to it....eventually! :lol One of my birds, Oliver, is a velcro birdie and on me several hours every day. I wear a "Ca Ca Cape" (I swear, that is the name, :D) and almost never get poop on my clothes. I have 15 capes (she went out of business and I ordered a ton) and they are the greatest! I did find dried poop on my bare arm when I got home from work last week! :lol Either no one noticed or no one cared! :D

I use poop off spray and poop off wipes (Becky, you can find both much cheaper at that bird fair in Dec.) and I've only had one thing, a silk lamp shade, that I was unable to clean up after it got pooped on. I figured, what the heck.....I'll buy a new one and put it on when company comes and then put the old one back on otherwise.

Poop is definitely part of having a bird. My kids are amazed that I don't mind it at all. I used to be a clean freak but those days are gone! :D

[dawng]

Oh Michael! You're hilarious!

Hmmm... now my cat goes in a litter box, my daughters bunny goes in a litter box, bird...there's got to be a way. :confused: Michael you sound like you have had lots of experience. Perhaps I should hire you. :D

Hmm....bird...lots of poop, everwhere. Guess you just get used to it. When I went to see my little lovie a week ago he pooped on me 4 or 5 times, and that was in a period of 1/2 hour!! Mind you he is just getting on to solid food but still being hand fed some too... so I guess it is that frequent loose baby poop thing.

Who would of thought poop would be so fun to talk about! :rofl: Or is it just me that finds this entertaining? :roll: It must be Friday. Brain did way too much work today.

Blessings,
Dawn

[Pips mom]

janie,
What a great idea with the lampshade! I have had my birds land on the lampshades and poop on them and it's really hard to get off, usually stains, and what I have done is just turn the lamp shade around so that spot is on the back! lol having a spare lamp shade is a great idea!

[Flapjack]

I'm not sure what it is about Jack, but his poop has never stained anything, the urine is usually clear, not white, and if I use a paper towel to just "touch" the poop, it just lifts off.
Chino though... YUCK! He poops way bigger than Jack, has white urates, and it doesn't just lift off. GRRR! The breeder clipped his wings, so he's not even flying. I know I'm not looking forward to HIS poops on the furniture once he comes out of quarantine. So far he's been in my son's room, and prefers to be on me, or sometimes the bed, so I just lay down a towel.
Every time I see him poop, I say "Poop!", so hopefully he will eventually understand what it is and I can begin potty training.

[Janie]

janie,
What a great idea with the lampshade! I have had my birds land on the lampshades and poop on them and it's really hard to get off, usually stains, and what I have done is just turn the lamp shade around so that spot is on the back! lol having a spare lamp shade is a great idea!

:D....you know the old expression, "Don't sweat the small stuff?" :lol That is my attitude about that lampshade. It is the only one that they fly to in the family room and it's just not worth the effort to keep replacing it so we have "one" for company and "one" (pooped on) for us! :D

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Janie ... Where were you when I posted asking how to get bird poop off a silk lampshade??? :rofl:

Guess who's going out to buy a "company" lampshade this weekend! ;)

[dani]

Haku and Oki's poop are little and not a problem :lol I've become so disgusting that I forget it on the floor, cushions etc for days... :lol :lol
Even Evie's poop is fine, i think cleaning it when it's dried is also better. I am proud to say my clever girl is poop-trained, she knows not to poop on mama, and will climb off me, go poop on the ground, and climb back on me. honestly i am not squeamish at all about bird poop, i have 5 dogs and they are just gross creatures, the bird poop is like nothing in comparison. AH but when Ammy poops, it must be cleaned right away or it turns to this huge PIE for want of a better word (sorry for ruining pie for you all) that fuses on to the floor and the upholstery and refuses to let go. What's better is, he somehow always gets poo on his feet too and leaves poo tracks... ack... thank God i have an understanding family :rofl: :rotfl

[michael]

Michael you sound like you have had lots of experience. Perhaps I should hire you. :D

Yes Dawn. If there's one thing I do know its poop! Anymore though I'm only available for lovebird poops. Anything I can smell or hear hit the floor from right outside the door will take plenty more experience. ;) ...............................You know, like Jeni's Flapjack, Goofs droppings have never really stained anything, yet. I would imagine silk may be different. I have used simple green on many other more difficult stains with some success. But even though its biodegradable, I would only use it provided It can be rinsed off completely and never on his cozy or any object he's in direct contact with. Those lamp shades sound like a plan maybe. Think I'll pick up a small one and try using it without the lamp. Cover the wide bottom part with paper. It might just make a good bird potty. :) . Well, Goofy has learned to go on paper through watching for the signs and praising him afterwards when they hit the target. But he still sneaks a few in on top my head or behind my shoulder. You wouldn't think that when your away from him for awhile and you spot one of his poopy gifts that ya just can't help but smile :D ..................Michael and Goofy

[dani]

Michael... You know you're a crazy bird person when you think poopy gifts hidden in your hair is cute :rofl:

[Finnysmommie]

I am soooo glad to see this question addressed. I have tried to explain to "non-bird" people that bird poop is no biggie. They don't seem to get it. I too have dogs and would be grossed out if one of them pooped on me. (although Sammy did try and mark me as his once at the dog park)
But I dont see the big deal with bird poop. I usually clean it up as it happens when they are anywhere else but their room but in their room I just vacuum it up 2 or 3 times a week. We have a loveseat in their room that we cover with an old sheet so that we can just throw that in the washer.

I have been embarassed a few times that I have gone out with poop in my hair or on the back of my shirt... but you know what they say... SH*+ Happens!!! Beisdes I will take being pooped on by my lovies anyday over having to cut them out of my hair again!!! :rofl:

[thebubbleking]

Funny how love changes perspective isnt it, I mean i am sure like the rest of you all noone could pay me enough to clean poop or or deal with poop, but when my babies go i am right there intently examineing it like a scientisit checking color, consistancy, size e.t.c
I use wet naps if its fresh and just flick and vaccume if its dry:)

[Sweetpeaches]

my husband and kids think it's absolutely gross..especially when hubby goes to put his arm around me and his hand lands in a wet spot...lol....i'm like everyone else i just grab a wet paper towel and wipe it off. fortunately, at this point peaches poop doesn't stain either. but just to keep the peace i wear my "poop shirt" when i have peaches out (she also is a velcro birdie) and she sits on my shoulder. so everyone knows when i have that shirt on stay clear...hee hee.

[dani]

finnie's mommy... trying to cut them out of your hair! :o i can just imagine how that went :lol :rofl:

[Finnysmommie]

lol it is funny in retrospect. At the time I was so tramatized! Finny had flew on to my head and was moving around a lot up there chewing my hair and playing. When he went to take off he was stuck, which tramatized him. We both sat there for a minute tramatized and then I just told my husband to grab some sisscors and cut my hair around him so he would not have a heart attack or something...lol When I saw my hair I was tramatized all over again!

I now am very careful when the lovies are on my head. I almost always put my hair in a pony tail and when it is not in a ponytail I make sure they do not spend to much time or move around to much up there!

I guess it was one of those defining moments in a relationship..lol I knew I was hooked for life on this little green bugger when I was more worried about him than my hair!