Poop inside the earthen breeding pot?

[nav (banned)]

I have a budgie which loves hiding inside the earthen pot (looks like this) whenever I put my hand into the cage. Problem is, that it also poops inside the pot and twice I've seen it taking some of the old poop into its mouth. I don't know if it ate it, but I felt it might not be right.

I can't always be there to supervise it, and the cage is made in a way that I can't take the pot out of the cage (opening is too small).
What can I do to manage this? I tried keeping a layer of newspaper at the inside bottom of the pot, but the budgie doesn't seem to like getting into the pot now (although today morning I saw some poop on the newspaper).
I had also kept some eucalyptus leaves inside it (before keeping the newspaper), but it seems like the budgie threw them out.

Should the earthen pots just be left as they are? Do the budgies consider it their nest and keep it clean by themselves?
Should the earthen post have nothing inside it or should some coconut fiber or something that is nest-like be kept inside?

[OP]

Unless you intend breeding then the pots should be removed. They or anything that can be used as a nest probably will be.

[nav (banned)]

Thanks, but what about the poop? That was the main question.

[OP]

Well it needs to be cleaned out really. You may have seen your hen doing some housework.

[Hezz]

#1 If a budgie is going to eat poop, it will. Doesn't necessarily mean much, good or bad. Keeping the cage clean will mean there is little poop to be picked up. Getting rid of the pot will mean even less.
#2 If you do not intend to breed, take the pot out, even if you have to break it. Breeding isn't something to be entered into lightly if you care at all about your birds.

[Marianne Marlow]

Agree. Budgies do not clean up after themselves. It'd be great if they did then I could get them all mini-brooms and half my work would be done for me each day.

[nav (banned)]

Ok then perhaps the solution would be to drop a few seeds or cilantro leaves inside the pot so that she doesn't eat the poop when I'm not around.