So I'm in the process of moving this weekend, so I moved some quail to a cage behind my
chicken coop so I could move their normal cage. the cage I put them in is a rabbit cage,
the wire on the sides is 1" x 2" but the wire on the bottom is 1" by 1/2" . It was sitting right against my chicken run with the metal bottom between the run and their cage. This left maybe a 4 inch space there between the two. The cage sits on legs about 4 inches high. I had 6 quail in this cage.. all females of course, my favorites out of a new batch. I have lived here for a year, never had any issue, I have quail in one cage that has larger holes but it is close to the house. I also have two ducks roaming free in the fenced yard and 2 chickens roaming free. This morning I go out and
find this scene:
So all but one had the heads eaten off ... which to me means raccoon. The other one had its guts eaten. But what is puzzling is that two of the birds were pulled through on the side with only 4 inches of space and the coon would have had to be really small to get under the cage to that side without moving the cage at all. It wasnt shifted or anything. What else could it be? Why hasnt it gone after my ducks or the chickens free roaming? Sheesh tomorrow I'm moving all of them ..why now?? grrrr I don't think we have weasels here in NorCal, at least not that I know of. Could a rat have done this? I guess everything will be sleeping on the porch tonight in kennel carriers to await the move tomorrow.
Nancy
chicken coop so I could move their normal cage. the cage I put them in is a rabbit cage,
the wire on the sides is 1" x 2" but the wire on the bottom is 1" by 1/2" . It was sitting right against my chicken run with the metal bottom between the run and their cage. This left maybe a 4 inch space there between the two. The cage sits on legs about 4 inches high. I had 6 quail in this cage.. all females of course, my favorites out of a new batch. I have lived here for a year, never had any issue, I have quail in one cage that has larger holes but it is close to the house. I also have two ducks roaming free in the fenced yard and 2 chickens roaming free. This morning I go out and
find this scene:
So all but one had the heads eaten off ... which to me means raccoon. The other one had its guts eaten. But what is puzzling is that two of the birds were pulled through on the side with only 4 inches of space and the coon would have had to be really small to get under the cage to that side without moving the cage at all. It wasnt shifted or anything. What else could it be? Why hasnt it gone after my ducks or the chickens free roaming? Sheesh tomorrow I'm moving all of them ..why now?? grrrr I don't think we have weasels here in NorCal, at least not that I know of. Could a rat have done this? I guess everything will be sleeping on the porch tonight in kennel carriers to await the move tomorrow.
Nancy
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